One of the most widely known observances of the festival of Chanukah is the lighting of the same number of candles in the menorah as the current day of the holiday: one light on the first night, two on the second, etc. This is in accordance with the view of Beis Hillel (Shabbos 21b). Indeed, Avudraham writes that this ruling is alluded to in the very name חנוכה which can be read to spell out, "ח' נרות והלכה כבית הלל - Eight Candles and the Halacha follows Beis Hillel." In explaining this accepted view, the Talmud presents two reasons. The first is that Beis Hillel structure the lighting around the days which have already passed; the second is that "מעלין בקודש ואין מורידין - we elevate in sanctity and do not descend."
Famously, Beis Shammai dispute this view and rule that we should follow a descending order: on the first night, eight candles, seven on the second, etc. Parallel to Beis Hillel's two reasons, two reasons are offered for Beis Shammai's view as well. The first is that the lighting represents the days yet to come; the second is "כנגד פרי החג" - that just as the bulls offered for the additional offering (musaf) on Sukkos descend in number each day from 13 through 7, so too should the neiros Chanukah. What is the connection between the menorah lighting of Chanukah and the musaf of Sukkos? Many diverse approaches have been offered, ranging from halachic, hashkafic, Chasidic, and kabbalistic in explanation of this enigmatic passage. Here, we present some of the explanations with some elaborations.
Maharsha explains that the link to parei hachag is not a conceptual one. Rather, Beis Shammai are merely countering Beis Hillel's argument of ma'alin bakodesh by demonstrating that this principle is not always applicable as evidenced by the decreasing number of the bulls of Sukkos. The reason that the neiros Chanukah decrease though is unrelated to the reason for the decrease with regard to Sukkos. (See a similar approach in Hearos al Maseches Shabbos.)
Shibbolei HaLeket (Chanukah 185) quotes Rav Yehuda HeChasid who notes that the fact that the mitzvah of lighting the menorah in the mikdash is placed in the Torah immediately after the presentation of the festivals, the last of which is Sukkos, alludes to the festival of Chanukah which would be ordained in the future after Sukkos in the Jewish calendar. (Also see Ba'al HaTurim to Bamidbar 24:2.) Hence Beis Shammai maintain that there should be a halachic parallel as well.
Aruch HaShulchan (680:5) suggests that the reason the festival was established for eight days - even though the miracle of the oil was only for seven additional days beyond the one-day supply they had - was to commemorate the missed festival of Sukkos which they had just recently spent hiding in the hills away from Jersualem and the Mikdash as recorded in Maccabees II (10:6). An article in Or HaMizrach (38, p. 118, by Dr. Nachum Brunsnick) suggests that this same connection can be utilized to explain the parallel Beis Shammai draw to parei hachag.[1]
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (He'aros, ibid.) explains that the total number of parei hachag is 70, parallel to the nations of the world. (See Sukka 55b and Rashi ibid. that the korbanos are brought on their behalf so they should have rain that year.) The daily decrease in the bulls symbolizes the ultimate decline of the power of the nations of the world (see Rashi on Bamidbar 29:18). Since the power of one of the greatest kingdoms with international dominion, the Syrian-Greek Empire, diminished through the great miracles of Chanukah, it is appropriate to forge a parallel in the central mitzvah of Chanukah and the bulls of Sukkos. Sefas Emes (5642-3) accepts this basic approach as well and adds that it is likely that the Chasmonaim felt that their avodas Tishrei - culminating with Sukkos which symbolizes the downfall of the power of the nations of the world - was accepted by Hashem giving them the motivation to boldly attack the Greeks and ultimately chase them out of the Mikdash and Eretz Yisrael.[2]
On a broader level, Sefas Emes (5641) elsewhere explains that each Torah festival provides illumination (he'ara - similar to the relationship between the sun and the moon) for a parallel Rabbinic festival. Chanukah, parallel to Sukkos as explained above, is eight days. The one day holiday of Purim is parallel to Shavuos (presumably as both are days of kabbalas haTorah, see Shabbos 88a).[3] After the future redemption, a Rabbinic festival will be established parallel to Pesach, the first Festival of Freedom.[4]
The aforementioned article in Or HaMizrach quotes She'iltos DeRav Achai Gaon (27, Mirsky, it does not appear in other editions) that the Greeks, based on the advice of an apostate Jew, wished to abolish the lighting of the seven branches of the menorah and the eight days of Sukkos. Consequently, they were delivered into the hands of the seven sons of Chashmona'i, and Hillel and Shammai established a new eight-day holiday. Dr. Brunsnick suggests why the Greeks specifically wanted to abolish Sukkos because it represents Bnei Yisrael's faith and reliance on Hashem. In a similar vein, I heard recently in the name of Rav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman zt"l (whose first yahrzeit was just observed on Erev Chanukah) a fascinating explanation of the puzzling decree of the Greeks that the Jews should inscribe on the horn of an ox, "You have no share in the G-d of Israel" (Bereishis Rabba 2:5). The ox was the "workhorse" of antiquity; with its power, fields were plowed, and other machinery was pulled. In a word, it represented human endeavor. This was exactly what Greek philosophy represented. Only human intelligence and effort can accomplish anything.[5] Certainly, no all-encompassing Divine being was necessary to save us or to bless human efforts with success. The Greeks pressured the Jews - who also worked their fields and, more generally, engaged the world - to embrace their philosophy as well. Sukkos, represents the opposite of this philosophy. We leave our permanent homes to dwell in a temporary one to remind us that without Divine protection, assistance and intervention we are lost. The victory over the false, damaging "Western" philosophy is celebrated by Chanukah as a direct parallel to the message of Sukkos.[6]
May this Chanukah with its multi-faceted messages inherent in all of its observances illuminate our lives throughout the whole year!
[1] See Sefas Emes (5740) who lists other parallels between Sukkos and Chanukahh: 1) the concept of hidur-mehadrin prominent in both festivals and 2) the miracle of the Clouds of Glory in the merit of Aharon HaKohein, and Chanukah brought about by kohanim.
[2] Based on this, Sefas Emes explains the meaning of the passage in Ma'oz Tzur: "בני בינה ימי שמנה קבעו שיר ורננים - those of insight established eight days of song and jubilation." They realized that the miracle occurred as a result of the previous avoda of Sukkos and therefore established a holiday of eight days parallel to Sukkos.
[3] Sefas Emes does not write explicitly concerning the number of days, but this seems to directly follow from what he wrote in the previously-quoted teaching.
[4] See also Chanukah: The Power of the Light of Torah and Chachmei haTorah. Based on the teaching of Rav C. Y. Goldwicht presented there, it is quite understandable why Chanukah should serve as an example of a Rabbinic holiday directly parallel to a Biblical one.
[5] See Wisdom for a Purpose for another understanding of this Greek decree.
[6] Many other explanations of the Sukkos connection have been offered. See Imrei Emes, Peri Tzaddik, Sheim MiShmuel, Avodas Yisrael, and Mishneh Sachir among others.