Chanukah – “ועל הניסים ועל הפורקן. ועל המלחמות שעשית לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה” – Why do we first speak about the miracles, “ועל הניסים,” and only then mention about battles that we won, ,“ועל המלחמות” when the battle took place first, and it was only after the battle that Klal Yisroel were zoche to have oil that was enough for one day last for eight days?
It says in Bereishis 14:10 “ועמק השידים בארות בארות חמר וינוסו מלך סדום ועמורה ויפלו שמה” – The king of S’dom fell into some sort of pit. Rashi says that there was cement there, which according to nature, would not have allowed him to escape it. However, the Midrash tells us that a miracle occurred, and the king of S’dom was freed from it. Rashi continues that by this miracle that occurred for him, he retroactively believed in the miracle that happened with Avrohom Avinu by the kivshan ha’eish. Rashi is telling us that the reason that this miracle occurred here for the king of S’dom was so that he would recognize the past, that a miracle had indeed occurred for Avrohom, as he was saved from the burning cauldron.
It says in the אבודרהם that Chazal were mesaken the lashon of “על הניסים” in a lashon rabbim, plural form, because there were two miracles that occurred on Chanukah: the miracle of winning the battle and the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days when there was only enough oil to burn for one day. There are times that Hakadosh Boruch Hu gives a Yid tremendous hatzlachah in all that he does. However, this person does not recognize that it is a miracle that all is working out well for him. Rather, he thinks that his success is part of the natural order of the world. However, after this person has all of this success, Hakadosh Boruch Hu performs a miracle for him that is clearly out of the realm of nature, a clear miracle. When this person sees this miracle, it is to cause him to reflect on his previous success and realize that the amazing success he kept having was also really a miracle. (מהרי"ד מבעלזא)
The sefer סדר היום speaks at length regarding the battle of the Chashmona’im and the Yivanim, and that the Chashmona’im won the battle. Their victory was certainly not within the realm of nature and was miraculous. However, they didn’t see it as such. Although the Chashmona’im were few against the many and the weak against the strong, nonetheless, in battle, there are times that it can happen. However, after they saw the clear miracle of the candles burning for eight nights when there was only enough oil for one night, at that point, they realized that the battle was also a miracle.
At times, Hakadosh Boruch Hu performs miracles for a person that are clearly out of the realm of nature. For when this occurs, it makes one realize that his previous success was also all a miracle – a miracle from the Ribbono Shel Olam. We must be super grateful to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for showing us that it was all miracles. He clearly demonstrated His love for us by performing these miracles. This is why we first say על הניסים and end with ועל המלחמות – for it was after the miracles that they realized that the battle was also a miracle. They first had to see the miracles.
RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
