The Question that Keeps on Asking

The Question that Keeps on Asking

It is known as the Beit Yosef’s question, although there are sources with the same question that predate Rav Yosef Karo.
It’s a well-known question that scholars and would-be scholars have answered differently throughout many centuries. Whole books have been written on this one question, and (almost) countless suggested answers to it.
It’s a question particularly appropriate for the last day of Chanuka, because implicit in that day’s nickname - Zot Chanuka - is the message that Chanuka’s being specifically eight days is very significant, and not merely coincidental to the number of days it took to acquire fresh, acceptable oil for the Menora of the Beit HaMikdash.
And this is the question: If the Chashmona’im found a one-day supply of undefiled sacred oil for the Menora and that one day supply miraculously lasted for eight days, then there were seven days of miracles. How come the Sages made an 8-day holiday to commemorate the miracle of the oil? [See Lead Tidbit, but this question still stands]
Some say that one day was to commemorate the victory of the Chashmona’im and the other seven commemorate the miracle of the oil.
Not a bad answer, but if so, maybe there should have been 8 days of Chanuka and seven nights of lighting a candle to commemorate the 7-day miracle of the oil. On the other hand, in HaNeirot Ha- lalu we say that we light the candles for the miracles and the victories.
Another popular answer is that when they realized that they needed to light the Menora for eight days until new oil could be obtained, they divided the oil they found into eight parts and used only an eighth of the amount each night. But rather than lasting only for 1.5 hours of the night, the oil - on each of the eight nights - miraculously lasted all through the night. That’s eight days of miracles.
The problem with that answer, perhaps, is that if the mitzva of lighting the Menora in the Beit HaMikdash required an amount of oil sufficient to last through the night, then they would not have acted properly by using such a small quantity of oil each night. Rather, they should have filled up the oil cups of the Menora on the first night, using up their one-day supply, so that at least the mitzva would be performed properly that one time. Without any oil for the next seven nights, they would simply wait until new oil was available.
Commentaries who agree with this challenge to this possible explanation of what happened, are led to a different suggestion. That, indeed, they did use all the oil on the first night, but the flask remained full after filling the cups of the Menora. That was a miracle on the first night too.
The problem with this possibility is that on the eighth night, the flask would not need to refill, because new oil would be available the following night. Which again leaves us with only seven days of miracles.
Another suggestion is that they used all the oil on the first night, the flask was then empty, but in the morning, the oil cups of the Menora were still full. Miracle. With the same problem of what happened on the eighth day. Presumably, the oil would be consumed on the eighth day, in the normal fashion of oil. No miracle there. Only seven days of miracle. Back to the original question.
Another suggestion is that it was a miracle that a one-day supply was found at all. Especially a flask sealed by a Kohen Gadol. Odd, because that was not a function of the Kohen Gadol, but of the kohen in charge of the stores of oil in the Mikdash. This opinion includes an explanation of the necessity of finding that one flask, because miracles need to be anchored in reality. If there was no oil at all, there would be no miracle of oil. So that was the miracle of day one, and the seven days beyond the first that the oil lasted were the other seven days of miracles. Hence, eight days.
The problem with this suggestion is that finding oil - as wonderful and necessary as it was - is not a supernatural miracle that would warrant the addition of a day’s commemoration.
Another variation of what happened with the oil is that after the first night, the oil in the Menora diminished by one eighth. This happened on each of the eight nights. 8 days of miracles. Eight days of Chanuka. This theory has an additional appeal. The Menora required oil derived from olives, not miracle oil from heaven (so to speak). Having the original real olive oil present on each of the days, means that oil of olives was burning, not supernatural oil. We can say that there was no increase in the amount of oil; it just miraculously lasted longer than expected.
Two other answers admit that there was only seven days of miracles with the oil, but say that the Sages declared an eight-day holiday, and an eight day mitzva, corresponding to the Torah holiday of Sukkot and/or corresponding to the eight days of Mila. Mila was a main target of Greek oppression and to best celebrate our victory over the Greeks, our Sages established an 8-day holiday. Not only have an 8-day holiday, and not only perform the mitzva of the Chanuka lights for eight days, but to increase (or decrease) the number of candles each night so that the number 8 is emphasized. (Zot Chanuka - this is the essence of Chanuka.)
Another suggestion is that the Chashmona’im used wicks that were 1/8 the usual thickness, expecting the lights to burn through the night. The miracle was that the Menora shone brightly as if full-sized wicks were used. That means eight days of miracle too. A possible problem with this theory is that the mitzva of the Menora in the Beit HaMikdash included using wicks of a certain thickness.
Some take a different direction in trying to determine what happened. Possibly because of the ritual impurity in the Mikdash, the Chashmona’im set up a makeshift Menora in the courtyard. A one-day supply of oil meant to be used indoors would not last the whole time outdoors. But it did. Miracle. And the wind did not extinguish the lights of the Menora. Miracle. And the light of the Menora in the courtyard of the Beit HaMikdash on that first Chanuka lit up all the courtyards of Yerushalayim. Miracle.
Some say that the Menora burned night AND day - miracle & miracle.
Whatever happened, a Great Miracle Happened Here.
Important to add that whatever the miracle of the oil was, the fact is that it was “unnecessary” - we would have just waited patiently for new oil - no problem. And that is why the miracle of the oil is so great in our minds and in the reaction of our Sages - G-d didn’t HAVE to perform this miracle - but He did! It demonstrated just whose side He is on.

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