Praying for Miracles
Shulchan Aruch (187:4) states, "If one forgot to say Al HaNisim [in Birkas Hamazon], he can say it in the הרחמןs... נסים לנו יעשה הוא הרחמן ...יוחנן בן מתתיהו בימי הזה בזמן ההם בימים שעשה כמו, 'May Hashem perform miracles for us just as He performed miracles in those days...'" Similarly, if one forgets Al HaNisim in Shemonah Esrei, he should say this הרחמן at the end of Shemonah Esrei (see Mishnah Berurah 682:4).
The Shoel u'Meishiv (Divrei Shaul) zt'l asks that it is known that we don't pray for miracles, so how can we say לנו יעשה הוא הרחמן נסים, "May Hashem perform miracles for us"?
Why Don't We Pray for Miracles?
The Shaul u'Meishiv proves that we don't daven for miracles from the following Gemara (Taanis 24:): Rava's beis din gave malkus to a sinner, and the person died. When the king heard what happened, he wanted to punish Rava. The king's mother warned her son, "Don't start up with the Yidden. Whatever they ask from their G-d, He gives them. When they pray for rain, it rains!" The king replied, "That's because they pray for rain in the winter season. It was going to rain, regardless. Let them pray now, in the summer, and see if they can bring rain!" The king's mother had rachmanus on Rava, so she sent him a message, warning him to daven for rain. Rava davened, but it didn’t rain.
Rava said, "Ribono Shel Olam, (Tehillim 47) קדם בימי בימיהם פעלת פועל לנו ספרו אבותינו שמענו באזנינו אלקים, 'with our ears we heard, our forefathers told us; You performed miracles in their days, in days of old,' but we haven’t seen these miracles with our eyes." Suddenly, it started to pour—although it was in the middle of summer (and it never rains in the summer in Bavel)! The streets of Mechuzah became flooded, and the water flowed into the Chidekel River. Rava's tefillos were answered, and he was saved from the king's punishment.
That night, Rava saw his father in a dream. His father said, "How could one make Heaven work so hard [to bring rain in the wrong season]?" His father instructed him not to sleep in his bed that night. Rava got up from his bed and slept elsewhere. In the morning, Rava saw that his bed was stabbed and cut with knives. Rashi explains that sheidim had come to harm Rava.
We learn from this Gemara that it is dangerous and improper to daven for miracles. This is because Hashem wants to lead the world according to the rules of nature, and it is wrong to try to alter those rules and ask for miracles.
Why Is Chanukah Different?
Yet, on Chanukah, we daven for miracles. What is the explanation?
The Shoel u'Meishiv (Divrei Shaul) zt'l answers that throughout the year, Hashem leads the world according to the rules of nature, and therefore, it is wrong to ask for miracles. On Chanukah, Hashem leads the world in miracle mode. Therefore, during Chanukah, we may daven for nisim.
It states (Mishlei 9:1), שבעה עמודיה חצבה "Hashem set up the world on seven pillars." Many aspects of the world are related to the number seven, such as the seven days of the week, seven notes of music, seven types of wisdom, and so on. In the future, the world will be run according to the number eight, as it states (Tehillim 6:1), השמינית על למנצח, “A song played on a harp of eight strings.” This represents a world beyond the nature of this world. Chanukah is eight days because, on Chanukah, the world runs beyond the rules of nature.
The Maharal (Ner Mitzvah) writes, "The natural world is made up of seven. Eight is beyond nature... The Torah was given after seven, as it states (Devarim 16:9), 'Count seven weeks...' and on the fiftieth day, the Torah was given. Chapter 119 in Tehillim, which discusses Torah, contains eight pesukim for each letter of the alef beis (אפי תמניא) representing Torah, which is beyond nature." The Maharal explains that the Chanukah miracle came in the merit of the Torah, which is beyond nature. This is why the menorah miraculously remained lit for eight days.
Chazal (Shabbos 21:) say, according to Beis Shamai, שמונה מדליק ראשון יום, "The first day, he lights eight [lamps]." The Chidushei HaRim zt'l says that this refers to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. [His proof is that it is written in singular, "he lights," and it doesn't state מדליקין, "we light."] On the first night of Chanukah, Hashem lights eight, which means he brings into existence the world of eight, a world beyond nature. On Chanukah, the world is led beyond the rules of nature, and therefore, on Chanukah, we pray for miracles.
