[Avodah] Chanukah--miracle of the oil vs. miracle of the oil

[Zvi Lampel]

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 from: "Moshe Feldman"  [mailto:moshe.feldman at gmail.com]moshe.feldman at gmail.com

...see David Berger's article at
 [http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2006/11/human-initiative-and-divine-providence.html]
http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2006/11/human-initiative-and-divine-providence.html

and an article at
 [http://www.avakesh.com/2006/12/two_traditions_.html] http://www.avakesh.com/2006/12/two_traditions_.html
).

Therefore, it is likely that so long as the Bais HaMikdash was extant,
the main aspect of the celebration was the military victory, which
allowed Jewish independence for a good number of years. This does not
have be interpreted as kochi v'otzem yadi--rather we thank Hashem for
the vanquishing of rabim b'yad me'atim. Once the Jews went into
galus, national independence became largely irrelevant (and according
to Rav Kook--a largely forgotten goal of the Jewish people), and the main
message became a spiritual one.

But think about it: in the Bais Hamikdash, every day there was a
miracle of oil in that according to the Gemara Shabbos 22b and Yoma
39a, every day oil put in the ner ma'aravi miraculously lasted 24
hours even though not enough oil was put in--and this was a sign that
the Shechina resided in Israel. (This miracle lasted until the time
of Shimon HaTzadik.) Why should there be a major celebration l'doros
just because once the oil lasted for 8 days?

Clearly, the point is that we are celebrating the Hasmonean victory
over the Greeks and the Hellenists. The miracle of the oil shows us
that this wasn't a normal military victory but that it was Divinely
guided, and that Hashem showed us that, due to the religious revival
engendered by the Chashomaim, once again the Shechina resided in
Israel.

Kol tuv,
Moshe


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