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Why 8 Days?

By BJLife/Rabbi Yosef Tropper

Posted on 12/25/16

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633


We all know the famous question of the Beis Yosef (Orach Chaim 670) as to why we celebrate Chanukah for 8 days if the miracle of the oil was only 7 days, because the jug contained enough oil to burn for one day.


This question was already asked by Tosfos HaRosh and Meiri (Shabbos 21a), commentators that Beis Yosef did not have access to in his time.


We offer 18 answers in honor of Chanukah:




1. The Jews knew that it would take eight days to get new oil and so they split the oil they had found into eight even portions and thus they saw a miracle on the first night as it continued to burn all night!


2. After they filled the menorah up on the first night, they saw that the oil had not been diminished.


3. The extra day is in celebration of their victory over the Greeks or for the miracle that they found the oil with a proper seal in the first place.


4. The Maharsha says that the menorah cups themselves were broken and unable to be filled up with one day’s worth and still burned an entire day despite the fact that it was missing some of its regular oil amount.


5. Rabbi Yaakov Emden says the first day celebrates the dedication of the Second Beis Hamikdash being built.


6. According to some versions of the text in the Geonic Sheiltos, it reads, “there was not even enough oil to burn for one day.” Others say this is a printing mistake.


7. The original wicks lasted all day instead of only a few hours.


8. When the miracle happened, Kislev had 29 days, but now it has 30 days and thus we want to observe the holiday until 2 Teves, even though it is now 8 days instead of 7 (Chasam Sofer).


9. Chidushei Harim says that the bottle only contained enough oil for one light, not for the entire menorah, and miraculously it was used for the entire menorah for 8 days.


10. It is prohibited to replicate the Temple’s utensils (to make a menorah with 7 branches) and thus we had to celebrate 8 days. 


11. The story of Chanukah occurred on Shabbos and thus the Jews lit before Shabbos and needed more oil for the first day, yet it still burned for the entire first day as regular.


12. For a miracle to occur, there must be something to start with just as Eishes Ovadya was told by Elisha to pour the oil which she already had and it would not stop until she ran out of vessels, so too, the Jews left over some oil on the first day so they would have for the second night and it miraculously burned the entire time.


13. The menorah had to be rebuilt, but a new vessel absorbs some of the oil into its wall, thus on the first night, there really was not sufficient oil, yet, it still burned the entire time.


14. The Greeks tried to stop the Jews from keeping Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh and Bris Milah. To show our victory, Chanukah always contains at least one Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh (Teves) and the number eight hints to Bris (performed on the eighth day).


15. The Chasam Sofer says that the oil was only enough to be burned for one day indoors. However, as a way of announcing their victory, the Jews lit the Menorah outside (“V’hidleku neiros b’chatzros kadshecha”!) Hence, because of the wind (which caused more oil to be consumed), it should not have even lasted for the first day! So the miracle was really for eight days!


16. The very fact that oil burns is also a miracle! Chanukah is a time for recognizing all that Hashem does for us and not to take anything for granted.


17. The Rambam holds that you must light twice a day. The portion that they found was only enough for one lighting, however it miraculously burned for longer!


18. The word “Shemona, eight” hints to the idea of “Shemen, oil” that is pressed and extracted from olives. The text calls the Jews “Bnei Binah”. The wisdom of Binah is extrapolation. Eight hints to something above seven, nature. That is what the holiday is all about. Chanukah is the celebration of Torah Shel Baal Peh, the Torah that must be worked for with great effort.



“It is most apropos that just as the small jug of oil that they found sprouted forth even larger quantities from it, so too, this small question sprouts forth many insights about Chanukah.” –Rabbi Nachum Lansky, shlit”a