One Flask

Only one flask of oil remained undefiled by the hands of the Hellenist usurpers. The Chidushei HaRim explains that this is an allusion to the fact that there is always a small pocket of holiness within every Jew, and every Jewish society which is protected by God from being defiled. This is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that He would protect him.

Twilight

Candlelighting reminds us that God performed a miracle for us with light. Day time is the time of day when the regular workings of nature are most visible. At night, by contrast, the power of nature is less apparent. It is for this reason that our sages tell us that day time is for the workings of nature, nighttime for miracles. Therefore Chanukah candles are lit at night, the time of miracles. It is also for this reason that our Sages teach us that night was created for the study of Torah. This is because Torah study is from out of the natural world.

The Inside Story

On Chanukah we mention in our prayers that God gave the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, and the wicked into the hands of those who toil in Torah.
Chanukah is a time when we have the opportunity to have these same successes within ourselves as well. Do you have any internal struggles? Who doesn't?! Do you often feel that success in your internal strife is difficult or impossible?

Chanukah is the time when we have the ability to change that. Even if you feel that most of you is drawn to activities that are spiritually detrimental and that there is only a small part of yourself that is protesting those behaviors, Chanukah is the time when the many can be overcome by the few. The impure parts of your psyche can be overcome by the pure parts. The parts that are drawn to wickedness can be subsumed by those drawn to Torah.

Every holiday offers us opportunities for spiritual growth. But they don't just come by themselves. By consciously working on them during the holiday we take advantage of the spiritual power of the holiday to make strides in these areas.

Outside

Ideally Chanukah candles are meant to be placed outside of the home, by the street. This is an allusion to the fact that the light of the spirituality of the Torah is so great that even when one leaves the protective cocoon of the home, and wanders out into a dark world full of temptations and challenges to one's belief system, the light can still win out. Even those who are found in places devoid of all Jewish Spirituality can be brought back by the light of the Chanukah candles.