One of the distinctive aspects of chassidic thought in general and the Rebbe’s teachings in particular is the ability to see things in the abstract, and on that basis, find a connecting thread between seemingly disparate and unrelated concepts. The maamar to follow exemplifies this approach:
Among the spiritual theme associated with Chanukah are:
a) It is an eight-day festival; although the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash whose lights it commemorates had seven lamps, eight Chanukah lights are kindled.
b) The Chanukah lights are kindled after sunset with the intent that they shine into the night, while the lights of the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash were lit during the day.
c) The Greeks sought to stamp out the Jewish faith, “to cause [the Jews] to forget Your Torah and to transgress the statutes of Your will.” The Jews responded with mesirus nefesh, self-sacrifice, taking up arms against the strongest army in the world. In response, G‑d wrought a miracle, delivering “the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few.”
d) The Greeks had made the oil in the Beis HaMikdash impure. Hence, when the Jews purified the Beis HaMikdash and sought to renew its service, there was no pure oil with which to kindle the Menorah. Inexplicably, they found a cruse of oil stamped with the seal of the Kohen Gadol and miraculously, that oil burnt for eight days until new pure oil could be brought.

A Light that Knows No Limits

The maamar explains the interrelation of all these themes. The military conflict between the Jews and the Greeks was an outgrowth of the spiritual clash between them. The Greeks were not bothered by the fact that the Jews had their own faith and culture. On the contrary, as their empire had expanded, they had encountered many other cultures and integrated them into their own. What aroused the conflict was the Jews’ adherence to belief in G‑dliness that transcends nature. For that reason, the Greeks sought to eradicate “the statutes of Your will,” the mitzvos that transcend man’s conceptual grasp.
In response, the Jews went beyond the limits of logic, showing mesirus nefesh, a reflection of the dimension of their souls that is intrinsically bound up with G‑d. This evoked a parallel reaction Above, calling forth a miraculous victory that transcended the limits of nature.
A similar concept applies with regard to the miracle of the Menorah. The Greeks were not opposed to the kindling of the Menorah. Therefore, they did not destroy its oil. However, they rendered it impure, for they desired that it shine with a light that reflected their touch.
The force to counter this influence is oil sealed with the seal of the Kohen Gadol. The uniqueness of the Kohen Gadol is expressed in his entry into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. His service at that time revealed the essential bond between the Jews and G‑d that transcends all natural limits. This is a level which no impurity can touch.
The Menorah then burnt for eight days. The natural order is structured in sets of seven. Eight refers to transcendent G‑dliness.
Each year, kindling the Chanukah lights calls forth such a transcendent light. Therefore, they are kindled after sunset. For they have the power to break through the limits of nature and illuminate darkness, indeed, transform it into light.