On Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of the small Jewish army's victory over the powerful Greek war machine. Just as importantly, it is the miracle of a small cruse of oil, enough to last for one day, remaining lit for eight days until new oil could be procured. Our Sages in the Talmud describe the miracle of the oil as follows:
"During the occupation of the Holy Land by the Greeks, the latter entered the Hechel [Inner Sanctum of the Holy Temple) and defiled all the oil in the Hechel. When the Hasmoneans defeated them, one cruse of oil was found, however, which had not been touched by the Greeks. It contained oil sufficient for one day only. The menorah was rekindled and the oil miraculously lasted for eight days."
If the Greeks wished to prevent the Jews from lighting the menorah, why did they merely defile the oil and not destroy it? The Greeks did not want to prevent the rekindling of the menorah. Rather, they wanted the menora to be rekindled, but with defiled oil. They purposely left a supply of defiled oil in the Hechel -- rather than in its regular storage place -- to make it easily available for this purpose.
Moreover, they actually wanted to bring about the rekindling of the menorah, in its holy place in the Hechel, whence it should spread its light everywhere as before, except that its light should come from oil that had the Greek "touch."
Thus, the battle of the Greeks was not merely a physical battle but a spiritual battle as well. The Greeks were willing to recognize the Torah, or even accept it, as a work of profound philosophy and wisdom, provided it was considered a human creation. It was not the suppression of the Torah that they desired, rather, they strove to deny its Divine origin.
The insistence of the Maccabees to use only pure, consecrated oil was the visible symbol of the holiness of the Jewish way of life.
May we rekindle the lights in the Holy Temple this very Chanukah and celebrate the holiday of light in a world illuminated with the light of Moshiach -- may it be now.
