There’s a well known question surrounding חנוכה. The גמרא in מסכת שבת asks: מאי חנוכה? Over which נס was חנוכה established? The גמרא answers that it’s on the נס פך השמן which lit for 8 days.
We know that on חנוכה there was an additional נס, that of the חשמונאים beating the יוונים in מלחמה. Seemingly, this is even greater than the נס פך השמן. Why then was חנוכה not established to commemorate the נס of the מלחמה ?
When the תורה discusses the construction of the מנורה it says:
מקשה תיעשה המנורה
It shall be made out of one unit of gold. Rashi notes that the unlike the rest of the כלי המשכן which משה constructed on his own, building the מנורה proved too challenging for him.
אמר לו הקב”ה השלך את הככר לאור והיא נעשית מאליה
Hashem told משה to throw the gold into the fire and it will be made by itself. What was so unique about the מנורה that משה רבינו couldn’t figure out on his own?
The מדרש explains that משה couldn’t understand the purpose of having a מנורה
וכי לאורה הוא צריך?
Hashem is the source of light in the world. Why would He need the small flames that the מנורה would provide? This can be be answered through a משל. There’s a wealthy man who often travels on behalf of his many businesses. After one such travel, he arrives home. His little son hands him a cookie, stating that ” We baked cookies in school, and I saved one just for you.” The father beams as he enjoys the small cookie. This man could afford to purchase an entire bakery with all its delicacies. But it’s this little cookie he gets from his son that makes him happy, since his son prepared and saved it with love, special for his father.
Hashem certainly does not need the small flames of the מנורה. Yet, it’s that small gesture of כלל ישראל, lighting the מנורה in Hashem’s honor, that gives Him the most נחת רוח. Like the small boy in the story, attempting to light a small flame in Hashem’s honor, shows our love and connection to Him, and that is what He treasures most. As the מדרש explains:
בשביל אהבתך איני משתמש אלא בשלך.
We can now understand why חנוכה was established over the נס פך השמן. Certainly the נס המלחמה was greater in terms of the ישועה that it brought. But the נס פך השמן showed כלל ישראל that the love between them and the רבש”ע is still there. He appreciated the attempts to light the small מנורה in His honor, so He allowed the small flames to last 8 days, showing that eternal love. And therefore חנוכה was established, to commemorate that special love for all eternity.
We’ll conclude with a story that highlights this point. In the winter of 1940, a group of בחורים from the Telshe Yeshiva in Europe, left the Yeshiva on an escape route, through the Soviet Union towards Japan. The journey, which took several weeks, coincided with חנוכה. While they had no candles to light, one of the boys suggested that they try collecting oil that may be dripping under the carriage. Sure enough, on the 1st night of חנוכה, after the train stopped for the night, they climbed underneath with a cup, and were able to collect some oil, which they promptly lit to fulfill the מצוה. This continued for several nights until a snowstorm hit, making it impossible to leave the train. Most of the בחורים went to sleep, realizing that lighting would be impossible that night. Most,with the exception of 2 boys, Chaim Stein and his Chavrusa. Instead of sleeping, they decided to stay up all night learning הלכות חנוכה, stating that ” if we can’t fulfill the actual מצוה, at least we’ll fulfill the essence of the מצוה, which is learning תורה.” It’s many hours later, when the door to the train carriage suddenly opens. Standing there was a Russian peasant. ” Do you need candles?” he asked, while removing 2 candles from his pocket. They took the candles, and the man promptly left. The 2 boys quickly awoke their friends, made the ברכות and lit the candles, just before dawn. The young Chaim Stein would go on to become the ראש ישיבה in Telshe in Cleveland, and would often retell this story. And he would add: ” The man may have been אליהו הנביא or maybe not. But one thing is certain: when someone has a true desire to fullfil a מצוה, the רבש”ע appreciates it and will show him special סייעתא דשמיא so that he will be able to do the מצוה, no matter how unlikely it may seem.”
Weekly Parsha Shiur 