Friends – Chanukah overlapping any weekly Torah portion sheds light (so to speak) on that portion. It turns out that Chanukah and this week’s portion, Miketz, always overlap. So there must be some deeper meaning of each that emerges in context of the other.
Miketz is the second portion in the saga of Joseph’s descent to Egypt. We find that Pharoah has dreamt a dream in which seven healthy cows are swallowed by seven not-so-healthy cows, and seven healthy ears of grain are swallowed by seven not-so-healthy ears of grain. No one can interpret his dream until the forgetful wine-steward remembers Joseph, who had correctly interpreted his dream, and he mentions it to Pharoah, who then calls up Joseph out of the pit. And Joseph comes and interprets Pharoah’s dream, etc., everyone’s seen the play, right?
The Netziv points out something interesting –Joseph interpreted the dreams of the baker and wine steward. Not that he saw what they were. What they meant. But he interpreted them. And it turns out that his interpretation is what won him this audience with Pharoah. So, too, his “interpretation” of Pharoah’s dream wasn’t an interpretation in the sense of “revealing the nascent meaning of”, but rather in the sense of giving an interpretation to - his interpretation. Not that he contrived this interpretation. He really called it exactly as he saw it. And it turned out that his honest reading of Pharoah’s dream landed him the top job in Egypt.
It seems this whole tangled scheme of timing, of missed opportunities, of hurt brothers and passing Midianites, lonely housewives and lazy prison keepers, a brilliant slave and an opportunist Pharoah all lead to the amazing collision of Joseph and his brothers, of dreams coming to fruition, of survival and evolution of the people Israel. On one hand, this is what’s called hashgacha pratit – Divine supervision in every aspect of human life. On the other hand, no one is acting out of the ordinary. Everyone is really very much being him/herself. Every action and reaction in the story is predictable to a fault. It seems as though the story could have happened any number of ways, yet the personalities would shine through anyway, and would force history to certain necessary conclusions.
To give an example, Johnny forgets to do the dishes, and Sally gets upset. But truthfully, it could have been something else entirely – it could have been not leaving gas in the car, or not raking the leaves. Each of these is an opportunity for some character trait in Johnny and Sally to come out. In a sense, we may all walk around with a “walking schtick” – some take on the world, some attitude toward life just waiting for a portal to come through. And whether Joseph’s big test is his master’s wife or a cheese burger, the same Joseph will come through, will offend somebody, will get him thrown in prison. And if it’s not prison, it’s some lousy job. And if it’s not a dream, it’s a hard math problem. And if it’s not a famine, it’s a lack of good music, or a hole in the ozone layer. Joseph will come out.
Likewise, the brothers will come down looking for something, carrying their attitudes on their shoulders – one of guilt. We see how it leaks out at every one of Joseph’s questions. “From where are you coming?” “From Cana’an, to buy grain.” I didn’t ask why you came, stupid. “You’re spies.” “No. We are all sons of one man.” I didn’t ask. “No, you’re spies.” “We were twelve, and one is with our father, and one, we don’t know where he is.” Ahhhh.
So what do we take from this? It is important not try so hard to change external events – any change that is really going to happen must happen within. I can do anything in my power to save money on groceries, and then dent my car. I can do everything in my power to avoid you at the mall, and then see you in the parking lot. I can drive to the Save the Whales rally, and there will be some other very important rally I cannot make it to.
The story of Chanukah is not a story about taking down some Greeks. It is a story of fighting for integrity – within. And as a result, a war happens. Rav Erez said today that mesirut nefesh – the willingness to die for one’s beliefs, is not a calculated act. This person doesn’t say “If I am willing to die for my beliefs, then G-d will do a miracle and save me.” He only says, “I am now going to die for my beliefs. G-d will do whatever He sees fit to do.”
There is change. But the change is among the real players in this drama. The world, famines and dreams, forgetting and remembering – these are just props that could have been anything. The real players are the walking attitudes. And the ones that are longing for change, that are struggling to grow, that are yearning for redemption and resolution and peace, it is around these people that real change happens in the world.
It’s an upside-down world. The lights of Chanukah come from a future world, a world of truth, to show us what is real, and what is not. When these lights are in the world, they and what they represent are all of what’s real. They come to reverse our perspective yet again. Like the dreidel, turning…
Rav Gavriel Goldfeder
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Rav Gavriel Goldfeder is one of the first semicha recipients of the yeshiva. A graduate of Drew University in Religious Studies, he came to Bat Ayin after stints in other yeshivot and found a spiritual and intellectual home. Here he met his wife, Ketriellah, who was a student in our short-lived Women's Yeshiva. Upon graduation, Gavriel took the position of rabbi of the Aish Kodesh Congregation in Boulder, Colorado and together with Ketriellah and their growing family, they are busy creating (in Gavriel's words), "a community infused with Torah values, passion for learning and prayer, consideration of one another, and action, as well as deep celebration of the joys of life." |