The miracle of Chanukah is well known. Once we defeated the Yevanim, there was no Tahor oil for the Menorah aside from one small jar containing enough oil to light for one day; the miracle was that Hashem caused it to last for eight. However, there’s a nuanced detail in the Halachot of lighting the Menorah that states if there’s no Tahor oil, one can use oil that is Tamei Meit (See Rambam Hilchot Temidin UMusaffin 3:10). The reason for this is because it is comparable to a Korban SheZemano Kavua (Korban with a set time), which one can bring while Tamei because it has a set time that is integral to its performance. This gives rise to the question: why was the miracle of the oil needed? It would’ve been perfectly fine for the Tahor oil to be used up in one day, and to use the Tamei oil thereafter.

The Chatam Sofer (Shabbat 21b:4) explains that the reason we were not able to use the oil for lighting was because it had been desecrated by gentiles, and gentiles carry an assumption of Tumat Zav. The lighting of the Menorah is only able to be done with oil that has Tumat Meit, not Tumat Zav. In fact, Rashi’s comment (BeMidbar 5:2 s.v. VaYishalchu Min HaMachaneh), teaches that while a Zav has to leave the inner two camps of Bnei Yisrael, a Tamei Meit only has to leave the innermost camp, showing the stringency added to the Tumat Zav over the Tumat Meit.

The Penei Yehoshua (Shabbat 21b:6) writes that this miracle was purely an expression of Hashem’s love for Bnei Yisrael.  The Yevanim put the Jews in a situation that caused many of them to lose faith in Hashem. They didn’t need the oil to be Tahor, they just needed Hashem’s love to be reinforced. Though there was just a great miracle in their victory against the much larger army, the psychological effect of the Yevanim might still have caused Bnei Yisrael to have doubts about whether Hashem would stay with them. Chazal teach (Menachot 86b) that the light emanating from the Menorah was a testament to Bnei Yisrael that the Shechinah was with them. By Hashem performing this miracle, it showed Bnei Yisrael that he was still with them even after this dark time. 

Based on the Penei Yehoshua, there is still one lingering question; why did we specifically need to use Tahor oil? Hashem could have just performed the miracle with the Tamei oil! We suggest a possible second reason for the miracle: the miracle was done to dissuade the Mityavnim - the Jews who assimilated into Greek culture - from persisting. The Chatam Sofer’s answer that it was Tumat Zav, not Meit, strengthens this idea. If we come into the Beit HaMikdash and use the very same oil that is infected with Tumat  Zav, one might jump to the conclusion that mimicking Greek culture is not so bad, and maybe it is even encouraged. Instead, Hashem performed this miracle with the Tahor oil to show that we must remain as our own people, on our own path, separate from the rest of the world. Only then will the Shechinah reside with Bnei Yisrael.

We must use the lights of our Chanukiyot to remind us that we are the chosen nation of Hashem and must differentiate ourselves as such, to be an Or LaGoyim. Soon we will bear witness to the lighting of the Menorah at the Beit HaMikdash, and Hashem’s presence will be clearer than ever before!