As we celebrate Chanukah, everyone knows that lighting the Menorah is the main part of the celebration. But why such a focus on the lights? Our ancestors, the Maccabees fought a grueling and seemingly impossible war against the Greek Empire.

So even if the oil lasting for eight days was a miracle, why is the mitzvah of Chanukah to light the candles instead of something that focuses on the incredible war victory? 

I think something that is lost on our generation is that the Menorah wasn’t just some pretty candelabra to illuminate the Temple. The Maccabees had just fought a war against the Greeks, liberated the Temple, and then (since they were Kohanim – Priests) they started doing the avodah (service of the Temple.) Think about that for a second. They fought a massive war and then they got to work. The Menorah was an essential part of that avodah. 

Now think about the last time you reached your limit and felt you couldn’t go on. Maybe it was when you were training for a marathon and you hit the fifth mile and thought you were going to collapse. Maybe it was being in line at the DMV for hours and you thought, “If they don’t call my number in the next 30 seconds I’m going to scream.” Maybe you had to read some boring text book for a class and after four pages you had no idea how you’re going to finish the chapter. Yet, somehow you got through it. But you were so sure you couldn’t go on. What happened?

Essentially what is a jar of oil? Potential energy. When we light the candle it becomes flame. Kinetic energy. I think the message of Chanukah is (among many things) that we all know we have potential. But we think that potential is only one jar of oil, when in truth it is much more. 

In the darkest days, the months when Chanukah is celebrated, that light is most needed and its illumination is most clearly seen. It’s the darkness that makes us go beyond the one jar of perseverance we think we have, to go so much further. When we do that for the sake of Hashem, not only do we reach a greater potential, but the world around us gets uplifted as well. That’s when we see miracles. The lighting of the Menorah reminds us how brilliantly we all can shine when we push past our “one jar” and go miraculously and infinitely beyond.