The Misva of lighting the Hanukah candles features an unusual component, one which is unique to this specific Misva. Namely, the Rabbis instituted three different standards of observing the Misva. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (21b) teaches that the basic, minimum obligation of Hanukah candles requires lighting just a single candle in each home on each of the eight nights of Hanukah. The higher level of observance – “Mehadrin” – is lighting a candle for each member of the household. The third and highest level – “Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin” – is lighting an additional candle each night, until we light eight candles on the eighth night.
Of course, as everybody knows, the universally accepted practice is to adhere to the standard of “Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin,” and light an additional candle on each night of Hanukah.
What might the reason for this unique feature of the Hanukah candle lighting? And what does this teach us about the celebration of this holiday?
The answer might stem from a different question which many commentators raised, concerning the miracle of the pure flask of oil. As the Gemara relates, after the Hashmonaim drove the Greeks from Jerusalem, they set out to cleanse the Bet Ha’mikdash, which the Greeks had defiled, and consecrate it anew. When they sought to kindle the Menorah, they found only one flask of pure oil, and it miraculously burned for eight nights, until fresh, pure oil could be produced and delivered. The commentators noted the exceptional Halacha known as “Tum’a Hutra Be’sibur,” which allows Halachic impurity in the service of the Bet Ha’mikdash when the majority of the nation is Tameh (impure). Although generally Tum’a (impurity) is not permitted in the Bet Ha’mikdash, this restriction is suspended in a situation of widespread Tum’a. Seemingly, then, it was permissible for the Hashmonaim to kindle the Menorah with impure oil under the extenuating circumstances, as the Greeks had defiled all the oil.
One answer given to this question is that the Hashmonaim, as they set out to renew religious life in Eretz Yisrael following their victory over the Greeks, did not want to rely on any leniencies or shortcuts. They wanted to adhere to the highest standards, to perform the Misvot in the most complete way, rather than just satisfy the minimum requirement.
This might be why, when the Sages later enacted the Misva of candle lighting to commemorate this miracle, they established different gradations. Their intention was for us to extend beyond the minimum obligation, and reach for the level of “Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin,” the highest standards of Misva observance. This is one of the important lessons of the Hanukah story – not to be content with fulfilling our basic obligations, and to instead extend ourselves, to reach for the stars, to achieve all that we’re capable of achieving. Just as the Hashmonaim were not content with the minimum standard, and went the extra mile to perform the Misva in the best way possible, so must we strive to serve Hashem to the best of our ability.
I recall the time when a fellow who built a new home in Deal invited me to help with the mezuzot. We approached the front door, and when I placed my hand on the doorknob, I felt that it was special. I asked the man about it.
“Yeah, it cost me $400. And I have a few dozen of them in the house – 400 bucks each!”
I later told him that I know where he could purchase beautiful, high-quality mezuzot for around $100 apiece. He looked at me and said that he thought this sounded very expensive.
“Aren’t their simpler ones for $25?” he asked.
For the doorknobs – doorknobs!! – he settled on nothing but the very best, at $400 per knob. But when it came to the mezuzot, he asked for the cheapest ones he could find…
Chanukah teaches us to take the precise opposite approach – to make Misvot our highest priority, to strive for the best in our performance of Misvot, to be willing to compromise our standards in other areas of life, but never in the area of the service of Hashem.
When we pray to Hashem for the things we need and want, we tend to ask for only the best. When we pray for a livelihood, we pray for more than the ability to pay our electric bill; we pray for a comfortable income. When we pray for Shidduchim for our children, we pray that they find outstanding people to marry. We ask for the best. We become worthy of having these prayers answered when we do the same for Hashem – giving him the very best of what we have to offer. If we constantly strive for the level of “Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin,” for the highest standards of Misva observance, then we are deserving of the highest “standards” of Hashem’s blessings, of receiving all that we wish for.
