[Avodah] nes oil vs nes war

[herb basser]

 >   The b'raisa in Shabbos 21b is found verbatim in M'gillas
>Ta'anis. It makes an offhanded reference to the military triumph, and
>emphasizes the nes pach hashemen almost exclusively.  In M'gillas
>Ta'anis, there is more, but it, too, makes only casual reference to
>the war.


Actually the mgilla itself makes no reference to the war or the oil miracle.
mgillas taanis is a list of dates written in aramaic while the 2nd beis
hamikdash still stood. These are dates that one does not fast on. The mgilla
is quoted in the mishna of taanis. However, much later--  much much later-- 
a hebrew commentary, called the scholion to MT, was added. The text of this
commentary is highly unstable and varies in the manuscripts-- on certain
sugyos scholars have disentangled the evidence to find a few older
commentaries have been smooshed together to create the one we have which
often has internal contradictions. This commentary continued to attract
midrashim from late times too and kept growing for a while. While the text
of our gemara certainly cites the commentary and the mgilla-- it does not
seem the amoraim respond in any way to the miracle of oil--although the
rishonim understood that to be the issue. The idea attributed (by rabbi
Yochanan to beis shammai knegged parei hahag accords with Maccabees notice
that the 8 days of hallel were taken  from sukkos which didnt happen that
year because of the war. but that attributed to beis hillel also only knows
a general klal-- maalin bakodesh. That lights were lighted is certain-- the
yerushalmi talks about spears holding lights. Many people think the baraisa
is just the mgilla itelf-- the commentary being just that commentary and
responding to the question mai hanuka supplied in the latest phase of the
editing of the talmud. Nevertheless-- the miracle of the lights has proven
itself to be the true version for the people--victories are too dry to
celebrate for very long-- and if we are not neviim we are bnei neviim and
that is the surest proof. What klal yisrael accepts is torah-- sha'al
avicha.

Zvi Basser