Chanukah is the story of the unexpected victory of a rag tag army over a super power. When the Jews overcame the Greek army they returned to the Temple to find it had been desecrated by the occupying army. The Priests began the process of cleaning up and restoring in order to again do the Temple service. The first order of business was to once again begin lighting the Menora.
Unfortunately, all the containers which stored the oil were defiled by the Greeks and were not fit for use. During the cleanup of the Temple, one cruse or vial of pure oil was discovered. There was tremendous excitement as now it would be possible to once again light the Menora.
But there was another glitch.
One cruse of oil would only be sufficient to light the Menora for one day. It would take eight days to make new oil.
The dilemma was should they light the Menora?
There was only enough for one day, why light if the next seven days there would be no light?
This is actually a very deep question.
If you would have been there what would you have done?
Would you have lit the oil?
Would you light a Menorah without anyone rational chance of continuing forward?
How many of us would have lit the light.
It just wasn’t enough.
Sometimes we don’t feel “enough”.
Do we wake up a little late and it ruins the day for us as we feel that we haven’t shown up as we should.
Or, do we have expectations for ourselves and we are so hard on ourselves if we don’t meet that impossibly high bar we have set, we feel there is no point in even trying.
Instead of shining our light, shining the light that Gd has given us, we sit in self imposed darkness because we are not enough, or there won’t be enough for us to make an impact.

A little is just not enough.
The miracle of Chanukah is that we took the insufficient oil we were given and lit it despite it not being enough, and that positive attitude opened the door for an everlasting miracle.
It’s a Chanukah miracle for us to take the gifts we were given, use them as best we can and not be perfectionists.
It’s a Chanukah miracle to light the oil we are given.
It reminds of the small pots Jacob went back to retrieve in the Torah portion two weeks ago.
Jacob understood that you can’t give up even on the smallest of containers. Each represent the idea of the value of the smallest of efforts.
Each may even represent ourselves when we feel “small”.
Chanukah teaches us to use the “oil” we are given and shine forth our unique light to the world.
That little light may well be the force that chases away the deepest darkness and lights a path to serenity and redemption.
May the hostages be redeemed from the darkness to the light, now!!
Happy Chanukah!
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!