Being at the seventh night already one might be able to ask the question why tonight is not the last night of Chanukah. The whole miracle was that the Chashmonaim had only enough oil for one day and that the flame kept burning for another seven days (until they had new pure oil). So really the nes was only for seven days. Why then do we celebrate eight days of Hannukah?
The answer might be that this is to show us that everything is from Hashem. The Yevanim had desecrated and defiled the whole Beis HaMikdash and everything in it. They had brought non-kosher animals as sacrifices to their Avodah Zorah on the Mizbeach (altar) of the Beis HaMikdash itself. When the Jews entered the Mikdash and saw the destruction done to such a holy place they surely felt devastated and, according to Halacha, they had to purify the whole place and therefore even dismantle the large stone mizbeach. Not a simple task –nor physically or mentally. It must’ve been heartbreaking for those Jews who loved Hashem so much to dismantle it. But it was exactly there (in a small hole under the mizbeach) where they found a hidden flask of oil with the unbroken seal of Yehoyada –the Kohen Gadol from the days of Shmuel HaNovi. If it wasn’t for the defilement of the Yevanim and therefore their dismantling of the mizbeach they would never have found the hidden oil.
In what they thought was their darkest nightmare lay their ultimate joy and answer to their many teffilos. Their prayers were not in vain. Hashem had listened to them and had even sent the solution long before the problem even arose.
Perhaps it is exactly because of this that we celebrate eight days instead of seven. To show us that the major nes was really the fact there actually already was one flask of kosher oil. It is to teach us that everything what happened is guided by the hand of Hashem. Nothing in this world happens without it being hashgochas protis.
May we all learn to accept and see that everything what happens is guided by the Ribono Shel Olam and –even if we don’t see it right away- is indeed for our own good.
I’m especially interested in frittelle di riso (pine nut and raisin-studded rice fritters). (i’m Italian and into food history) also can you tell i’m getting very into your blog?
also from one of my favourite food bloggers, I imagine team applesauce will like https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/11/apple-latkes/ as well as all debs other Jewish recipes https://smittenkitchen.com/recipes/jewish/ because I’m making her brisket right now.
thank you for all the work you put into your posts!
When this post is being published, I am watching my Rebbe lighting his menorah. Me, and many other chassidim will be watching how the Rebbe says his brochos (blessings), knowing very well that we’ll not be alone. When my Rebbe - and even every other Jew in the world - will light the candles tonight, groups and groups of malachim (angels) come to hear the brochos (blessings).
The hidden light inside will strengthen our neshamos. It is segula for Torah, tahara (purity), and so much more. When one truly realizes this, one’s entire haldlaka (lighting) will be transformed. Your adrenaline rushes and you feel a sense of kedusha overcome you. You feel like the Kohen in the Beis HaMikdash.
The moment when we light our Chanukah menorah is the best time to ask Hashem whatever we need, and to do teshuva. Every day the oil of our candles burns up, yet we refill it and light it again the next day. So too is it with a Yid. Even when a Yid gave in to his aveiros (sins), he can always do teshuva and become a total new creation. Sefer HaTanya says that if one does teshuvah and sins again and again, the teshuvah is always accepted - as long as it is sincere, because just as Hashem is Infinite, so too His patience is Infinite. Dovid HaMelech (King David) said twice ‘l'negdi tomid’ (‘before me always’), My sin is before me always’ and 'I set Hashem before me always’. One is the key to the other. If we are arrogant, then there is no room for Hashem in our lives.
If we remember that we are sinners, then we become humble, and in our broken hearts there is room for Hashem to shine His Light into our lives. The Hellenists wanted to take away our chance to do teshuvah, they wanted us to write on the horns of our oxen that we have no portion in the G-d of Israel, chas v'sholom! They wanted us to give up hope in Hashem’s Infinite Patience. They wanted to extinguish the Light and bring Darkness, “Choshech zu Yavan”. They celebrated the human being over the Eternal, with arrogance that tried to block out Hashem’s Light. But the message of Chanukah is that even with all of the tumah (impurity), even if all of the oil in the Temple has been defiled, there is that one little 'pach’ of pure oil, and that little bit of light can chase away a lot of darkness.
That’s why any oil and any wick is kosher for Chanukah, that’s why every Jew celebrates Chanukah, no matter how far away he or she is, because there is always hope.
