Chanukah Miracles
by Sarina Kofman, 8G
Right before Chanukah, Rebbetzin Lisa Shlaff, the vice principal of SAR High School, came to speak to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls about Chanukah. Rebbetzin Shlaff asked the girls what was the miracle of Chanukah. At first, everybody answered that it was the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days. However, on second thought, another miracle came to mind, which was the miracle of the war, where the few Jews defeated the many Romans. In fact, Rebbetzin Shlaff then informed us that wherever it talks about Chanukah in tefillah, it only mentions the war. In Bimai Matityahu it says, “Rabim b’yad m’atim” meaning many against few, referring to the war but it never mentions the miracle of the oil! There were so many more people who witnessed and saw the victory of the Jews at the war, whereas the discovery of the jar of olive oil was only around very few people. Because of this, the main miracle of Chanukah was the war. Nevertheless, in the Gemara, it only talks about the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days, and does not mention the war. Why is this? To answer the question, Rebbetzin Shlaff then told the girls three stories, all of which she experienced. However, these stories were of small actions that we wouldn’t think twice of which made a big impact. What the Gemara was doing was taking something small, the miracle of the oil, and turning it into something big. That is what Chanukah is all about, taking these menorahs, and putting them in our windows for all to see!
Happy Chanukah!