There are two different explanations given for the Chanukkah miracle. The first miracle is the story of the small Maccabean army that defeated the large Greek army and the rededication of the Second Temple when it was defiled. When we celebrate this story, we are celebrating an entirely unexpected military victory. But the second miracle, a different version of the story we tell, is the miracle of the oil lasting eight days instead of just one. This miracle is also about something unexpected, but here it’s mysterious and almost magical.
These stories focus on different types of miracles, and I’ve often heard debates about which one is more important for the Chanukkah story. Is there a better miracle to celebrate? Should we be focusing on the way that the Maccabees were emboldened to win even when it wasn’t expected, or should we focus on the way the oil allowed us to celebrate our Jewish identities for much longer than expected?
Importantly, both of these reasons are seen as miracles. This year, I’ve been trying to see these stories through the lens of their similarities rather than their differences. I’ve realized that at their core, these stories are about the ability to be bigger than you thought you were. They represent, whether through oil or through an army, the miracle of achieving the unexpected. This is the message I’m taking with me out of this Chanukkah season. Each of us, just like the oil in that little jug, and just like that tiny Maccabean army, has the ability to be greater than the limits we set upon ourselves. There are not bounds based on our size or based on our histories.
Our own miracles happen, in our day, when we transcend those expectations and those limits. May this Shabbat of Chanukkah be one of unexpected greatness, one of exceeding who we thought we could be.
