No Happily Ever After... Yet
We were oppressed by the Greeks, we fought against them and with G-d's help, we were victorious. We cleaned up the Beit HaMikdash, miraculously found a one-day supply of oil for the Menora, it miraculously lasted for 8 days, Jewish sovereignty was restored... And, unfortunately, we have yet to live happily ever after. That repaired and reactivated Beit HaMikdash was not destined to survive (more than 200 more years); the re-established kingdom was seriously flawed.

Yet the amazing thing is that we still celebrate the good things that did happen. The fact that the Beit HaMikdash that was Chanuka-ed by the Chashmona'im no longer stands, that its ruins and feeble remnants are almost 2000 years old, did not and does not cancel Chanuka. However many times the Jewish people have been exiled, we still celebrate Pesach. The fact that the Golden Calf followed Matan Torah by a mere 40 days, did not erase Shavuot from being Zman Matan Torateinu.

IY"H we will have our way of celebrating the Complete Redemption, the coming of the Mashiach, the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash that will stand eternally. But in the mean- while (and even in the time of the Geula), we celebrate G-d's miracles and wonders and salvations in those days at this time.

Parallel to this idea is the sequence of weekly sedras at this time of year. Yosef and his brothers were estranged and subsequently reunited and reconciled. But open a Tanach or a Jewish History book, or look around today, and we see how far we still have to go to reach the unity that will hasten the Geula. This is our Chanuka (and more) challenge.