| The Maccabees discovered a single flask of pure oil, sufficient to burn for only one day, yet it continued to burn for eight full days. At first glance, this seems puzzling: if the oil naturally sufficed for one day, then the overt miracle occurred for only seven days. Why, then, do we celebrate Chanukah for eight days?
The answer lies in a deeper understanding of nature itself. Nature is not an independent force operating on its own. From the rising of the sun each morning to the waxing and waning of the moon at night, everything occurs solely through the will of HaShem. Fire does not burn because of oil alone; oil burns only because HaShem so decrees. Accordingly, even the first day—when the oil burned in a seemingly “natural” manner—was no less a miracle than the days that followed.
For this reason, we celebrate Chanukah for eight days. The first day teaches us that what we call “nature” is itself a continuous miracle, a constant expression of Divine will.
Today: Nature is the veil of HaShem. Just beyond that veil, HaShem is actively sustaining and guiding the miracles of life at every moment. Application: Train yourself to look beyond the veil—to see HaShem making the stars shine, the trees blossom, and the rivers flow into the sea. (Based on the Saba of Kelm, as quoted in Darchei Mussar) I | 
