On Chanukah, we are not allowed to benefit from the light of the Menorah. We are not allowed to use it as a reading lamp or use it to light other candles. At first, this seems purposeless; however, we can learn an important lesson from this.
Greek culture often focused on usefulness and practicality. They didn’t care about the spiritual meaning of life, and they wanted everything to be physically pleasurable. Unlike the Greeks, we focus on spirituality, not physicality. We often do Mitzvot that seem to have no purpose, but in reality, they have a spiritual meaning behind them. The Issur of not benefiting from the Chanukah lights is one of them. By not benefiting from the Chanukah lights, we are showing the world and Hashem that we are lighting only to remember the miracle and not for physical pleasure or beauty. We are showing the world that we care more about Avodat Hashem than physical pleasure.
Next time you fulfill a Mitzvah, keep in mind that you're doing it for the sake of Hashem and not for physical pleasure. If you can choose between learning Torah and going to the stadium or watching TV, learn Torah. May all our actions be LeSheim Shamayim and not for the sake of physical pleasure.