Celebrating the Pach Shemen

The Gemara in Shabbos (21a) teaches, "מאי חנוכה?- What is Chanuka?..." Basically, the Greeks came and took over. They entered the Mikdash, desecrated it, and ruined all the oil. But the Maccabim fought back, and when they entered the Beit Hamikdash they found but one pach shemen with the seal of the Kohen Gadol that had enough oil for one day. Hashem caused a nes and it lasted for another 7. Later on, Chazal established these days to be commemorated for praise and thanks; להודות ולהלל. It would seem from the Gemara that the basis for the establishment of Chanuka was the finding of the oil and its miraculous burning.

It appears odd then, that Chanuka should be based off of this when in על הנסים we commemorate the great victory Hashem granted us over the Greeks and the Mityavnim.

כשעמדה מלכות יון הרשעה על עמך ישראל להשכחם תורתך ולהעבירם מחקי רצונך...מסרת גברים ביד חלשים ורבים ביד מעטים וכו

The evil Greeks tried to destroy our Torah, but Hashem handed over the mighty to the weak and the many to the few. It would seem that we are celebrating the great triumph of Am Yisrael over the enemies. Also, how could the finding of some oil, and even its lasting for 7 days, compare to such a great victory that saved Torah for all future generations?

When Yosef was sold to the caravn which took him down to Mitzraim, the Torah tells us that it was carrying good smelling spices. The Midrash tells us that this is specified since it was not the way of Arabs to be carrying anything other than bad smelling things, such as petroleum and resin. But HaKadosh Boruch Hu was with the tzaddik and provided scaks of bsamim instead of the usual bad smell.

R' Chaim Shmuelevitz tz"l asks (Sichot Mussar, Maamar 16), if Yosef was being taken down to Miztraim, the most unholy place in the world; from ben zkunim shel Yaakov, from his home where Yaakov Avinu taught him all that he had learned from Shem v'Ever; what difference would it have made whether the trip down smelled nice or not. Yosef was forced into a dark situation with no hope of freedom by his own brothers; would it have really affected anything if it smelled good?

At that time Yosef could hvae come to despair. It might have seemed to him that Hashem had turned away from him and that he was lost and forgotten. Hashem sent him this bsamim in an unnatural way to show him that this was not true. Rather, He was going down with him to Mitzraim, hand in hand; as Hashem promised Yaakov: אנכי ארד עמך מצרימה ואנכי אעלך גם עלה. It was meant to be a ray of light in the dark.

This nes was not in the spices themsleves, but in the act through which Hashem told Yosef that he is not being abondoned and that he should have hope. It was meant to be mechazek him that these yisurim were coming from Hashem's love for him. It may have seemed insignificant, but it was in truth a "neshika pratit." Through this we can understand why the finding of teh pach shemen was so significant. It was a "neshika pratit" from HaKadosh Boruch Hu! After all, what shows a father's true affection for his son? When he does something extra to show his love. We know the famous maxhloket between R' Akiva and R' Eliezer in Masechet Succah, whether we sit in a succah in remmebrance of the actual succot that Bnei Yisrael sat in or because of the Ananei HaKavod. It it is becasue of the Ananei HaKavod, why would we celebrate that miracle of the midbar in such a way but not do the same for the other great miracles: the mann and the Be'er Miriam? The mann & the be'er were a source of food and water for Bnei Yisrael, necessary for survival. But the ananim were extra. They leveled out the terrain, they protected against snakes and scorpions... They weren't there to insure survival! Rather they were there to provide extra comfort, as a sign of love from Hashem.

The victory of the Maccabim was certainly a great miracle from Hashem, but it was necessary for survival and for Torah. Hashem promised us that we will never be destroyed! But this didn't show that Hashem still had for us. But through the shemen and the lighting of the Menorah, a nes that was not necessary, that was above and beyond, we saw that Hashem still loved us! There was a light shining in the dark times for us to look to. It was because we were zoche to this He'arat Panim that Chazal established the 8 days of Chanuka l'hodot u'lehallel.