The Talmud says that Shammai goes by the days to come and decrease the number, to teach us that we only have limited time in this world. Each day it diminishes and, therefore, we should use the time which is left to the best advantage.

Hillel, however, holds that we should not worry too much about the future but thank Hashem for every day. Use each day for a good purpose as it comes and then add to the previous ones.

Many people make a distinction between miracle and nature. However, the truth is that this is not so. There is NO DIFFERENCE between nature and miracle. In nature we have innumerable miracles, more and more of which are being discovered by scientists every day, but Hashem put a screen – which we call ‘nature’ – over miracles to give us Bechirah – Freedom of choice which is the thrill of life. If we would see the hand of G-d clearly in everything in nature, we would have lost our freedom of choice. We would have lost our freedom choice. We would then be forced to observe the Torah and be like puppets on a string; therefore, G-d hides his hand by means of this screen. However, for those who are more spiritual, G-d removes his curtain so that they can recognize the open miracles. The Gemara tells us a story that in the neighborhood of Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa, a snake bit a number of people and killed them. When the snake attacked Rabbi Chanina, the snake died. His pupils asked him: “Rabbi, how do you explain this?” The Rabbi answered: “It is not the snake that kills, but the sin that kills.” The Talmud continues in a very charming manner: “Woe to the person who meets this snake and woe to the snake which meets Rabbi Chanina!”

The Gemara narrates another story: Once the daughter of Rabbi Chanina was very upset. Her father asked her why she was so sad. She replied: “I mixed up a jug of vinegar with one of oil and used the vinegar to light the Shabbat candles.” Rabbi Chanina said: “The one who said that oil should burn can also make vinegar burn.” In fact, the vinegar burned very brightly until the conclusion of Shabbat.

Similarly, G-d took away that screen of nature and granted the Macabees open miracles.

Now the argument between Hillel and Shammai becomes very clear. Shammai goes from eight candles to one candle because the longer the miracle lasts, the less it is appreciated, because people get used to it. Hillel, however, is of the opinion that the miracle increases every day. In holy matters we go higher not lower.

That also answers the ancient question why we celebrate the first day of Chanukah, when surely there was enough oil for it. The miracle was that one days oil lasted for eight days.

However, our Rabbis want us to realize the fact that there is no difference between miracle and nature. We are grateful to Hashem for all his innumerable miracles and celebrate all of them (even the first day of Chanukah).

What a wealth of teachings the festival of Chanukah provides us in our times! Today, cold rationalism permeates the Jewish scene. Chaos reigns in the name of “pluralism,” etc. Many of our people have become modern day Hellenists. The battle continues. We few must act to try and bring back the “Devine Presence” just as in the days of old, pure Judaism in all its beauty. We must remember that each day counts. We must try to be optimistic like Hillel – to go higher in holy matters and never go down, to fan the sparks of holiness which every Jew posses into a flame.

Compared to the other two forefathers, Isaac seems to be the least prominent yet there is a great deal to say about him.

Whilst Abraham was a Pioneer, and Jacob a fighter, Isaac seems to have been passive. At the Akieda the verse states “G-d tested Abraham”, and not Isaac (Gen. 22). His name was not changed like those of the other two forefathers. As regards to his work, we are told that he dug up the wells of his father, and he even required the service of Eliezer, the marriage broker, to find himself a wife.

Yet his role was equally important in a number of ways. Let me illustrate this with the following anecdote: A student applied to a University. The father had to fill out an application form. One of the questions was: Is your son a leader? The father replied. “I am not sure of that, but he is an excellent follower.” In a letter of acceptance the dean made the following remark: “As our freshman group will consist of several hundred leaders, we congratulate ourselves that your son will also be a member of the college. We shall thus be assured of one good follower!”

Isaac was a good follower of Abraham. A chain is only as good as the weakest link. His contribution to the tripod of our forefathers was Gevorah – strong commitment to the service of G-d, up to the very limit to be prepared to surrender his life.

However, his contribution was much greater than that. Abraham’s special distinction was Chessed – loving kindness. But Chessed needs Gevorah to control it. For example: A government introduces a welfare state, but the handouts need a firm control, otherwise it would just make life easy for the layabouts, and not really help the needy: Chessed without Gevorah leads to softness and trouble. While both attributes are important, one without the other wouldn’t be an attribute.

Isaac consolidated the work of Abraham.

The Torah gives a lot of space to the story of the three wells, which Isaac dug (Gen. 26:18-22). One teaching is that we must persevere; If at first we do not succeed, we have to try again and again. The ownership of the first two wells were disputed and became objects of strife. Only the third one remained in the possession of Isaac. So even if Isaac was unsuccessful the first two times, he dug another well and succeeded. That could be a reason why the Torah went into such detail in describing the episode of the wells.

In our lives, let us be followers and remove the earthliness covering the water of life. Never give up digging these wells until we succeed. As Nachamadies points out, the two wells, which are a prediction of the two temples will unfortunately be destroyed and filled with earth. The third one, may it be built soon, will be forever.

Obstacles are there to be overcome.

That is the lesson we learn from Isaac. to be a bridge and pass on what we get from our forefathers and mothers, like Isaac was the bridge from Abraham to Jacob, and not to be turned away by obstacles and struggles.