A bit over 500 years ago, Rabbi Eliyah Mizrachi[1], a prominent Talmid Chochom and the chief Rabbi of Constantinople, asked an essential question:

Why were the Yidden in the time of the Chanukah story so desperate to find pure oil? Halachically (as he explains), they would be allowed to use impure oil!

To extend the question, if it were indeed unnecessary for them to have pure oil, why would Hashem create a miracle for them to find the pure oil[2], and for it to then burn for eight days? Isn’t there a rule that Hashem does not perform a miracle for no reason[3]?!

Acharonim[4] throughout the ages have embraced this question, and various angles have been presented to answer the question. Mostly dancing between the nuanced laws of what would make the Greeks, the oil, the menorah, and the kohanim impure, most answers explain how the miracle was necessary to one extent or another.

Fast forward approximately 200 years, and we have Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi[5] and Rabbi Yehoshua Falk[6], the famed Rabbonim of Amsterdam and Germany, respectively. They come and turn the entire conversation on its head.

What is their answer? Simple. Indeed, the miracle did not need to take place, because indeed, the Yidden could have used impure oil. But Hashem wanted to make this miracle. Hashem wanted to show his tremendous love for the Yidden, so He made the pure oil of that one, small jug[7] burn for eight days[8]!

Absolutely fascinating! In other words, not only did the miracle of the oil break the rules of nature[9] – it also broke the rules of miracles! The rule says: No reason? No miracle. Comes along Chanukah and says: No reason? No problem! Here’s a miracle on the house, just because Hashem loves us!

Mind you, these answers are in Nigleh D’Torah, the revealed, technical parts of Torah. But you couldn’t be blamed if you had thought that I was quoting a Maamar! These do, indeed, sound straight out of a Chassidus script!

Might I point out, these two holy Acharonim lived in the generation of the Ba’al Shem Tov and the rise of Chassidus. Can we suggest that the revelation of Chassidus brought an energy of Hashem into this world that reshaped a discussion in Nigleh? Wow…

Ok, but what does this have to do with the way we celebrate Chanukah now? Wait- don’t tell me that there is also a fundamental lesson for the whole year on how to raise our kids (and ourselves)!…

Join us in this week’s Shiur on Vision Unveiled, Chanukah 1, as we learn to live the Rebbe‘s vision for true, uncompromising, Yiddishe chinuch!

[1] Famously knows by his acronym, the “R’em”, or simply as “The Mizrachi”, after his magnum opus “Sefer HaMizrachi”, a super commentary on Rashi.

[2] See Me’iri to Shabbos 21B.

[3] See Drashos HaRan 8.

[4] Bach and Pri Chadash on Orach Chaim Siman 670, Maharsha, and Gilyonei HaShas to Shabbos ibid, and others.

[5] Yep, the Chacham Tzvi.

[6] Yep again, the Pnei Yehoshua!

[7] Cruse?

[8] See the Pnei Yehoshua for more details.

[9] See Likkutei Sichos vol. 15 p. 183 ff.