To Light Or To Be Lit

This post is in honor of the one person who comments on this blog.
The Rambam ביאת מקדש ט:ז is of the opinion that a kohan must do the הטבת הנרות but a non-kohen can light the menorah.  His source is from Yoma 24b that says lighting the menorah is not considered an avodah.  The Minchas Chinuch challenges the ruling of the Rambam for since the lighting of the menorah accomplishes the mitzvah (otherwise why would it push off Shabbos, one could light it beforehand,) it must be lit in the proper place and how can the non-kohan enter the היכל in order to light?  There is the approach of Rav Chayim that the mitzvah isn't the lighting, rather that the menorah should be lit and therefore even if a non-kohen lights it outside, the mitzvah is fulfilled when the menorah is brought inside.  According to the second answer of the ב"י that the oil lasted for all 8 days and they didn't relight it, it must be like Rav Chayim for if there is a mitzvah to light every night, they would have had to extinguish the menorah before relighting it. 
The Gemorah Yoma 24b asks that a non-kohan that puts the oil in the menorah should be in violation  of doing avodah in the mikdash and the Gemorah answers that there follows afterward the lighting and a non-kohan is only liable if it is a avodah that finishes the process.  Tosfos on 27b is clear that תרומת הדשן is considered to be followed by an avodah only if the carring of the דשן outside is considered an avodah (a matter of dispute.)  Why is it dependent on this dispute if the follow-up of the kindling of  the menorah gets the one who puts the oil in off the hook even though its not an avodah?  Based upon Rav Chayim we understand that yes, lighting the menorah is not an act of avodah in its own right, however there is an avodah for the lights to be lit as opposed to the taking out of the דשן where there may be no mitzvah at all.  So in regard to a non-kohen lighting the menorah there will not be an obligation for he hasn't done an act of avodah.  However, the job of the menorah isn't considered complete until it is lit (see אוסף חיד' תורה מר' אהרן קוטלר.)
The following part isn't in his honor.
However you explain the Rambam, the logic seems funny.  The simple understanding would be that the lighting is more important that the preparing of the wicks, so why is the lighting kasher if done via a non-kohen but the preparing is no good?  We see from here that a person must make sure that his preparation to receive kedusha is done to the nth degree.  However, the kedusha itself is not in his hand to control, it comes by itself when Hashem bestows it the individual.  תורה אור, in Torah as well what Hashem wants from us is the work, the יגיעה, afterward the acquisition of the Torah will be a מציאה, a present from Hashem (see Megillah 6b and Sfas Emes Bechukosa.)
Chanukah always corresponds with Rosh Chodesh Teves.  There was enough oil put in the menorah of the mikdash to last through the long nights of Teves.  The Emrei Emes says Teves is related to the word hatavas, it is the time to clean out our old wicks and prepare ourselves to see new light.  Of course hataveh comes from the word tov, ultimately the days dark days of Teves will we transformed into days of great goodness.