In this week’s parasha, the brothers sell Yosef into captivity.
We should all know by now that we cannot imagine the level of the Shevatim. They were called Shevatim of God. They were pure. Yaakov Avinu’s children are perfect.
As the commentaries explain, they felt that Yosef was a threat to the Jewish people, just like Yaakov distanced from his brother Esav, because he was a threat. They felt that Yosef was deserving of the death penalty, but they ended up ameliorating this, by deciding to sell him into captivity instead. They made a legal judgment. The only complaint that they had, later was that they should have felt bad over his pleas and cries. But they did not regret the actual sale. They felt it was the right thing to do.
With that being said, why would they come back to Yaakov Avinu and say that they found Yosef’s bloodstained coat, that a wild animal ate Yosef. Why not just say that they couldn’t find him? Why not give Yaakov hope? Why make up a story that Yosef was ripped to shreds, which would break their father’s heart?
The Sefer Bikureh Aviv says that the reason they did it was so that Yaakov Avinu would give up hope, and would no longer look for or pray for Yosef to come back home. Because as long as Yaakov Avinu believed that Yosef was alive, with Yaakov Avinu’s Bitachon, he would have gotten him back. Nothing could stop the Bitachon of Yaakov Avinu. They knew that. So in order to stop Yaakov Avinu’s Bitachon from working, they came up with this ploy to say that Yosef was dead, and so that their plan would work. They knew Yaakov wouldn’t pray for Tehiyat Hametim/Revival of the dead, because that would be an open miracle.
It is fascinating to see how powerful Bitachon is, how the Shevatim knew how powerful their father’s Bitachon was, and what he could have done.
Hanukah, which is coming up, is all about Bitachon.
The Sefer Sror Umor, in Parashat VaEtchanan tells us why Hanukah is called as such.
Simply, because Hanu, they rested, on the 25th, כה
But why is the calendar date so important that it is hinted at in the name of the holiday ? We don’t have that with the Purim- that’s about the pur/lottery.
Pesach is named for Hashem passing over.
Is the whole point of the Hanukah about the date?
He answers that the כה refers to the 25 letters of Keriat Shema. He says that in the time of the Hashmonaim, there was such difficulty and oppression- they couldn’t learn Torah, they could hardly pray, the Greeks were trying to take everything away from them. The one thing that they had was
שמע ישראל ה אלקינו ה אחד
Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad-the 25 letters of Keriat Shema.
And the power of Hashem Echad was what gave them the power to win the war.
When they went out to war, the Kohen would call, “Shema Yisrael.”
Rashi says that all you need is the zechut/merit of Shema Yisrael and you win the war.
What unleashed the supernatural miracles of the war was the power of their Bitachon, and the 25 letters of Keriat Shema.
So the holiday is named Hanukah, in order to reveal this secret of the Hashmonaim- that the secret of their success was their Emunah and Bitachon.
And the merit of the 25 letters brought about the redemption.
That is the lesson of Hanukah and the lesson of Parashat Vayeshev.
B’ezrat Hashem, next week we will discuss the lessons of Bitachon from the holiday of Hanukah.
Shabbat Shalom.