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Chanukah The most famous question associated with Chanukah is: Why do we celebrate for 8 days when the miracle lasted for only 7 days? After all, there was sufficient oil for one day. Many answers are given. Here are some for you to share with friends and family, 1. They split the oil into eight parts. Each day they used one part. Even though it was insufficient, the oil miraculously burnt each time for the entire day. Or perhaps, that eighth of oil "grew" to be sufficient for the entire day. 2. Every day, as they filled the oil from the jug it remained full. Similarly, perhaps, each day the Menorah was found to be still full of oil - despite having been lit through the night. 3. While the oil was burning each day, nevertheless, it was not burnt up. (Similar to Moshe's burning bush) 4. The extra day is for another reason: The miracle of finding a pure and undefiled jug of oil in the midst of such great impurity. This is the miracle of the Jewish people throughout the generations. Despite being swamped in a secular society there always remains the bit of purity. 5. The miracle of victory against the enemies. Though this was a great miracle we did not want to emphasis this on Chanukah. For the greater part of the "enemy" were hellenised and assimilated Jews, who desired to see the destruction of traditional Jewish observance. It is therefore only mentioned obliquely in the Chanukah addition to the Amidah. If this was the case, why do we also light on the first day? The victory in battle may have been thought to be natural, as a result of good tactics - victory went to the guerrilla army who knew the land well and were dedicated to their cause, etc. The miracle of the oil reminds us that - all which occurred was through the miraculous intervention of G-d, and so we light the first day as well. 6. R' Yitzchak Issac of Koretz explained as a child that it is for the children. The Gemara brings an argument between Beis Shammai who say we should light eight lights on the first day and decrease from there and Beis Hillel who say we start with one on the first day and add one more each day (as we do). If we only lit for seven days, on the fourth day we could not know if we are adding or subtracting. With eight days we can always see that the Halacha is like Beis Hillel. 7. One of the fundamental anti-Jewish decrees enforced was against Bris Milah. To celebrate the ability to once again enter our children into the covenant of Avrohom on the eighth day, we celebrate for eight days. 8. The Maharal of Prague explains: The number seven reflects the natural world. The world was created in seven days. The seven day cycle (the week) is one to which we are tightly bound. Most people run their lives around this seven day period. Eight, however, is beyond the limitations of seven. It represents reaching for the spiritual and not being bound up with the limitations of the physical cycles. So too, the Torah was given on the day after seven weeks of seven days. So too, the Psalm which speaks of the wonders of the Torah (Psalm 119) is written in a metre of eight lines. So too, the Bris of a child binds him to the spiritual worlds on the eighth day. We too, celebrate the victory of Jewish spiritual values over the physical ones glorified by the Greeks, with eight days of light and learning. May we all merit to bring the light of Torah into our lives and the lives of our friends and families. May we fulfil our responsibility to be a Neiros L'Ha'ir, until the time when light will fill the world and we will go in His light, with the coming of Moshiach, with miracles in our time - as in those days. Happy Chanukah |
