Today’s class is dedicated for the Refuah shelema of Bolisa bat Chana and Shaul Ben Adel- Priscilla and Charles Sutton. May they have a speedy recovery.
In nine out of every ten years, Parashat Miketz is the Parasha that coincides with Hanukah. This year is that rare exception, and Parashat Vayeshev coincides with Hanukah. Rabbis like to find a connection between the Parasha and the holiday, and there is a very interesting connection that is pointed out between Parashat Vayeshev and Hanukah.
The end of Parashat Vayishlach, describes, at length, the lineage and history of Esav’s family, wars and so on. Then it goes on to describe Yaakov Avinu at length. Similar to the 10 generations from Adam to Noah, and then the ten generations from Noah to Avraham, G-d sifts through the generations until He finds the pearl that He wants to discuss.
And Rashi brings down the following mashal: There was a man that was selling flax, and his camels were overloaded with it. A blacksmith wondered how in the world all of the flags would fit. It was almost overtaking the whole alleyway. Then a wise man asked the blacksmith, “Why are you so overwhelmed by the piles of flax on the camel? If one spark comes out of your bellows, and it would burn it all down.”
Similarly, Yaakov Avinu looked at all the chieftains of Esav, and wondered how he could possibly capture them all.
But right after that it says, אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף
This is the history/children of Yaakov Yosef
In another place it says,
והיה בית יעקוב אש Yaakov Avinu was like a fire,
ובית יוסף להבה
And the house of Yosef is like a flame
ובית עשו לקש
And the house of Esav is like straw
To which Rashi continues from the Midrash,
One spark comes out of Yosef and burns it all down.
What does this have to do with a Chanukah?
There is a Mishnah in Masechet Bava Kama, which discusses damages, that talks about a story very similar to this story mentioned above. It’s about a camel loaded with flax that enters an alleyway where somebody left his menorah outside, and the candle of the menorah burns down the flex. The rabbis connect these two stories. They say the spark of Yosef is referring to the spark of the candle of Hanukkah. The candle of Hanukkah will burn down all of the powers of falsehood of Esav. Esav is called קש- kash, which stands for קנאה kin’ah, jealousy, And שנאה sin’ah, hatred
All of the negative forces out there can be overtaken with one spark of Yosef. What is Yosef HaSaddik’s power, that his spark can overtake everything? He symbolizes the power of bitachon. If we read about Yosef throughout the parshiyot, we see that Hashem’s name is always on his tongue. Everything that Yosef does, he attributes to G-d. He doesn’t take credit for anything. When he was finally introduced to Paroah, and had his chance to get out of jail, instead of saying, “I am a great dream interpreter,” he said, “No, G-d will interpret dreams. “
Yosef HaSaddik is the epitome of bitachon. That’s the power that allows us to survive through the Galut, and burn down all the negative forces. Yosef HaSaddik’s power comes from his bitachon, but with that comes a self- control that brings out the Kiddush Hashem.
We tend to think of a Kiddush Hashem as a public act, but when Rambam talks about Kiddush Hashem, he uses the example of Yosef HaSaddik controlling himself from sinning with his boss’s wife, which happens in this week’s Parasha. That was a Kiddush Hashem. Why? Because Yosef HaSaddik controlled himself because of his belief in G-d.
Like he said, “I can’t sin to G-d.”
So, in the privacy of his boss’s home, when no one was looking, Yosef HaSaddik made a Kiddush Hashem. It was rooted in his bitachon and his realization that G-d was with him. It was only because he was always talking about G-d that he got such help, and was protected.
What was the outcome of Yosef HaSaddik’s private kiddush Hashem? Many years later, one of the greatest Kiddush Hashems ever took place: The splitting of the sea, where it says,
הַיָּם ראה וַיַּנֹס
The sea saw something and ran away
What did it see? It saw the bones of Yosef.
Because Yosef ran (out of the house), the sea ran. A small little spark, hardly noticeable, turned into a flame and made a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. That is what our job is, always: to have our reliance on G-d, and to do what’s right, even against the challenges that come up, regardless of whether or not we get any recognition; Regardless of whether anyone knows about it, and regardless of the losses that come along with it. We have to believe that ultimately, that spark of holiness will spread and will bring the salvation. That is the spark of Yosef, of this week’s Parasha, and it’s the spark of the menorah of Hanukah.
It’s just a small, little light, but
מעט מן האור דוחה הרבה מן החושך
a little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness.
פך שמן תהור
One pure jug of oil has the ability to banish away all the darkness.
Be’ezrat Hashem, we will do that: We will strengthen our Bitachon, strengthen our commitment to G-d, and realize the Kiddush Hashem we make in the privacy of our own homes, when we do what’s right. Not because anyone will notice, and not because of any fanfare, but because we are living in
G-d’s presence. We rely on Him, and we live up to His expectations.
Have a Shabbat shalom and a Hanukah Sameach.