Midrash su Esdra 6:17

... Teach us, our master, from when does the mitzvah of the Channukah lamp begin? Our rabbis taught – from when the sun sets until the majority of people are gone from the marketplace. And where are they to be lit? If one lives on an upper floor with a window facing the public domain, light there. If it is a time of danger, light within your house [and it is forbidden to do work by its light. R’ Asi said] it is forbidden to see by its light. Why do we light Channukah lamps? When the Hasmonean High Priest defeated the Greeks, as it says “For I bend Judah for Me like a bow; I filled [the hand of] Ephraim, and I will arouse your children, O Zion, upon your children, O Javan; and I will make you as the sword of a mighty man,” (Zechariah 9:13) they entered the Holy Temple. They found there eight iron stakes, fixed them in the ground and lit lamps upon them. Why do we read the Hallel psalms of praise? Because it is written “The Lord is God, and He gave us light.” (Tehillim 118:27) Why don’t we read it on Purim? It is written “…to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish the entire host of every people and province that oppress them…” (Esther 8:11) and we don’t read it except to mark the fall of a kingdom and the kingdom of Ahasuerus still stood. But when the Holy One destroyed the kingdom of Greece they began to sing hymns and praises and to say that in the past we were servants to Pharoah, servants to Greece and now we are servants to the Holy One “Praise, you servants of the Lord…” (Tehillim 113:1) How many channukot (dedications) were there? There were seven. The dedication of heaven and earth, as it says “Now the heavens and the earth were completed…” (Bereshit 2:1) What dedication was there then? “And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to shed light upon the earth.” (Bereshit 1:17) The dedication of the wall, as it says “And in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem…” (Nechemiah 12:27) The dedication of those who came up from the exile, as it says “And they offered up for the dedication of this House of God…” (Ezra 6:17) The dedication of the priests, which we light for. The dedication of the world to come, as it says “And it shall come to pass on that day, that I will search Jerusalem with candles…” (Tzephaniah 1:12) The dedication of the princes “This was the dedication offering of the altar…” (Bamidbar 7:84) The dedication of the Sanctuary, which this is speaking of “A psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David.” (Tehillim 30:1) Another explanation. There are seven channukot. The dedication of the creation of the world, as it is written “Now the heavens and the earth were completed…” (Bereshit 2:1) Completion is the language of dedication, as is written “All the work of the Mishkan of the Tent of Meeting was completed…” (Shemot 39:32) The dedication of Moshe, as it is written “And it was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan…” (Bamidbar 7:1) The dedication of the House, as it is written “A psalm; a song of dedication of the House, of David.” (Tehillim 30:1) The dedication of the Second Temple [as it says “And they offered up for the dedication of this House of God…” (Ezra 6:17) and the dedication of the wall] as it says “And in the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem…” (Nechemiah 12:27) The current one of the House of Hasmonean. The dedication of the world to come, because even that has lights, as it is written “And the light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven-fold as the light of the seven days…” (Isaiah 30:26)

One silver basin represents the Torah which has been likened to wine, as it is stated, "And drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Mishlei 9:5). Now because it is customary to drink wine in a basin – as you may gather from the text, "They who drink wine in basins" (Amos 6:6) – therefore, he brought a basin. Why "of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary"? As the numerical value of yayin (wine) is seventy, so there are shivim panim la’Torah (seventy facets/sides of Torah).

(Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” This text is related (to Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall delight in sacrifices of righteousness, burnt offerings, and whole offerings […].” [You will do so] because in this world they offered [only] a trifle. [It is so stated (in Numb. 7:12),] “And the one who offered his sacrifice on the first day [was Nahshon ben Amminadab of the tribe of Judah].” What did he offer as his sacrifice (according to Numb. 7:13–17)? “One silver bowl […]; one ladle […]; one bull […]; one he-goat […]; and for the peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats […].” [Here was all of the sacrifice.] There is a parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had set out on the road.⁸⁶Lev. R. 7:2. When they brought him a meal befitting the road and befitting the inn,⁸⁷Gk.: pandokeion. the king said to them, “Are you honoring me like this? Are you treating me like this? Am I not a king? Do I not rule the world?” They said to him, “Our lord king, on the road we render according to the road and bring in [food] for you according to the inn. However, let us enter the capital city. Then when you enter your palace,⁸⁸Palterin. Cf. Lat.: praetorium; Gk.: praitorion; also Lat.: palatium. you shall see how we will honor you.” Similarly when the Tabernacle was erected, the princes offered him a gift,⁸⁹Gk.: doron. one ladle, one bull, one ram, one lamb, one he-goat. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Is that [fitting for] My glory?” They said to him, “Master of the universe, it is in the desert that we are giving you [our gift], and the offerings before You are in keeping with the desert; however, when we enter Your palace, You shall see how many bulls we offer You.” Thus it is stated (in Ps. 51:20–21), “Make Zion prosper in Your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you shall delight in sacrifices of righteousness, burnt offerings, and whole offerings […].” And not [merely] one bull. So you find this [to have happened] when Solomon built the Temple and wanted to offer sacrifice for the Temple dedication; look at what is written there (in I Kings 8:63 // II Chron. 7:5)! “Solomon sacrificed twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep as peace offerings, which he sacrificed to the Lord.” And likewise in the days of Ezra, what is written there (in Ezra 6:17)? “They offered at the dedication of this house of God one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs […].” Ergo (in Ps. 51:20 [18]), “Make Zion prosper in your good pleasure….”