UNIQUENESS OF THE CHANUKAH MIRACLE 

“When the Syrian-Greeks entered the Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple) they contaminated all the [flasks of] oil that was in the Sanctuary. When the dynasty of the Hasmoneans grew strong and conquered them (the enemy) they searched and found only one flask of oil that was placed [in the Sanctuary] with the seal of the Kohen Gadol, High Priest. There was only enough oil to burn for one day and a miracle occurred and the oil burned for eight days.…..” (Tractate Shabbos 21b)

What was the novelty of the Miracle of Chanukah? We find in the Talmud that when Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosa didn’t have anything in his house with which to light the Shabbos candles, he told his household, “The One Who said that oil should burn, will say to vinegar to burn”, and they used some vinegar for the Shabbos lights and it burned like oil.

We may well understand that for someone of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa’s caliber of piety, a miracle would be performed on his behalf, but the oil for lighting the menorah in the temple was communal oil, the common folk contributed toward it. Therefore they would have had to be found worthy that a miracle should happen with it. The uniqueness of the Chanukah miracle was that the broader community of the Jewish people at that time was on a spiritual level to justify performing miracles on their behalf. This came about because of their great self-sacrifice to uphold the Torah of Hashem and the holiness of the Bais Hamikdash that the nation displayed. Many literally gave their life rather than submit to adopt the Hellenistic culture that was forced upon them. When G-d saw the altruism of His people, He supplied them with the strength and courage that led them to the victory over their enemies.
 

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