What's the buzz about the Latke?
Why are we obsessed with eating oily foods on Chanukah? It's not like Jewish tradition doesn't have enough calories already...
So, of course, it has to do with the Miracle of the oil, and how the single cruse, enough to last only one day, burned for eight days straight.
But hang on a second! There was another miracle as well; the Maccabees emerged victorious over the Syrian-Greek army. The few won the many, the weak overcame the mighty. Why isn't this a central part of the celebration? Why is there no tradition of marching around with swords (or rolling pins) held high?
You see, if Chanukah had just been a military victory, we would not be celebrating it 2,000 years later. We won the battle because we needed to, not because we enjoy fighting. What do we celebrate? Light. And how light is the antithesis to darkness.
This is what the real war was about. The Greeks wanted to make our candles go dark, defile the oil, take away from us that which is holy and pure. Lighting a candelabra so you can see where you're going? Sure. But not as a Mitzvah in the Holy Temple with pure olive oil.
This was at the core of their philosophical difference. And this was only settled with the lighting of the Menorah and the miracle of the oil, sending a clear message that there is something special going on, that we will continue to shine bright!
So we light the Menorah, and (against the nutritionist's advice) eat jelly donuts and latkes fried in oil, to connect with our inner flame, our inner cruse of pure olive oil.
Shabbat Shalom & Happy Chanukah!
ב"ה