Miracle of the Hanukkah Lights For תרל”ד 8
בעל הנסים לא נזכר נס הנרות ומשמע שהודאה על נס המלחמה ומצות הנרות על נס הנרות
“In *Al Ha‑Nissim* the miracle of the lights is not mentioned, and it seems that the thanksgiving is for the miracle of the war, while the mitzvah of the candles is for the miracle of the lights.”
The Sefat Emet notes the liturgical oddity that the prayer *Al Ha‑Nissim* thanks only for the military victory, implying that the ritual of lighting the menorah serves as the expression of gratitude for the miracle of the oil.
[וכעין זה שמעתי ממו”ז ז”ל על שאין בהלל הגדול הודיה על נתינת התורה ואמר שהודי’ שייך רק על הנאת הגוף כו’]
“[And similarly I heard from my grandfather, of blessed memory, regarding the fact that in the Great Hallel there is no thanksgiving for the giving of the Torah, and he said that thanksgiving pertains only to bodily benefit, etc.]”
The Sefat Emet recalls a teaching from the Chiddushei HaRim: liturgical ‘thanksgiving’ traditionally applies to tangible, physical benefit—hence spiritual gifts like Torah do not appear in that prayer.
אך מלשון הגמ’ נס כל יומא איכא משמע שנתקן הברכה על נס הנרות.
“But from the Talmud’s wording, ‘every day there was a miracle,’ it seems that the blessing was instituted for the miracle of the lights.”
Despite the earlier distinction, the Talmud suggests an ongoing daily miracle, which hints that the blessing over the candles focuses on the miraculous endurance of the light.
ואפשר שמהנרות מוכח שכל הנסים נמשכו ח’ ימים.
“And it is possible that from the candles it is proven that all the miracles extended for the full eight days.”
The Sefat Emet proposes that the lights reveal the deeper truth: not only the oil but all aspects of the Chanuka salvation—physical and spiritual—unfolded throughout the eight days.
Summary: The Sefat Emet distinguishes between thanksgiving for physical salvation and ritual commemoration of the miracle of light, yet ultimately teaches that the candles reveal the continuous, eight‑day span of all the Chanuka miracles.
