We are currently celebrating the festival of Chanukah, the literal meaning of which is “inauguration” or “dedication.” Chanukah celebrates the purification and rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, after its defilement by the Greeks.
In the special Al Hanisim prayer we recite on Chanuka we emphasize the miracles that G-d wrought for our ancestors. The first miracle was the victory of the small Jewish army over the vastly superior and more numerous Greek army. The second miracle, and that which we symbolically celebrate each time we kindle the Chanuka menora, is the miracle of the one small cruse of pure olive oil which burned for eight days rather than the one day for which it was intended.
Whenever we celebrate a Jewish holiday, the same spiritual forces that came into play thousands of years ago are re-enacted, as we say in our prayers, “In those days and in our times.” During Chanukah, we are imbued with miraculous strength which defy nature via which are able to combat the darkness and evil that exists both outside as well as within. Strength to especially renew and rededicate the spiritual “Holy Temple” that exists within each and every one of us. The bitter exile we are in as well as the internal enemy, which is the Evil Inclination, which threaten to “defile the oil” and “cause us to forget Your Torah.” On Chanukah, our eternal bond with G-d is reinforced and fortified.
“Chinuch,” which is also translated as “education,” means becoming accustomed to something new. Whenever we embark on a new course, we need extra strength and incentive to succeed. After the Holy Temple was defiled, an extra measure of holiness was required. The self-sacrifice of the Jewish people for the sanctification of G-d's Name provided this extra spiritual power that allowed the Temple to be rededicated and renewed.
The miracle of Chanukah involved light, which is symbolic of an intensification and increase in Torah and mitzvot, as it states, “For a candle is a mitzva, and the Torah is light.” On each day of Chanukah we light an additional candle, increasing the illumination in the world. Indeed, this is the service of the Jew throughout the year: to successfully utilize the strength we derive from Chanukah to rededicate ourselves to Torah and mitzvot, in an ever-increasing manner.
The miracles and lights of Chanukah will ultimately herald in the eternal light of the future redemption, which will be a light that will never be extinguished.
