Post date: Dec 04, 2013 5:7:59 AM
The focus on the Neis Shemen and not on the Neis Milchamah
Why does the Gemara focus on the Neis Shemen (miracle of the oil) and not the Neis Milchamah (miracle of the military victory)?
The Seifer Baruch She’amar brings a few answers to this question. The Gemara is a record of the discussions from the Batei Medrash in Bavel (and Eretz Yisrael). The Amoraim (Chazal of the Gemara) understood that the Jews’ victory in battle wasn’t necessarily a blatantly clear sign of Hashem’s love for, and closeness to, Klal Yisrael because Hashem saves all people who are being pursued by their enemies as it says in Koheles (3:15) “V’haElokim yivakeish es hanirdaf” (and Hashem always seeks the pursued). That being the case, it’s understandable that Hashem came to our aid, just as He would have done so for anyone in the same situation. Make no mistake; the method in which we won the war was clearly a miracle. But Hashem’s help followed the above mentioned principle which applies to all nations. So discerning an extra level of love through this particular miracle is difficult.
In contrast, the Neis Shemen doesn’t appear to have been critical. Had there been no oil, or had the oil lasted less than the eight days, what would have been the consequence? We would have been Patur because of Oneis (an unavoidable situation)! There would have been nothing that we could have done in that case to fulfill the Mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in the Beis Hamikdash!
The Neis Shemen shows Hashem’s love for us, in that this was a Neis that wouldn't have meant anything had it been done for any other nation. No one else has a connection to the Avodah (service) of the Menorah. For this reason, the discussions in the Batei Medrash, and by extension, what is recorded in the Gemara, focused on the Neis Shemen. Through their extensive review of the Neis Shemen specifically, Chazal were able to discern Hashem’s love for Klal Yisrael.
[Inside Chanukah, p. 62]
Another answer mentioned also in the Seifer Baruch She’amar is as follows: The Yevanim wanted us to forget the Torah. The Gemara (Horayos 13b) teaches us that consuming olive oil helps one to recall forgotten Torah. There’s another Gemara (Berachos 57a) that says that one who sees olive oil in his dream should expect to be enlightened by the Torah. Based on these two Gemaras, it’s clear that Chazal focused their discussions on the Neis Shemen because of its symbolic properties with respect to counteracting the grand scheme of the Yevanim.
[Inside Chanukah, p. 63]
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Not mentioned in Tanach
Chanukah is the only holiday not mentioned in Tanach (and this is compounded by being mentioned in only a few pages of the Gemara).
Chazal (in Koheles Rabbah) indicate that the Tanach was only intended to have 24 books. In fact, after Megilas Esther was recorded, Tanach was canonized as the 24 books that we know as Tanach. That being the case, there was no avenue to add the story of Chanukah into Tanach as a 25th book. It just couldn’t be done. HaRav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, as related by HaRav Yitzchak Sender, points out that this very fact can be seen by analyzing the word “Chanukah.”
The word Chanukah can be divided into two parts to mean “Chanu” they rested, “Kaf, Heih” on the 25th of Kisleiv. But it can also be understood to mean that although the Neis Chanukah was significant, Chazal rested (Chanu) from making its story the 25th (Kaf, Heih) book of Tanach.
Additionally, HaRav Sonnenfeld points out that each letter of the word “Chanukah” reinforces this fact. By the time the Neis Chanukah occurred, Tanach already had:
Ches = Eight books of
Nun = Nevi’im, and
Vav = Six books of
Kaf = Kesuvin along with
Heih = Five Megilahs.
[Inside Chanukah, p. 88]
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The rearranged letters of “Shemen” could be interpreted as being Roshei Teivos for the following phrase:
Mevareich Neir Shehosif
We recite the Beracha on the new candle that is added (that night).
[Inside Chanukah, p. 464]