The tiny flames flicker before my eyes enveloping the room in a brilliant light. Small testimonies to giant miracles. I stare at the lights mesmerized by the idea of miracles. I’m well aware that by nature certain things in my life simply will not happen however much I long for those miracles to happen.

The names [of the Chashmonaim] attest to the nature of the miracles that took place for them. The Pri Tzaddik explains the names: Mattisyahu means “gift of Hashem.” Yochanan means “Hashem’s grace.” He cites the Gemara’s teaching: When a person sees the name Chanina Chananya or Yochanan in a dream incredible miracles will take place for him. The Maharsha explains that these names have a connotation of grace kindness and gift-giving. What is the connection between gift-giving and a miracle? When a person recognizes that it is not his own strengths and efforts nor even his good deeds and spiritual merits that bring about what he desires and he knows and feels that Hashem in His kindness gives everything to him as a gift then Hashem acts toward him measure for measure and bestows such a gift upon him. A gift from Hashem when not dependent on one’s actions has no limit and the person becomes deserving of miracles beyond the bounds of nature. (Sifsei Chaim Rav Chaim Friedlander). 

“Lady” the dancing flames call out to me. “Are you asking for miracles? You? These children eating doughnuts laughing and playing and arguing about which letter the dreidel landed on? Are they yours?”

I nod in reply. “Oh yes they’re mine all right.”

“Why are you asking for miracles when thousands of them are packed into this tiny room? What are your children — alive healthy eating drinking jumping shouting talking and laughing — if not miracles so great they defy human comprehension?

“Doesn’t Hashem perform a miracle for you every morning when you have the ability to go to work and there’s food in the store and you have money to buy it? If these things aren’t miracles then what are?

“Do you realize that your puny zchusim are barely enough to ‘pay’ for all these gifts? That they’re given to you with great mercy and endless Heavenly love?”

This was the level of Mattisyahu and his sons.… They believed and felt that all of man’s successes both spiritual and material natural and supernatural are nothing but a gift from Hashem. That is why they went out to wage war at great self-sacrifice the few against the many in a seemingly hopeless venture based on the laws of logic and nature. But they understood that victory in war comes only from Hashem and so they went out to battle … even when they had little strength of their own. (ibid.) 

Look at the light of the candles for a moment and imagine a small group of inexperienced Jews coming out of the beis medrash to wage war against a massive empire armed with the most sophisticated weapons. What were they thinking?

They didn’t give a thought to the odds or to what was logical. They understood that the steps they took and the words they spoke were all gifts from Hashem as would their victory be.

Based on this we can understand why we say in al hanissim “the many into the hands of the few” just as we say “the wicked into the hands of the righteous.” Just as “the righteous” is a reason for their victory that came from Hashem so is “the few.” For they were on the level that they understood they were few and weak and their success or victory did not depend on their own efforts and strength but rather would come from Hashem as the pasuk states “Nothing can stop Hashem from saving whether with the many or with the few” (Shmuel I 14:6). And therefore Hashem saved them. (ibid)

The dancing lights whisper to me: If you look at every day as a gift given to you from Hashem’s treasury of kindness if you understand that nothing comes from your own might or wisdom … if you truly succeed in seeing how everything you have is a miracle given to you with love … then you will continue to receive those gifts. And then you will also experience miracles of the incredible obviously supernatural kind.