Based on this Torah, we can offer an answer to the Beis Yosef’s legendary question as to why Chanukah lasts for 8 days, if the miracle seemingly only occurred over a period of 7 days — since the Yidden had enough oil to naturally burn for 1 day?
And that is because Chanukah is a time when our neshama becomes so acutely aware of Hashem’s Oneness that Ein Od Milvado becomes the lens through which we view all of reality — including the so-called “Mother Nature.” Hence, teva (nature) itself reveals G-dliness in a way that perhaps at other times it acts to conceal Hashem’s overt Presence. And as the holy Tanna Rav Chanina Ben Dosa said (Taanis 25a), “the One that said that oil should burn, should say that vinegar will burn.” Thereby masterfully illustrating that, in the same way Hashem demonstrates Divine intervention when performing miracles and deviating from nature, Hashem is in the same way Divinely orchestrating everything in all of reality, even in the operation of nature.
On Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle that is nature. In a deep way, the greatest miracle of all is that Hashem Divinely orchestrates every iota, atom and element of creation and conceals Himself in a way that we call His G-dly work, “nature.” That’s why הטבע has a numerical value of 86 — which is the secret of the name of Hashem, אלקים (of course with a ה׳, not a ‘ק). Because all of reality and its natural order, is a further revelation of Elokus. And therefore on Chanukah specifically, when we acknowledge, recognize, and celebrate Hashem’s Divine orchestration and presence within every facet of His material world, we also celebrate the 1 day that oil burns naturally; because we see that as a direct display and unveiling of Hashem as well. May we all be zoche to light the neiros Chanukah, and ignite our neshamos in the process, while taking the time to crystallize this consciousness, warm our souls, and unleash the fire sauce of the generation to reveal the radiant Light of Moshiach, b’karov mamish — Amen!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 62 Chanukah.