And as has been explained in the above mentioned Maamorim, that the symbolism of the lamp (the connection of the light and the oil through the medium of the wick etc.) is as a result of the fact that every Jew’s Neshomoh [soul] has the capacity for self-sacrifice for the Oneness of Hashem—which means serving Hashem at a level of Bechol Me’odechah by prefacing a willingness to act [in Service of Hashem] even before hearing its details, which [in turn] represents serving Hashem beyond either measurement or limitation.
In Iggeres Hateshuvah Chapter Four: Yud is the idea that Yiddishkeit requires Bittul – total Self-abnegation to Hashem. Hay is Hanistoros – Everything about Judaism which is personal. How much we each understand Hashem. And how much we each feel Hashem. Which is the Neshomoh soul of Yiddishkeit. That Yiddishkeit has a spiritual dimension of understanding and feeling. Vov is the dimension of understanding knowledge of the revealed wisdom of Torah. And the second Hay is the performance of Mitzvos. So, every Yid’s Neshomoh soul has the concept of Bittul of self-abnegation, every Yid’s Neshomoh soul has the capacity to understand and feel Hashem in their spiritual lives, every Yid has the capacity to learn and understand Torah – some a little more, some a little less, and every Yid has the possibility to perform Mitzvos. So lighting lamps on Chanukah is because a lamp has four themes, Yiddishkeit has four themes, a Yid has four themes and that was the war the war against the candles.
There is another concept in a lamp, in Iggeres Hateshuvah where the Alter Rebbe compares the Neshomoh soul to Hashem’s four letter name Yud Kay Vov Kay and he says that there is also a fifth dimension that of the crown which is on top of the Yud. And in Tanya chapter 19 the Alter Rebbe says self-sacrifice is the idea that a flame jumps because it wants to leave the fuel and ascend up to Hashem. We have the idea of the lamp representing the details of Yiddishkeit. And we light lamps on Chanukah because we are celebrating Yiddishkeit and we are celebrating Yidden which is what we won. But a lamp has an additional symbolism that of self-sacrifice. And because a lamp represents, symbolises and combines both themes—the theme of Yiddishkeit and the theme of self-sacrifice—it becomes the ideal representation of the story of Chanukah.
We have been describing the body of the soul: its details, its self-abnegation, its wealth, its understanding, and its action. Underneath all of that there is a potency of self-abnegation, and self-sacrifice for Hashem which has absolutely no limit. And it is this limitless aspect of the Neshomoh soul which allows for the lower aspects to thrive, it allows a Yid to behave like a Yid through his daily grind as a result of his inert capacity for self-sacrifice which comes from the crown of the Yud of Hashem’s four-letter name that is imbodied in his Neshomoh soul.
Particularly when one says the word Echod in Shema Yisroel. In a totally infinite way. Which is what the Jews said when Hashem asked them if they want the Torah. This symbolises a Bittul - self-abnegation to Hashem Himself as opposed to just Hashem’s will. Without any constraint whatsoever. That gives us the stimulus for our daily lives as Jews. This lamp of Chanukah represents the details of Yidishkeit. And it represents the self-sacrifice of Yiddishkeit. And the source of our capacity to do the details of Yiddishkeit is this impetus of self-sacrifice. The Alter Rebbe says in Tanya chapter 41 that a Yid gets up every single morning and tells Hashem about his Neshomoh soul that you Hashem will eventually take my Neshomoh soul away from me in the future, so I am giving it to you right now. This is achieved through any act of Yiddishkeit that any Jew does at any time is an act of self-sacrifice. So, the lamp represents all the details of Yiddishkeit but the impetus behind those details to achieve all that in every single nuance is ultimately from a Yid’s inert self-sacrifice.
