"They established these eight days of Chanukah as a time to thank and praise Your great name." These are the concluding words of the special mi ¦qi¦p©d l©r "Al Hanassim" prayer in Chanukah. We celebrate eight days of Chanukah. The Bais Yosef, a commentator on the Tur Shulchan Aruch, asks (in Orech Chayim 670) a question that has been termed as "The Bais Yosef’s Question" on Chanukah, due to the popularity of the question. He asks why Chanukah is eight days long. If there was enough oil in the flask to last one day, then the miracle of the oil lasting was really only a miracle for the latter seven of the eight days. Yet, we know that we celebrate Chanukah for eight days! What is the reason behind the eight-day celebration that we have?
The Pri Chodosh answers the question of the Bais Yosef, that the 8th day of Chanukah comes as a commemoration for the miracle of defeating the Greek powerful army. Therefore, the oil burning was a 7 day miracle and day 8 is to commemorate the winning of the battle. The Pri Megadim asks on the Pri Chodosh that if we want to commemorate winning the battle why do so with lighting a candle. It doesn't seem as if that is meant to commemorate the battle.
We recite in the Vaal Hanisim: Hashem waged their battles, defended their rights, and avenged the wrong done to them. He delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. The Satmar Rebbe talks about strength, mi ¦W ̈N©g c©i §A mi ¦xeA¦b there are two types of strengths. There is a typical type of strength, a brute force, the brute energy, the power, the physical power. Here we are talking about this type of physical strength. There is another strength of spirit, a resolve. A strength that comes from an energy, a driven person, a person who is focused. That energy also appears in this world. It is the energy of a mother who miraculously lifts the car to save the life a child who is underneath. It is the energy of a small army that is focused can defeat a great army. which the Kesef Mishneh says is not a Neis, it is not a miracle. Because when the small army is focused then the small army can defeat the large army. But there is a second type of spiritual strength. That is to defeat the Yetzer Hara who is the greek army enticing to sin and deviate from the Torah.
This is a difficult battle, and the Chashmanayim were able to win in battle against the Greek army who’s main objective was “when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will”. This spiritual strength was eternal and paving the way for the Yidden in exile to conquer the Yetzer Hara. It states in Mishlei 20:27 o¤h« ̈a i ¥x §c©g l ̈M U À¥t Ÿ ¹g m® ̈c ̈` z ́©n §W¦p 'd x ́¥p Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts. The lighting of a candle on the eighth day is to commemorate the winning of the battle, which was the battle of the soul with the Yetzer Hara. This paved the way for the spiritual war of the innerparts.
Chazal teach us that the acts of the Avos which was done with Mesiras Nefesh made it easier for their children to perform. In the war of the Greeks, the purpose was to eradicate three things from Klal Yisrael three mitzvos given even before the Torah was given: the mitzvah of circumcision was given to our Avraham Avinu, the mitzvah to sanctify the New Moon was given to the Children of Israel in Egypt and the mitzvah of Shabbos was given at Marah. All three of these mitzvos are the root and purpose of the Torah, and so the Greeks sought to uproot them all. The Maharal explains that the first appearance of anything is also the root and purpose of the same thing, and includes everything about that thing. This principle is clearly illustrated in the Torah.
The Greeks wanted to disconnect Klal Yisrael from the Torah, for without these foundational mitzvos, it is impossible to access its depths. They did not want to destroy the Jews; they wanted to destroy Judaism, the uniqueness of Am Yisrael. Hence, we greatly appreciate the victory to this day. The eighth candle is a symbol of the Torah, Orah Zu Torah, which was the intention of the Greeks to nullify. For this we have to thank Hashem eight days.
Of course, the miracle of the oil burning for 8 days was a great miracle too! Which is interesting to note that in the Gemarra Shabbos 21b when asked “What is Chanukah”? the emphasis in on the miracle of the oil, and a slight mention of the victory. Whereas in the Vaal Hanisim, the emphasis is on the victory of the Torah, and a small mention of the oil miracle.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
