As we wrote, the Yevanim's decree contradicted itself. They forced Bnei Yisrael to write on oxen's horns ישראל באלקי חלק לנו שאין, that they don’t have a portion in the G-d of Yisrael. However, if they admit that Hashem is the G-d of Yisrael, doesn't that mean we have a portion in Hashem? Some answer that the Yevanim agreed that Hashem is the "G-d of tzaddikim", but they didn't want them to believe that Hashem is the G-d of all Yidden. They denied that a close connection exists between Hashem and the simplest Yid, who is on a very low spiritual level.
Shulchan Aruch (673:1) states, “If a Chanukah candle gets mixed and lost among other candles, even at a ratio of 1/1000, it doesn’t become batel.” This is because Chanukah represents the essence of a Yid and his specialty. He doesn’t lose his unique, individual status and value even among thousands of others.
Rebbe Pinchas of Koritz zt’l said: From the Shabbos candles, one can know what will happen during the following week, and from the Chanukah candles, one can know what will happen during the following year.
The Sfas Emes (5636 איתא ה"ד 'ז ליל) writes, "The Yevanim prevented the Yidden from performing three mitzvos: Chodesh, Shabbos, and bris milah. Why did they specifically want to annul chodesh more than any other mitzvos? And what aspect of Rosh Chodesh did they want to annul? The Yevanim wanted to end kiddush hachodesh, when witnesses would tell beis din that they saw a new moon, and then beis din would establish the day as Rosh Chodesh. It angered the Yevanim that the calendar and the yomim tovim depended on Bnei Yisrael."
It was the greatness of the Jewish nation that frightened them. The Sfas Emes writes, "Therefore, they said, 'Write on the oxen's horn that you don't have a portion with the G-d of Yisrael.' [These words contradict themselves.] If Hashem is the 'G-d of Yisrael,' as they were told to write on the oxen's horn, it automatically means they have a portion with Hashem!" The Sfas Emes answers that they knew and admitted that Hashem is the "G-d of Yisrael." But they didn't want us to think that we have a ישראל באלקי חלק, a portion with Hashem, to the extent that our opinion of when it should be rosh chodesh is accepted in heaven. They admitted that Hashem gave us the Torah, but they denied the greatness of the Jewish nation and their closeness with Hashem.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the Yevanim failed to educate the Jewish nation to believe like them. In fact, due to the gezeiros of that era, Hashem gave the Jewish nation Chanukah, which reveals the close connection between Hashem and the Jewish nation.
