In the previous section, the maamar emphasized that in order to combat and illuminate the spiritual darkness brought about by the Greeeks, it was necessary to tap a light that transcends the structure of the Spiritual Cosmos. In this and the following sections, it explains the nature of the spiritual darkness introduced by the Greeks and the source of their conflict with the Jews.
To explain the concept as it is reflected in terms of our Divine service:וּבֵאוּר הָעִנְיָן בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם
It can be understood on the basis of the explanation in the maamarim of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe,1יוּבַן בְּהַקְדִּים הַמְּבֹאָר בִּדְרוּשֵׁי כ"ק מו"ח אַדְמוֹ"ר,
that the reason the Greeks imparted impurity to all the oil in the Sanctuary is because their entire war constituted a spiritual conflict.דְּזֶה שֶׁהַיְּוָנִים טִמְּאוּ אֶת הַשְּׁמָנִים שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל מִלְחַמְתָּם הָיְתָה מִלְחָמָה רוּחָנִית,
On the surface, what strategic value would the Greeks find in imparting impurity to the Sanctuary’s oil? How would that advance their dominance over the Jews? And even if one would say that there would be an advantage in depleting the Jews’ store of pure oil, why did they impart impurity to the oil? Seemingly, they could have just poured it out.
The reason they imparted impurity to it was that the core of the conflict was spiritual and they desired that the light of the Menorah be affected by Greek values.
They had no desire to physically harm the Jews.2שֶׁלֹּא רָצוּ לִפְגֹּעַ בְּגוּפָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל
Our Rabbis3 highlight the difference between the commemoration of the miracle of Chanukah and Purim: that the Chanukah miracle is commemorated by kindling lights, while the Purim miracle is commemorated through a feast. They explain that since at the time of the Purim miracle, Haman’s decree was directed towards the Jews’ physical annihilation, to slaughter every man, woman, and child, the miracle is commemorated in a physical manner, through a feast. At the time of the Chanukah miracle, the Greeks’ decree was directed towards the destruction of the Jews’ faith. Therefore, it is commemorated through a spiritual activity, kindling lights.
Instead, their fundamental desire was “to cause [the Jews] to forget Your Torah and to transgress the statutes of Your will.”4אֶלָּא עִקַּר רְצוֹנָם הָיָה "לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ".
In this purpose itself (i.e., their attack on the Torah and its mitzvos)וְגַם בָּזֶה גּוּפָא (בְּזֶה שֶׁלָּחֲמוּ נֶגֶד הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת),
their fundamental attack was directed against the spirituality (and more particularly, the G‑dliness) of the Torah and its mitzvos.5עִקַּר מִלְחַמְתָּם הָיְתָה נֶגֶד הָרוּחָנִיּוּת (וְהָאֱלֹקוּת) דְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת.
Thus, our Sages relate6 that the Greeks told the Jews: “Write down… that you have no portion in the G‑d of Israel.”7
Not only did the core of the Greeks’ conflict with the Jews focus on spirituality, on the Torah and its mitzvos, within the Torah and its mitzvos themselves, they focused on the spiritual and G‑dly dimension of the Torah and its mitzvos and sought to eradicate it.
This is implied by the phrase “to cause [the Jews] to forget Your Torah,” (“Your Torah”), to lose sight of the G‑dliness of the Torah.דְּזֶהוּ לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ (תּוֹרָתֶךָ דַּוְקָא),
The Greeks were not (that) bothered by the fact that the Jews studied the Torah. After all, they were a cultured people with wisdom of their own and they appreciated the wisdom of the Torah.שֶׁגַּם לְהַיְּוָנִים לֹא הָיָה אִכְפַּת (כָּל כָּךְ) שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יִלְמְדוּ תּוֹרָה,
They desired, however, that the Jews’ study of Torah focus only on the intellectual dimension of the Torah, of which it is said:8אֶלָּא שֶׁרָצוּ שֶׁלִּמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה יִהְיֶה רַק מִצַּד הַשֵּׂכֶל שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה,
“It is your wisdom and understanding before all the nations.”כִּי הִיא חָכְמַתְכֶם וּבִינַתְכֶם לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים,
The entire thrust of their attack was to cause the Jews to forget Your Torah,וְכָל עִקַּר מִלְחַמְתָּם הָיְתָה שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶךָ,
to cause the Jews to forget that the Torah is G‑d’s Torah.לְהַשְׁכִּיחַ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הִיא תּוֹרַת הֲוָיָ'.
Similarly with regard to the mitzvos.וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה בַּמִּצְווֹת,
The Greeks’ conflict was against the G‑dliness of the mitzvos. They were willing to allow the Jews to perform ritual acts. After all, they had many of their own. What they objected to was the conception thatשֶׁמִּלְחֶמֶת הַיְּוָנִים הָיְתָה נֶגֶד הָאֱלֹקוּת שֶׁבַּמִּצְווֹת,
the mitzvos are G‑d’s will, observed to establish a bond with Him.מַה שֶּׁהַמִּצְוֹת הֵם רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ,
This concept is alluded to by the phrase “to transgress the statutes of Your will,” (where the emphasis is on “statutes” and “of Your will”).דְּזֶהוּ "לְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ" (חֻקֵּי דַּוְקָא, וּרְצוֹנֶךָ דַּוְקָא),
There are two interpretations of this:דִּשְׁנֵי פֵּרוּשִׁים בָּזֶה.
a) that the Greeks were willing to accept the observance of the mitzvos that fall under the heading of eidos and mishpatim, for these mitzvos are intellectually comprehensible.שֶׁעַל הַמִּצְווֹת דְּעֵדוֹת וּמִשְׁפָּטִים, לִהְיוֹתָם מִצְווֹת שִׂכְלִיּוֹת, הִסְכִּימוּ גַּם הַיְּוָנִים,
There are three categories of mitzvos:
a) mishpatim, i.e., rational laws, judgments: mitzvos like the prohibitions against murder, theft, and adultery and obligations like honoring one’s parents and giving charity, which are logical imperatives. Even if the Torah had not, Heaven forbid,43 been given, man would have ordained similar regulations (as, in fact, most secular societies have).
b) eidos, testimonials: mitzvos like Shabbos, tefillin, and the sounding of the shofar, which commemorate a certain event and/or teach a certain concept. Mortal wisdom would not prescribe such practices, but once they are dictated by the Torah, their rationale can be understood and internalized.
c) chukim, decrees. Mitzvos like the red heifer, the laws of purity and impurity, and kashrus, which transcend mortal wisdom and are fulfilled solely because of kabbalas ol, the acceptance of G‑d’s yoke.
The Greeks did not object to the Jews observing the eidos and the mishpatim, because they were willing to accept observance that had a rational basis.
The entire brunt of their attack was focused on the mitzvos of chukimוְכָל מִלְחַמְתָּם הָיְתָה כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּצְווֹת דְּחֻקִּים,
since their observance is motivated solely by the fact that they are G‑d’s will. This, obedience to a higher authority, a power above intellect, ran contrary to the Greeks’ entire approach to life. Not only could they not accept it, they wished to stamp it out entirely.מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁאֹפֶן קִיּוּמָם הוּא רַק מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם רְצוֹן הֲוָיָ'.
b) A second (and a deeper) interpretation:וּפֵרוּשׁ ב' (בְּעֹמֶק יוֹתֵר),
The Greeks’ endeavor to cause the Jews “to transgress the statutes of Your will” encompassed all the mitzvos,דְּזֶה מַה שֶּׁבִּקְּשׁוּ לְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ הוּא בְּכָל הַמִּצְווֹת,
even the mitzvos of eidos and mishpatim. For, as will be explained in sec. 4, fundamentally all the mitzvos are expressions of G‑d’s will and should be fulfilled as an expression of obedience to His desire.גַּם בְּהַמִּצְווֹת דְּעֵדוֹת וּמִשְׁפָּטִים.
Conversely, it can be said that the Greeks would have accepted the Jews’ observance of mitzvos that are chukim were they to be fulfilled because intellect understands that there are concepts that transcend mortal understanding. Their objection (even to these mitzvos) was solely that they should not be fulfilled because they are G‑d’s will. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 3, p. 815.
In that source, the Rebbe illustrates how logic could also agree to accept directives that transcend understanding with the following allegory. A person had a mentor who always gave him excellent advice which time and again proved its effectiveness. Once, the mentor gave the person advice which the person did not understand at all. Nevertheless, the person followed it, calculating that since the advice his mentor had previously given him had always proved beneficial, it is likely that this directive would also be to his benefit. Why does he not understand it? Because his mind is not yet as developed as his mentor’s and there are matters that he does not comprehend. When he will advance his wisdom, these matters that are presently incomprehensible will be understood as well.
Similarly, a person could accept the observance of chukim based on the rationale that since they are Divine commandments, they are obviously motivated by a positive purpose. Mortal wisdom cannot understand that purpose because mortal wisdom is limited and cannot fathom Divine wisdom in all its depth.
The Greeks could have accepted such an approach. What they objected to was blind devotion to G‑d’s will, simply because it is His will.

Summary

The Greeks’ oppression of the Jews was primarily a spiritual conflict. For that reason, the Greeks sought to impart impurity to the oil in the Sanctuary. They did not desire to harm the Jews in a physical sense. Instead, their fundamental desire was “to cause [the Jews] to forget Your Torah and to transgress the statutes of Your will.” More particularly, it was not the Jews’ observance per se that brought about the conflict, but the conception of the Torah as “Your Torah” and the mitzvos as “the statutes of Your will,” i.e., the Torah and its mitzvos as they are bonded with G‑d and expressions of His will.