"For greater peace of mind," the saying goes, "resign as General Manager of the Universe." Indeed, many of us find it a challenge to refrain from the natural tendency to try to foresee and control every circumstance that will possibly arise in our lives. We struggle to remind ourselves that it is not we who are in charge of our destiny, but G-d.

Our ancestors, on the other hand, were people of great devotion and faith. They understood clearly that anything that befell them was part of G-d's plan, and that it was to Him alone that they need turn for assistance. When we are told that one of them experienced a lapse in his or her Bitachon (trust in G-d), the statement must be explored and understood.

Yosef is held by the Medrash to personify the verse, "Praises to the man who made G-d his trust" (Tehillim 40:5). Nevertheless, the Medrash says, Yosef's trust in G-d was lacking in some way. The end of the same verse, "and turned not to the arrogant," is also applicable to Yosef. When he predicted that the Sar Hamashkim (Chief Butler) would be set free and reappointed to a position of prominence, Yosef asked the Sar Hamashkim to mention him to Pharaoh and recommend that he be released from prison. As punishment for relying on the Sar Hamashkim, Yosef was decreed to stay in prison for two extra years.
This Medrash requires some explanation. Presumably, Yosef was obligated to try everything in his ability to secure his freedom in a natural way. Does asking for a commendation by a grateful high officer of the king not fall into this category? It is difficult to believe that someone with Yosef's high level of Bitachon would make the elementary mistake of actually placing his faith in the Sar Hamashkim instead of in G-d. Rather, we must say that Yosef's error was of a far more subtle nature.

Often, when facing a problem, we tend to draft our own solutions. While we declare our faith that G-d will help us through the situation, we cling to a preconceived notion as to how G-d will help us. We believe He will help us secure a certain job, arrange that a given candidate should take office, or find us a spouse through a certain venue. We are often initially disappointed when G-d does not "follow our plan," and ultimately surprised when our needs are met in an entirely different way.

This, says the Chazon Ish (Emunah U'bitachon), was Yosef's mistake. Yosef completely "placed his trust in G-d." He had no doubt that G-d would save him from lifelong imprisonment. When the Sar Hamashkim appeared on the scene, however, Yosef assumed that he was the instrument G-d intended to use to free him. By focusing his hopes on only one method of salvation, Yosef was found lacking in his faith. While Yosef remained steadfast in his belief that his deliverance would come only from G-d, he had limited the scope of his belief to only one imaginable scenario. G-d, who works in ways that are often beyond the imaginable, did use the Sar Hamashkim in the end, but in a completely miraculous way. The Sar Hamashkim chose to forget his own gratitude towards Yosef, but was brought to mention him anyway because of Pharaoh's dreams.
In this way, we can better understand the great significance of the Menorah in the celebration of Chanukah. The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) asks: "On which miracle did the Sages establish Chanukah?" The Gemara answers: "When the House of the Chashmonaim vanquished the Syrian-Greeks, they only found one sealed flask of oil�Miraculously, they kindled the Menorah with it for eight days."

Does the Gemara mean to tell us that the miracle of the oil burning for eight days was greater than that of the victory of the Jews against the mighty Syrian-Greeks? The outcome of those battles seems to have had a far greater impact on the Jews. Had the oil not burned as long as it did, the service in the Bais Hamikdosh would have been disrupted for seven days; had the Jews not defeated the Syrian-Greeks, Jewish life would have been altered forever!
We must say that the miracle of the oil was not only a great miracle in and of itself, but also has significance as the culmination of the struggle to reclaim the Bais Hamikdosh as the center of Judaism. The war against the Syrian-Greeks was fought on the battlefield, but the process was not complete until the Ner Tamid (constant light) burned again in the Bais Hamikdosh. Not only did the extended burning of the oil conclude the miraculous events of Chanukah; it defined all the miracles that came before it.

Our observance on Chanukah differs from that of Purim. Only on Chanukah are we told L'hodot - to acknowledge the greatness of G-d. The reason for this, explains Sefer Hatodaah, is that on Purim, the military victory of the Jews over their enemies was preceded by intense fasting and prayer. They felt they could not be confident in fighting their battle without first asking for Divine Assistance. Once they had prayed to G-d, they went and defeated their enemies, knowing that their victories, both military and political were heaven sent.

In the battle against the Greeks, the Jews did not feel the same need to ask for Divine assistance. Since they were fighting for the existence of Torah observance, they felt that they were sure to win. While this gave them the necessary Bitachon to fight the battle and win, they were not left with the same memories of "the fasts and outcries" that preceded the miracle of Purim. There was a danger that the Jews would focus on the role of their military effort in achieving this victory. Therefore the Sages declared Chanukah a time for Hoda'ah - acknowledgement of G-d's intervention in a war that would otherwise have been impossible to win. (Sefer Hatodaah)

It is difficult to say that our ancestors would so quickly forget that they won the war only due to G-d's intervention. However, perhaps we can say that while they understood that it was G-d who won the war for them, they also might have viewed their army as His necessary instrument to do so.

However, after all the battles that their army had fought, the Bais Hamikdosh was still not able to be completely reclaimed. There would have had to be a seven-day wait before the services could be completely resumed. When the oil continued to burn for seven days, it was a miracle that did not stem from any human contribution. The Menorah served as a sign that G-d's miracles need not work through any human means.

"On account of this miracle," the Sages were able to establish Chanukah as a festival of Hallel and hoda'ah. Chanukah is a holiday to celebrate both the military and spiritual victories; the Menorah is our inspiration to acknowledge that it was G-d who "delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few�" While our deliverance may be sent through "natural" means, let us always remember that our fate is completely in G-d's hands.