In the nusach of על הנסים that we say on Chanukah, after we finish talking about the miracles Hashem performed, then we say ואחר כך באו בניך לדביר ביתך, then your children came into your house, ופינו את היכלך, and they emptied out your heichal, this is the בית המקדש, וטיהרו את מקדשך, and they purified, they were metaher your מקדש, והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך, and they lit candles in your holy yards. So there is a great question asked on this nusach of על הנסים: What do we mean והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך, that they lit the menorah in your holy yards? The place of the menorah is not in the chatzer of the Beis Hamikdash, in the yard of the Beis Hamikdash, but the place of the menorah is inside, in the heichal. So why do we say here that they lit the candles בחצרות קדשך, in the chatzer of the Beis Hamikdash? So the Chasam Sofer in his derashos answers that this is based on the din of the Rambam. The Rambam paskens in הלכות ביאת מקדש פרק ט' הלכה ז' that הדלקת הנרות כשירה בזר, that to light the candles you don't need a kohen, even a zar, a non-kohen, to do it. לפיכך אם היטיב הכהן את הנרות והוציאן לחוץ, therefore, if the kohen prepared the neirot, the candles, and he took it outside of the היכל, מותר לזר להדליקן. So a non-kohen is allowed to light it. And since at that time the Yevanim made the היכל טמא, and as he says היה ההיכל מלא גלולים, the heichal, which is inside the building, was full of avodah zarah, so he says עד שפינו את היכלך וטיהרו את מקדשך, therefore, till they were able to empty out the heichal and be metaher, to cleanse the Beis Hamikdash, so he says לא הדליקו נרות בפנים, therefore they didn't light the candles inside, אלא בחצרות קדשך, but in the yard, baEzrah, in the Ezrah. Since the Rambam paskens that you're allowed to light the candles in the Ezrah, so therefore, at that time, when they had no choice, they lit the candles in the Ezrah. And he adds that that was the reason the nes became publicized to all the Yidden, because all the Yidden saw the menorah burning for eight days in the chatzer. Had it been in the Heichal, then only the Kohanim would see the miracle. But being that they lit the menorah in the chatzer at that time, so everybody was able to see the miracle. But lichorah, this answer needs a lot of explanation. Because from the lashon, the way we say in Al Hanissim, we say that באו בניך לדביר ביתך ופינו את היכלך וטיהרו את מקדשך והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך. So it seems as if the order was that first they emptied out the Heichal, then they purified the Mikdash, and then they lit the candles. So it comes out that they lit the candles after they already were metaher, they purified the Mikdash. And that's how the lashon also seems in the Megillat Antiochus. So how could the Chatam Sofer say that the reason that they lit the menorah outside was because the Heichal was still tamei? And it's also muchach, you can prove from many places, from the Mordechai and the Ohr Zarua in Hilchot Chanukah סימן תרכ\"א, brought down in the Darkei Moshe to Tur Orach Chaim in the beginning of סימן תר\"ע, and the Shibolei HaLeket ענין ראש חודש סימן קע\"ד, and in many other places, that the name Chanukah is based on the word חנוכת המזבח והמקדש, that that's the time they dedicated the mizbeach and the Beit HaMikdash. Since the Yevanim, the Greeks, were mechallel the kedushah, desecrated the kedushah of the Beit HaMikdash, so afterwards they had to rededicate the Beit HaMikdash. And since Chanukah starts on 25 Kislev, on the 25th day of Kislev, so it comes out that the dedication of the Beit HaMikdash took place on the 25th day of Kislev. So therefore, it seems that on that day when they lit the menorah, which was on the 25th day of Kislev, the Mikdash and the mizbeach was already mechunach, was already dedicated. That means that it was already clean. So how could he say that the reason they lit it outside was because the Beit HaMikdash was still tamei? Another question: When we say that the היכל was full of גלולים, he says, full of avodah zarah, therefore they couldn't light the menorah in the היכל, why should we assume that only the היכל was full of גלולים? Why shouldn't we assume that all other parts of the Beit HaMikdash were also full of גלולים, including the azarah? Because when we say in the nusach of Al HaNissim that they went in וטיהרו את מקדשך, that they were metaher the Mikdash, it doesn't mention which part of the Mikdash they were metaher. It's mashma that they had to be metaher the whole Beit HaMikdash, which means the היכל and the azarah and all other parts. So it comes out that they were all full of avodah zarah. So why should we think that they were metaher the azarah first, before they were metaher the היכל, and therefore, for all eight days, they weren't able to light the menorah in the היכל, and they had to light it in the azarah, because the azarah was clean and the היכל was not clean? Bifshitut, it all became tamei. So why should we think that they were metaher the היכל and the עזרה not? There could have been a sevara to say that the reason they lit the menorah in the chatzer was in order to publicize the miracle. And as the Chasam Sofer says that had it been in the היכל, then not everyone would see the miracle. That's why they put it in the chatzer. But it's very hard to say that l'chatchilah they put the menorah out into the chatzer because they wanted people to see it, especially if they weren't even sure there would be a miracle. They didn't know that miracle would happen. They saw the miracle after it happened. So the first day when they put the menorah out, they weren't sure a miracle is going to happen. So why should we say they put it out into the chatzer so people should see it? Another question: why do we say in the lashon of Al Hanissim that they lit the מנורה בחצרות קדשך? חצרות is lashon rabim, the holy yards, plural. The chatzer is only one, so should have said בחצר קדשך, they lit the menorah in your holy chatzer, which is in the עזרה. Especially that earlier before that in Al Hanissim, everything is said lashon yachid, in singular. It says לדביר ביתך, they came into the דביר ביתך, which is יחיד, ופינו את היכלך, they emptied out your היכל, לשון יחיד singular, וטהרו את מקדשך, they were metaher your מקדש, doesn't say your מקדשים, your מקדש which is lashon yachid. So why all of a sudden should it change here and say בחצרות קדשך, which is lashon rabim?

Therefore, there's another peshat to learn in these words of Al Hanissim, that when it says והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך, that they lit candles in your holy yards, it doesn't mean the nerot of the menorah. It doesn't mean the candles of the menorah in the בית המקדש, but it means other candles. Candles that they lit at that time as a praise and a hilul v'hodaah to Hashem. As we find in many places that one of the ways to express a person's thanking Hashem is through lighting candles. As we see in the Gemara Sanhedrin דף ל״ב עמוד ב׳ in Tosafos דיבור המתחיל קול, and Rashi in ירמיה קפיטל כ״ה פסוק י׳ explains it, and as it says in a פסוק in ישעיה קפיטל כ״ד פסוק ט״ו the way it's explained in Targum and in Rashi, the פסוק says באורים כבדו השם. With fire, with candles you should be mechabed, you should honor Hashem. And it also is brought down lehalachah in the Tur and in Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim סימן תר״י. It says legabei the dinim of נרות בית הכנסת, לגבי lighting candles in shul, that this is an expression of praise to Hashem. We also find in the Beit HaMikdash itself that on Simchat Beit HaShoevah, during the week of Sukkot, when they used to pour the water, the ניסוך המים, and they used to have a special simchah at that time, the greatest simchah of the year, as the Gemara says, מי שלא ראה שמחת בית השואבה לא ראה שמחה מימיו, anybody who did not see the simchah at the time of Simchat Beit HaShoevah never saw simchah. So the Gemara says in סוכה דף נ״א עמוד א׳ that one of the things they did then as an expression of simchah, and it was שמחה של מצוה, a simchah of the mitzvah which is in connection to Hashem, a simchah in the mitzvot of Hashem, and a simchah in connection to praising Hashem, so it says that they lit מנורות של זהב, golden menorot in the Ezrat Nashim. And it says that it was so light that it made the whole Yerushalayim light up. And this was because of the great simchah. So we see from all these places that one of the ways of expressing thanks to Hashem is through lighting candles. And this is the meaning of והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך, that they lit nerot in your holy yards. This is not part of what it says before that they came into דביר ביתך and they emptied היכלך and they were מטהר מקדשך and then they did the avodah by lighting the nerot. This is a new thing. This is part of the expression of the thanks to Hashem. Just like it says afterwards, להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול, to praise and to thank your holy Name. So this is part of it, that after they cleaned out the Mikdash, what did they do? They thanked Hashem. How did they thank Hashem? והדליקו נרות בחצרות קדשך. They lit a lot of candles in the holy yards, and also they were kove'a it says further, קבעו שמונת ימי חנוכה אלו, they established these eight days of Chanukah in order להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול, to thank and praise your holy Name. So lighting the candles is part of the praise that they did at that time. And this is the reason why it says בחצרות קדשך, לשון רבים, it says plural, your holy yards. It doesn't say בחצר קדשך, because if we would learn the pshat that it means the Azarah, then it should have said בחצר קדשך. But now that we're learning that it means they lit a lot of candles all over, so they didn't only light it in the Azarah, they also lit it in the Ezrat Nashim and around the Beit HaMikdash, all over they lit it, in the whole of Yerushalayim. And we takeh find that sometimes the expression חצרות קדשך refers to the whole city of Yerushalayim, because there's a pasuk that says in ישעיה קפיטל ס״ב פסוק ט׳ בחצרות קדשי, and the mefarshim there explain that בחצרות קדשי means the whole city of Yerushalayim. And the truth is that the Avudraham concerning Chanukah, in connection to this lashon in על הניסים, בחצרות קדשך, quotes this pasuk. He learns a different pshat, but we do see he quotes this פסוק, ובחצרות קדשי, concerning these words, בחצרות קדשך. So just like the ובחצרות קדשי in Yeshayah means the whole city of Yerushalayim, so here too, בחצרות קדשך refers to the whole city of Yerushalayim. To the Azarah, which was the Ezrat Kohanim, the עזרת ישראל, the עזרת נשים, around the בית המקדש, the whole city of Yerushalayim they lit candles, because this was the way they expressed their thanks to Hashem.

But a question that comes up, if so, why mention out of all forms of praise to Hashem davka the inyan of lighting candles? Why doesn't it say that they davend to Hashem, they said Hallel, many other things that they did to praise Hashem, to thank Hashem? Why does it mention davka the inyan of lighting candles? If we would learn the pashuter pshat that it means that they lit the menorot, so we understand this is a remez, a hint to the nes, the miracle that took place with the menorah, that it lasted for eight days. But if we're learning this is just a form of praise to Hashem, so why mention davka the praising Hashem through candles and not any other form of praise? And the answer is, because this brings out the whole idea of what happened at that time. As it says at the beginning of Al Hanissim, what did the Yevanim want? They wanted להשכיחם תורתך, to make you forget their your תורה, ולהעבירם מחוקי רצונך, to make him go away from the chukim of your will. And as we explained last year, that the Yevanim did not care that the Yidden learn Torah. The Yevanim the Yevanim were smart people themselves, cultured people, and they appreciated knowledge and wisdom and intellect. What they cared about was, why the Yidden learn Torah with the kedushah, with the ruchniyut of the Torah, תורתך. So they wanted to make the Yidden forget that it's תורתך, that it's your Torah. Learn Torah because it's a nice chochmah, but don't learn Torah because it's the Torah of Hashem. And the same thing with the mitzvot. They didn't mind that the Yidden would do mitzvot, but why do mitzvot just because Hashem said so? Why do chukim? They didn't mind if the Yidden did mishpatim, mitzvot which have a reason, and if not for the Torah, we would do them anyway, or the mitzvot which are called edot, which we wouldn't have done it if not for the Torah, but after the Torah commanded us, we understand why we do it. That, they didn't mind. What they cared about was chukim, those mitzvot that have no reason. That's what they didn't want we should do. And even that, the main stress is חוקי רצונך. Why do it just because it's the will of Hashem? At least do it because you understand in your sechel that there must be a good reason. But to do it just because Hashem wants, that they didn't want. The ruchniyut of Torah and the ruchniyut of mitzvot, that's what they fought. That's what they didn't want. And therefore, when the Yidden overpowered them and came out victorious, they celebrated through lighting candles, because the inyan of light, the inyan of candles represents ruchniyut. Because we know the pasuk says, כי נר מצוה ותורה אור. A mitzvah is like a candle, and the Torah is like light. Why compare a mitzvah to a candle and Torah to light? Because bichlal, light represents ruchniyut. Light, within this physical world, is an object which is not tangible. So even though it is definitely a physical thing, but within this physical world, the light is not a tangible thing. And therefore, many times when we want to express ruchniyut, we express it through the word or, or through the concept of light. And therefore, the Yidden wanted to show Hashem that they appreciate the miracle that happened, and what they cared about was not the physical miracle, that their physical body was saved, but what they really appreciated was, and what they cared about, was that in ruchniyut they were saved. That this that the Yevanim wanted להשכיחם תורתך ולהעבירם מחוקי רצונך, they overcame that, and now they're able to serve Hashem with pure ruchniyut. Serve Hashem not because their physical body or their physical mind wanted to do it, or understood to do it, but just because Hashem wants them to do it. And therefore they, who are Yidden, מצד הנשמה have to do it. And the way they expressed it was by lighting a lot of candles, to show Hashem that we understand that this was a ruchniyusdike nitzachon, a ruchniyusdike victory, and therefore we express it in a ruchniyusdike way.

This also explains why the main mitzvah of Chanukah is to light the candles. Even though, as we know, that there are two things that happened at the time of Chanukah: the נצחון המלחמה, the victory of the war, and also the nes of the candles. So why is it that the main mitzvah of Chanukah is the mitzvah of lighting the candles, which represents the nes of the פך השמן, of the oil that lasted for eight days, and we don't do anything that would remind us of the נצחון המלחמה? And the answer is, because lighting the candles also reminds us of the נצחון המלחמה. If the נצחון המלחמה, the victory of the war, would be completely physical, then by lighting candles, we would not express the victory of the war, because lighting candles is one thing, and the victory of the war was another thing. But being that we explained that the victory of the war itself was a spiritual thing Because the main reason for the war was because the יוונים wanted להשכיחם תורתך ולהעבירם מחוקי רצונך, as the Levush explains, that that's the difference between Chanukah and Purim. The time of Purim, that's when Haman wanted להשמיד להרוג ולאבד את כל היהודים. He wanted to destroy all the Yidden, so he was against the gufos, the bodies of the Yidden. He wanted to destroy the guf of the Yidden, the gashmiyus of the Yidden. But in Chanukah, the main thing was a מלחמה רוחנית, a spiritual war. What they wanted was, as we said before, להשכיחם תורתך ולהעבירם מחוקי רצונך. And the way to express ruchniyus, as we said before, is through lighting candles. So therefore, when we light the menorah, this doesn't only express the thanks for the miracle with the פך השמן, with the oil that lasted for eight days, but this also expresses the thanks to Hashem for the miracle of the נצחון המלחמה, of the victory of the war. Because the victory of the war was a ruchniyus'dike victory, and the way to express ruchniyus, spirituality, is through candles. And therefore, by lighting the Chanukah menorah, we express our thanks to Hashem even for the נצחון המלחמה. And as we see that when we light the candles and we say הנרות הללו, in הנרות הללו we mention that we light the candles על התשועות ועל הניסים ועל הנפלאות, for your help, for your nisim, and for your wonders. And as we explained in the earlier shiur, this refers to the miracles that took place at the time of the war. And at the end we also mention להודות ולהלל לשמך הגדול על ניסיך ועל נפלאותיך ועל ישועותיך. So we do mention the miracles of the winning of the war at the time when we light the candles, because as we said, the lighting of the candles also expresses our thanks for the נצחון המלחמה, for the victory at the time of the war.