A Chanukah Shiur in Memory of Shimon Delouya ben Simcha 1. Talmud Shabbat 21b What is [the reason of] Hanukkah? For our Rabbis taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev [commence] the days of Hanukkah, which are eight on which a lamentation for the dead and fasting are forbidden. For when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oils therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they made search and found only one cruse of oil which lay with the seal of the High Priest, but which contained sufficient for one day's lighting only; yet a miracle was wrought therein and they lit [the lamp] therewith for eight days. The following year these [days] were appointed a Festival with [the recital of] Hallel and thanksgiving. 2. Commentary of Bet Yosef (Rav Yosef) on the Tur One should ask the question: why did they establish the holiday for eight days? Since the oil in the jug was enough to last one night, it turns out that the miracle only lasted for seven nights. One could answer: they divided the oil in the jug into eight unites and each night, they placed into the menorah one portion, which would then stay lit until morning, such that it turned out that each night, a miracle occurred. Another possible answer is that after they placed oil in the menorah in the necessary amount, the jug remained full as it was initially, and this was evident even on the first night. Alternatively, on the first night, all of the oil was placed into the branches of the Menorah and they stayed lit all night, but in the morning they found the branches full of oil as they were originally and this continued each night. 3. Talmud Pesachim 117a
Rashi (explaining the Gemara) The Talmud is using a euphemism, meaning: that if, G-d forbid, misfortune were to come up on them, and they are delivered from it, they recite the Hallel when they are saved, for example, as in the Chanukah story. 4. Maharal, Ner Mitzvah Just because a miracle occurred with them in the lighting of the menorah, they set up the holiday of Chanukah? Because the obligation to thank and give praise, is when a miracle occurs and one thanks G-d for being saved, but not because a miracle happened that enabled the performance of a mitzvah, because a mitzvah is not inherent "enjoyment" for man. And so based on that which we explained about, that the goal of the Greeks was to negate Torah and sanctity within the Jewish people, because a given mitzvah constitutes our divine G-dly level, and for sure, the negation of Torah is the negation of Israel. And this mitzvah is also in the Bet Hamikdash, such that the entire intention of the Greeks was to negate the intellectual and holy Torah from the Jewish people, and the Bet Hamikdash is the essence of sanctity. Therefore, they established the lighting of the candles, in memory of the miracle that was done for them in the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah. One could say additionally, that the main reason that Chanukah was enacted was for the victory over the Greeks, but that this miracle would not have been perceived as a function of a miracle that the Holy One Blessed is He did as opposed to their strength and might. Therefore, the miracle was done through the candles of the Menorah, so everyone would know that the miracle came from the Holy One Blessed is He, such that the victory in the was from Him also.
5. Siddur Modim 6. Halichot Shlomo, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach The main enactment of the sages to light Chanukah candles was in order to thank, through the mitzvah, Hashem, for all of the great miracles that the Holy One Blessed is He did for our ancestors in those days in the context of the military victories, therefore, at the time of lighting, the mindset to thank and praise G-d for the military victories is a main component of the mitzvah. 7. Rambam, Laws of Chanukah Halacha 1 In [the era of] the Second Temple, the Greek kingdom issued decrees against the Jewish people, [attempting to] nullify their faith and refusing to allow them to observe the Torah and its commandments. They extended their hands against their property and
their daughters; they entered the Sanctuary, wrought havoc within, and made the sacraments impure. The Jews suffered great difficulties from them, for they oppressed them greatly until the God of our ancestors had mercy upon them, delivered them from their hand, and saved them. The sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame [them], slew them, and saved the Jews from their hand. They appointed a king from the priests, and sovereignty returned to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple. Halacha 2 When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, they entered the Sanctuary; this was on the twenty-fifth of Kislev. 1 They could not find any pure oil in the Sanctuary, with the exception of a single cruse. It contained enough oil to burn for merely one day. They lit the arrangement of candles from it for eight days 2 until they could crush olives and produce pure oil. 3 Halacha 3 Accordingly, the Sages of that generation ordained that these eight days, which begin from the twenty-fifth of Kislev, should be commemorated to be days of happiness and praise [of God]. Candles should be lit in the evening at the entrance to the houses on each and every one of these eight nights to publicize and reveal the miracle. Halacha 12 The mitzvah of kindling Chanukah lamps is very dear. A person should be very careful in its observance to publicize the miracle and thus increase our praise of God and our expression of thanks for the miracles which He wrought on our behalf. Even if a person has no resources for food except [what he receives] from charity, he should pawn or sell his garments and purchase oil and lamps to kindle them [in fulfillment of the mitzvah]. 2 These days are called Chanukah. It is forbidden to eulogize and fast on them, as on the days of Purim. Lighting the candles on these days is a Rabbinicmitzvah, like the reading of the Megillah. 8. Rav Chaim Friedlander Siftei Chaim
9. Commentary of Peri Chadash