The war of the Maccabees against the Greeks was, first and foremost, a war between light and darkness.
The little cruse of holy oil, that was hidden away in the Temple and was so hard to find, symbolizes the challenge our ancestors faced: to reveal the light.
We relive this need and this lesson every year on Hanukkah, by lighting an additional light on each of the eight days of the holiday.
–Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz