Keep Your Eye on the Light

by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine

Perhaps the most famous question associated with the holiday of Chanukah is the question of the Beis Yosef: If the Jews found oil that would last for one day, and it lasted for eight days, then the miracle was only for seven days. Why do we commemorate Chanukah for eight days? Among the many answers to this question is that of the Pri Chadash, which I would like to share with you.

The Pri Chadash writes that the holiday of Chanukah actually commemorates two miracles: the miracle of victory over the Syrian-Greeks, and the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days instead of for only one.  On the first night- the Pri Chadash maintains-we commemorate the miracle of victory in the battlefield, while the miracle of the oil is indeed only commemorated for the remaining seven days of the holiday.

Rabbi Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi objects to this answer and writes that it seems quite odd for the sages of that generation to legislate one identical commemoration to correspond to two very different miracles. If indeed they were looking to commemorate two different miracles, it would seem much more logical for them to commemorate the miracles separately, each in an appropriate way.

Rabbi Ezrachi explains that the answer of the Pri Chadash is based on an important awareness regarding the war. The Jews who engaged the Syrian-Greeks in battle were not doing so simply as “freedom-fighters.” They had a very focused mission: To restore proud and open observance of Judaism to the Jewish people. Although as they went into battle they may not have thought of themselves as fighting for the menorah, in retrospect, once they appreciated the miracle of the menorah, they realized that the menorah was the worthy symbol of all that they were fighting for. The menorah was lit with pure, unadulterated oil, and represented the eternal light of the Jewish people. Although the action of battle and the action of lighting the menorah seem to be very different, they are actually both activities that reach for the very same goal. As different as they may seem at face value, the sages of that generation felt that both miracles could indeed be expressed and commemorated by lighting the menorah.

Often in life we find that multiple people contribute to a shared goal, but that the contribution of some seems to have a more direct impact on achieving the goal. There are for example, “silent partners” who pay the bills in a business setting, and the “kitchen crew” who cook the meals to feed the soldiers in the army. Likewise, men and women, husbands and wives, Rabbis and congregants may exert themselves in different ways to achieve common goals. By legislating a joint commemoration for the battle victory and the miracle of the oil, the sages provided us with a proper perspective. Although actions of different contributors may not look the same, they are equally considered to be lighting the menorah if they keep their eyes on the goal to illuminate the Jewish people.

© 2016 by TEACH613™