The Kedushas Levi writes, "Due to the righteousness of Matisyahu ben Yochanan Kohen Gadol and his children, the gates of chesed and miracles open during the eight days of Chanukah. It is likely that the gates open when we light the Chanukah lecht and when we say Hallel and Al HaNisim. These draw down the chesed and miracles below."
Over one hundred years ago, in the year 5683, someone came to Reb Itzikel of Antwerp zt'l and told him that he must travel immediately, but the problem was that he didn't have a passport. Waiting for one after he applied would be too late since he had to travel immediately. Rebbe Itzikel gave him a bencher and said, "If you need a passport, take this." The man traveled with the bencher. The policeman at the passport control skimmed through the pages and stamped permission for entry next to the words הניסים על. This miracle didn't happen on Chanukah, but it originated on Chanukah. It is an example of the miracles that recur each year.
The Gemara (Chagigah 12.) says, "With the light that HaKadosh Baruch Hu created on the first day of creation, a person could see from one end of the world to the other." This light wasn't the light of the sun because the sun was created on the fourth day of creation. It was a unique light, about which it states (Bereishis 1:4), אלקים ויבדל טוב כי האור את אלקים וירא, "Hashem saw the light that it was good, and Hashem separated it..." The Gemara says that Hashem concealed the light, so resha'im won't benefit from it, "As it states (Iyov 38:15) אורם מרשעים וימנע, 'Their light shall be withheld from the wicked.' For whom did Hashem store the light? For the tzaddikim of the future... When the light saw that it was being reserved for tzaddikim, it was happy, as it states (Mishlei 13:9) צדיקים אור ישמח, 'The light of the tzaddik will rejoice.'"
Where was this light concealed? The Baal Shem Tov zt'l says that this holy, concealed light is in the Torah. One can tap into this sacred light when studying Torah. Another time to connect with this holy light is when we light the Chanukah lecht. The Bnei Yissaschar (Kislev 2:21) writes, "I have brought you the testimonies of three trustworthy witnesses that the light of Chanukah is the Or HaGanuz (concealed light of creation). They are (1) the holy tzaddik, the Rokeach, who received his lessons from Eliyahu HaNavi z'l. (2) The Maharal of Prague. It is known that his teachings were said with ruach hakodesh, and he would use Sefer Yetzirah. (3) And the holy Rav, who lived close to our times and was renowned for his ruach hakodesh, Rebbe Pinchas of Koritz zt'l."
Chazal hardly mention Chanukah. The Zohar mentions Chanukah once (vol.1, 238:); the same is true with Tikunei Zohar (29.). Even when they mention Chanukah, it is a side topic, not the primary issue being discussed. This is because Chanukah is the concealed light, the Or HaGanuz, and Chanukah was also concealed in the Oral Torah. But as we approach the geulah [when the Or HaGanuz will shine], tzaddikim began speaking about the mitzvah of Chanukah lecht, ideas that gedolim of previous generations didn't imagine..." They began to reveal that the light of Chanukah is the concealed holy light, the Or HaGanuz.
The Taz's Answer to the Beis Yosef's Question
The Beis Yosef asks if there was enough oil for the first night, so the miracle was actually for seven days. Why do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days? The Taz (670:1) answer begins with a story from Navi (II Melachim 4). It states that a woman told Navi Elisha that she had debts, and the creditors threatened to take her two sons away as slaves. Elisha asked her בבית לך יש מה, "What do you have in your home?" She replied that she had some oil. Elisha said, "Borrow empty vessels from your neighbors and pour the oil into those vessels." Miraculously, the oil kept flowing until all the utensils were filled with oil. She was able to pay her debtors. The Zohar explains that the miracle occurred solely because this woman had a drop of oil in her home. If she had nothing in her home, the brachah wouldn't flow because "when nothing is there, the brachah will not come to create something new." If there is even a tiny drop, the brachah can increase it.
The Bnei Yissaschar (Kislev-Teves 4:65) writes that the gates of Gan Eden are closed at night, but it seems from the teachings of Reb Pinchas Koritzer that when Yidden light Chanukah lecht, the gates of Gan Eden open. The number and the name of the simanim in Shulchan Aruch are associated with the mitzvah that siman discusses (as is written in Agra d'Pirka, Naso, regarding the mitzvah of Viduy, and several other sources teach this idea). The Beis Yisrael zt'l said that Hilchos Chanukah begins with siman ע"תר, which is similar to א"תרע, which means "gate" in Aramaic. This hints that the gates of salvation open when we light the Chanukah lecht. The Beis Yisrael zy'a teaches that the gates of heaven are opened on Chanukah, and everyone can enter. The Gemara (Bava Kama 80:) states, "When a door is locked, it won't open so quickly." We understand that the opposite is undoubtedly true. When the gates of heaven and salvation open, they don't close so quickly, and we will merit salvation beyond the rules of nature.
Also, in Mishnayos, Chanukah is mentioned only once (see Mishnayos Bava Kama 6:6), and even there it is mentioned in passing. It states there, חיב החנוני מבחוץ נרו חנוני הניח, "If a storeowner leaves a candle outside, he must pay for any damages it caused. פטור חנוכה בנר אומר יהודה 'ר, Reb Yehudah says that if it was a Chanukah lecht that was left outside, he isn’t obligated to pay," because he was permitted to place the lamp there. This is the only place that Chanukah is mentioned in Mishnayos, and it isn't even discussing Chanukah! It discusses the laws of damages. This is because Chanukah represents the Or HaGanuz, the concealed light, so also in the Oral Torah, it is concealed.
