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HOLIDAY READING

Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky

The War or the Oil?

he Chanukah story seems to be this manifest miracle of the oil? Good. mitzvah of thanking G-d, just as the
predicated on two miracles – Now take notice of the huge miracle original miracle of the oil was a means
Tthe overt miracle of the oil that that I just did for you in winning the of drawing attention to the possibly
burnt for eight days instead of one war.” overlooked Hand of G-d in the bat-
and the less obvious miracle of the tles.
military victory by a small group of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Hali-
priestly irregulars defeating the pro- chot Shlomo 16:9) similarly says that Common wisdom contrasts Purim
fessional army of the Seleucid Greeks. the primary rabbinic enactment is with Chanukah in that the latter cele-
Which are we celebrating on Chanu- to light candles to acknowledge the brates an open miracle and the former
kah – the oil, the war, or both? great miracles G-d performed for a hidden miracle. It seems that in real-
our ancestors in the military victory. ity, Chanukah is also about a miracle
On the one hand, the liturgical texts He continues by explaining that the that was not obvious to all and G-d
instituted by Chazal mention only the primary aspect of the mitzvah is that needed to direct our attention for all
military victory. Thus, in Al HaNis- during the lighting, one should have to see.
sim it says, “You delivered the strong in mind to praise and thank G-d for
into the hands of the weak, the many the military miracles. This point takes on added significance
into the hands of the few, etc.” when one notes the oil miracle
It concludes with “Your chil- occurred on the 25 of Kislev,
th
dren came to the Holy of Holies thereby confirming that a mil-
of Your house, cleansed Your itary victory had already taken
Temple… and kindled lights in place by that point, sufficient
the Courtyard…” It mentions for the Jews to declare indepen-
lighting the Menorah and yet dence and establish an annual
omits the miracle of the oil. On holiday. This is remarkable
the other hand, the primary considering that the war was
mitzvah established by Chazal far from over and continued
is lighting a menorah, with cer- for several more years. That is
tain aspects modeled on the similar to the US Declaration of
lighting in the Mikdash. And Independence on July 4, 1776,
when the Gemara (Shabbat with the war to rage on for sev-
21b) famously asks ה ָּ כּונ ֲ ח יא ַ מ, eral more years.
“What is Chanukah?” it answers
about the miracle of the oil. So The miracle of the oil should
what are we celebrating? be a beacon telling the Jewish people
In a surprising application of this, to be on the lookout for other such
The Maharal explained that a miracle the Sha’ar HaTziyun (676:3) quotes occurrences. Other wars whose vic-
that ‘merely’ enabled the fulfillment of the Meiri’s suggestion that a person tories only make sense if we see the
a mitzvah does not warrant the estab- who will not be able to light nor
lishment of a holiday. Only a miracle see another person’s lights should Hand of G-d in them. And even if
those wars have not concluded with
which provides salvation justifies or make the bracha of םי ִּ סִנ ה ָ ׂש ָ ע ֶ ׁש and
even necessitates annual praise and think about the miracles! Similarly, a an everlasting peace, and the state of
thanks to G-d. If that is the case, what person for whom his family lights on war persists, the holiday of Chanu-
was the purpose of the miracle of his behalf should still think about the kah established by our holy ancestors
the oil? The Maharal suggests it was miraculous military victory. alerts us to the obligation to thank
not obvious to all that the war was a G-d for those victories even as we are
miraculous victory. By causing the Thus, our lighting of the candles is a still fighting on.
oil to burn for eight nights, G-d was means of publicizing, to others and to Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky is a Professor of
providing a huge billboard that essen- ourselves, the miracle of the military Neuroscience as well as a tour guide in Ir
tially said, “Take note – do you see victory. It is a ה ָ ו ְ צ ִ מ ר ֵ ׁש ְ כ ֶ ה for the main David.

40 | A blessing is an expression of the miracle of simple things.
RABBI SACKS