Today we will share a bitachon thought on Parashat Vayeshev that connects to Hanukah.
The Parasha tells us that when they brought Yosef’s coat to Yaakov’s Avinu, they brought it torn up and bloodstained and said that a wild animal tore him up. The sefer Bikurei Aviv asks why they did this. Why don't they just say that they found his coat, that he was kidnapped.
The answer is because they wanted Yaakov Avinu to give up; to think he was dead. He was been torn up. There’s blood. You can't bring him back, because they knew the power of Yaakov Avinu’s bitachon. If he was going to rely on Hashem to bring him back, there's no question that Yosef would've come back. Yaakov Avinu was a tremendous Baal bitachon and his bitachon would've caused Yosef to return. So since they did not want him to return, they said he died. Even Yaakov Avinu’s bitachon would not work for an open miracle like Techiyat HaMetim.
What an unbelievable concept. We can see how the Shevatim understood the power of their father's bitachon. Furthermore, a midrash on this week’s Parasha explains the words, Vayeshev Yaakov/And Yaakov sat.
Why do we start off with that?
The midrash gives a mashal of someone who was walking and saw a band of dogs and he got afraid. What did he do? He sat down. So too, Yaakov Avinu saw Esav and all of his chieftains, like a band of dogs, and he got scared. So, what did he do? He sat down.
What does that mean? Why would you sit down with dogs all around you? Because sitting down, says the Chiddushei HaRim, shows that you are calm and relaxed. There's nothing for you to do, naturally, with this band of dogs around. If you run, they’ll chase you. So, you sit down and rely on Hashem that He's going to undo it. That's what Yaakov Avinu did. He didn't run away. Vayashav/He sat, which is a term for yeshuv HaDa’at/calm. And that's what saved him.
This connects to the miracle of Hanukah. The pasuk says in Micha perek 7,pasuk 8,
אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י אֹיַ֙בְתִּי֙ לִ֔י כִּ֥י נָפַ֖לְתִּי קָ֑מְתִּי כִּֽי־אֵשֵׁ֣ב בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה א֥וֹר לִֽי׃
My enemies should not be happy. Though I fell, I got up. Though I sat in the darkness, Hashem is my light.
The rabbi's comment that it says,”I sat in the darkness,” which means my mind was clear.
And what happens then?
“Hashem Or Li/Hashem is my light.” That's a hint to the light of Hanukah.
The way to bring out the miraculous light of Hanukah is to sit in darkness. Anyone that's connected to the Jewish people now is obviously thinking of all those hostages that are in darkness. We hope that they have that power of
כִּֽי־אֵשֵׁ֣ב בַּחֹ֔שֶׁךְ
that they're sitting there relying on Hashem, and that we will see that miracle of Hashem Or Li.
We see that Yaakov Avinu gave this ability to keep his peace of mind, even in challenging situations, to his son Yosef HaSadik.
When Yosef was sent to jail, he was so full of Emunah and Bitachon that the words that are used are
וַיְהִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֖ית אֲדֹנָ֥יו הַמִּצְרִֽ
Hashem was with Yosef, and he was successful. His bosses saw that Hashem was with him because he kept mentioning Hashem's name.
That's the symbol of the Jew in exile in the darkest of times.
And the yeshua comes k’heref eyin/in the blink of an eye.
Yosef HaSadik was sitting in jail and suddenly Vayimaher, they rush him out. The rabbis point out that they rush him out to show us that when the time comes for redemption, it happens in a split second.
Hashem rushes them out.
In these days of Hanukah, we're hoping that we will see such miracles for Ahinu Benei Yisrael that are suffering in difficult times. And we should believe that miracles will happen today, like they happened then.
Have a wonderful day.