On each night of Hanukkah a candle is lit to commemorate a miracle which occurred  165 B.C.E.

The temple had been defiled and needed spiritual cleansing.
A flame was to be alight for 8 days continuously. This cleanses the temple, rededicating it to Yahwah

When Jews came to rededicate the Temple they found only one small flask of oil with which to keep a flame alight.
This flask contained only enough oil for one day but the flame had to remail lit for 8 days.
Else wait till the next scheduled time when the temple could be rededicated. Which was lots of years in the future.

The jews lit the flame and it remailed alight for the prescribed period.

Excellent point, SC. Yogis call this fire (dedicated spiritual practice) tapas, and believe it is God that makes that which makes the light shine.

The gift is for all, and not just the Jews.

The more esoteric Talmudic traditions within Judaism (such as the Kabbalists) see God residing within, and not without - i.e, it is our job to uncover the light within rather than pleasing some external father-figure known by whatever name people call Him/Her. This, of course, is why the Jews stayed away from a name for G_d - so that people don't become attached to form alone.

The lamp practice does not just relate to a historical event (the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem), but an ongoing process. The "historical" event - if you will - is the separation of our soul from oneness of G_d, and our identification with the world of form. This "event" is also alluded to in the story of the "fall" in Genesis.

All religions teach this, and not just the Jews: Muslim Sufis, Gnostic Christians, Hindu Yogis, Buddhist Buddhists, etc, etc, etc.

The laws are not ends in themselves, but directions on the Path. The reason we have so many laws is that we have so many histories, so it's pointless getting caught up in how "our" laws are better than anyone elses'.

We're all f-cked together.