Usually when we think of Hashems miracles we try to picture in our minds grandeur events. The splitting of the sea or mountains rise for smooth desert passage, destruction of our enemies, success when heavily out-numbered in batttle, or the sun stands still , the dead becoming alive, huge swarms of locusts,etc.. What is so special about a dinky flame on a wick tat I can extinguish instantaneously with my fingertip?
In order to understand the significance we must first recognize that the goal of the Greeks was not to kill all the Jews but to kill and extinguish the Torah! They wanted to prove the Torah wrong by desecrating all the oil and say," see there is no Torah in the world" They distinctly sought out every flask of pure Beis Hamikdash quality oil and contaminated all of it.
We now have our two opposite elements of Torah flame vs the Greek darkness. The flame is either lit or the flame is out completely out. The Sfas Emes says that darkness ("cHoshecht") refers to the Greeks. They closed the eyes( Hech-Shika Eyneyhem) of Yisroel. They closed our eyes against and attacked the Torah itself.
These Greeks were no dummies. We are talking about the most intellectual persons and secular minds who possessed intellect (cHoChma), Knowledge (Da-as) and claimed the world and its nature have no truth in Torah. These great minds collectively attacked our direct roots in Torah . They had there own explanations of Gods, astrology, and the nature of the world. But hey brazenness wouldn't allow them to see the truth, their goal was to obliterate and annihilate the Torah from the world.
What the Greeks did't realize is that our beautiful Torah is designed by constantly renewing and creating (His-cHadishut). We say every day before Shema, (HamicHadesh BicHol Yom Tamid Maaseh Bireshis) Every day consistently! Hashem had to show the world in a new fashion that the tiniest little flame can defy nature, intellectual secular thought, astrology, science, and keep our flame of Torah and connection to Hashem kindled forever.
With this specific miracle of the oil was exactly what the Greeks were looking to contaminate. Hashem took direct revenge on the Greeks. With the miracle of the flames kindled for 7 miraculous days. Hashem counteraction was direct revenge by creating this physical miracle of flame. This defiance of nature, a new idea, was something never contemplated and never thought possible before. This new spark was directly aimed at our flame, our inner light and connection as well as the Dagger against the Greeks ideological mission.
We were not in need of grandeur heroic nature altering display. Hashem showed us with the most subtle and the most gentle of gestures. A tiny flame. Vulnerable to a sudden breeze. Yes this was extremely vulnerable on two fronts: 1)the delicacy of a flame on the wick. and 2) it was the absolute last pure olive oil of the world and from the Cohen Gadol's private stash.
Hashem amazing and gentle miracle was an extraordinary way beyond human contemplation pointing to both our inner flames and the Goyims desecrating ambitions. Hashem designed his plan in order to keep us connected and counteract the opposition to His Torah.
We as humans and Yidin are prone to mishaps. We continue to struggle and sometimes fall. We must take the initiative and opportunity always renew and rekindle ourselves within the HiscHadshut of natural renewal. Weather it be the new day, week, month, year, or any other human cycle, we need to grab ourselves and rebuild ourselves from vulnerable lit wick into a blazing strong flame!
Chanukah Sameach
