פרשת וישב וחנוכה. Yaakov dwelled in the land of his father s sojournings in the Land of Canaan.

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1 פרשת וישב וחנוכה At first glance it does not appear that our Parshas Vayeshev and the holiday of Chanukah, which begins Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Vayeshev this year, have much in common. However, when we seek to understand overarching themes about which the Torah informs us, we may uncover an interrelatedness that we did not earlier consider. We can easily understand the frustration that Yaakov Ovinu had already felt in his life prior to his return to Eretz Yisroel. He had dealt with Eisav, fled to Lovon and returned to face Eisav once again. Finally he was rid of those threats. Thus, we can truly understand the sentiments expressed in the opening words of our Parsha (B reishis Perek 37/Posuk 1) as explained by Rashi. We read: ו ט ש ב י ע ק ב ב א ר ץ מ גור י אב יו ב א ר ץ ך נ ע ן: Yaakov dwelled in the land of his father s sojournings in the Land of Canaan. Rashi (Posuk 2) writes: וישב ביקש יעקב לישב בשלוה, קפץ עליו רוגזו של יוסף. צדיקים מבקשים לישב בשלוה אומר הקדוש ברוך הוא לא דיין לצדיקים מה שמתוקן להם לעולם הבא, אלא שמבקשים לישב בשלוה בעולם הזה: He dwelled Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquillity and then the tempest of Yosef jumped upon him. The righteous seek tranquillity and Hashem says, It isn t sufficient for the righteous that they have tranquillity affixed for them in the next world that they also seek tranquillity in this world? And thus the tempest of Yosef comes quickly and dominates the last Parshos of Sefer B reishis. We can certainly sympathize with Yaakov s statement to Par o (Perek 47/Posuk 9):

2 ו ט אמ ר י ע ק ב א ל פ ר ע ה י מ י ש נ י מ גור י ש ל ש ים ומ את ש נ ה מ ע ט ו ר ע ים ה יו י מ י ש נ י ח ט י ו ל א ה ש יגו א ת י מ י ש נ י ח ט י א ב ת י ב ימ י מ גור יה ם: Yaakov said to Par o, The days of the years of my sojournings are 130; few and bad were the days of the years of my life and they did not approach the days of the years of the lives of my fathers in the days of their sojournings. And it is not only the direct results of the tempest of Yosef that brought sorrow to the house of Yaakov Ovinu; there were indirect results that were certainly unpleasant as well. One of those indirect results relates to Yehuda. We read (Perek 38/Posuk 1): ו י ה י ב ע ת ה ה וא ו ט ר ד י הוד ה מ א ת א ח יו ו ט ט ע ד א יש ע ד כ מ י וש מ ו ח יר ה: It was at that time that Yehuda descended from his brothers and he turned to anadulamiteman whose name was Chirah. Both the time framework of ההיא,בעת at that time, and the word,וירד he went down instead of he went, bring Rashi to tell us of the message embedded in this verse. He writes: ויהי בעת ההוא - למה נסמכה פרשה זו לכאן, והפסיק בפרשתו של יוסף, ללמד שהורידוהו אחיו מגדולתו כשראו בצרת אביהם, אמרו אתה אמרת למכרו, אלו אמרת להשיבו היינו שומעים לך: It was at that time Why is this sections juxtaposed to that of the sale of Yosef and why were the events of that sale interrupted? This teaches that the brothers lowered Yehuda from his position of prestige when they saw their father s sufferings. They said, You told us to sell him. If you would have told us to return him *to our father+ we would have listened to you.

3 As we read in the ensuing verses, Yehuda s descent was not limited, as time went on, to a loss of standing before his brothers. Yehuda s own behaviour was not befitting a son of Yaakov. Now, from an objective standpoint, we do not have to say that the brothers were correct in placing all of the blame upon Yehuda. They certainly bore responsibility for what they did. But, since they did see him in a position of leadership - it was his idea of selling Yosef that was accepted; they saw him as more responsible, at the very least. Let us agreethat despite their actions, the brothers were terribly upset at their father s mourning. Immediately prior to this section regarding Yehuda, we read (Perek 37/P sukim 34-35): ו ט ק ר ע י ע ק ב ש מ ל ת יו ו ט ש ם ש ק ב מ ת נ יו ו ט ת אב ל ע ל ב נ ו י מ ים ר ב ים: ו ט ק מו כ ל ב נ יו ו כ ל ב נ ת יו ל נ ח מ ו ו י מ א ן ל ה ת נ ח ם ו ט אמ ר ך י א ר ד א ל ב נ י אב ל ש א ל ה ו ט ב י א ת ו אב יו: Yaakov rent his clothing and he placed sackcloth upon his loins and he mourned for his son many days 1. All of his sons and all of his daughters arose to comfort him but he refused to be comforted; he said, I will go down to the grave mourning my son ; his father cried for him. All of his sons, Yehuda and his brothers were aghast at the anguish that they brought upon their father, an anguish that did not abate. But what is the point of that anguish? Much later, on in history and in next week s Parshas Miketz we read the words of the Shevatim as they face imprisonment by TzofnasPa aneach(perek 42/Posuk 21): 1 Rashi writes: Many days 22 years. ימים רבים - עשרים ושתים שנה... We will discuss this Rashi soon.

4 ו ט אמ רו א יש א ל אח יו א ב ל א ש מ ים א נ ח נו ע ל אח ינו א ש ר ר א ינו צ ר ת נ פ ש ו ב ה ת ח נ נ ו א ל ינו ו ל א ש מ ע נו ע ל ך ן ב אה א ל ינו ה צ ר ה ה ז את: They said, each man to his brother, But we are guilty regarding our brother when we saw the travail of his soul when he begged us and we did not listen; therefore this travail came upon us. These were words spoken from the heart, perhaps uttered out loud for the first time in the many years since Yosef was sold and in the same amount of years that their father continued to mourn. How many years passed until these words were spoken? Rashi tells us that the entire duration of the years of sorrow that Yaakov Ovinu endured were over two decades. When we read above that Yaakov mourned for many days, Rashi wrote: ימים רבים - עשרים ושתים שנהג משפירש ממנו עד שירד יעקב למצרים, שנאמר 2 )לז/ב (יוסף בן שבע עשרה שנה וגו' ובן שלשים שנה היה בעמדו לפני פרעה 3 )מא/מו (, ושבע שני השובע ושנתים הרעב כשבא יעקב למצרים הרי עשרים ושתים שנה... Many days It was twenty-two years from the time that Yosef separated from Yaakov until Yaakov went down to Egypt. [We know this] as it says, Yosef was seventeen years old, etc. 2 The entire verse reads: א כ ה ת ל ד ות י ע ק ב י וס ף ב ן ש ב ע ע ש ר ה ש נ ה ה י ה ר ע ה א ת א ח יו ב צ אן ו הוא נ ע ר א ת ב נ י ב ל ה ה ו א ת ב נ י ז ל פ ה נ ש י אב יו ו ט ב א י וס ף א ת ד ב ת ם ר ע ה א ל א ב יה ם: These are the generations of Yaakov, Yosef was seventeen years old and he was shepherding the sheep with his brothers, the sons of Bilhoh and the sons of Zilpoh and Yosef brought the bad reports of his brothers to their father. 3 The entire verse reads: ו י וס ף ב ן ש ל ש ים ש נ ה ב ע מ ד ו ל פ נ י פ ר ע ה מ ל ך מ צ ר י ם ו ט צ א י וס ף מ כ פ נ י פ ר ע ה ו ט ע ב ר ב כ ל א ר ץ מ צ ר י ם: Yosef was thirty years old when he stood before Par o the King of Egypt and Yosef went out from before Par o and he passed through the entire Land of Egypt.

5 Yosef was thirty years old when he *first+ stood before Par o and there were the seven years of plenty and the two years of famine when Yaakov came to Egypt. This is a total of twenty-two years. Was this the first time that the Shevatim felt guilt? Did they attempt to forget Yosef when they could? Before the expression of guilt that we just read, we read the attitude of the Shevatim when they went to Egypt to bring back supplies to avert the famine s suffering. The Torah writes (Perek 42/P sukim 1-3): ו ט ר א י ע ק ב ך י י ש ש ב ר ב מ צ ר י ם ו ט אמ ר י ע ק ב ל ב נ יו ל ל ה ת ת ר או: ו ט אמ ר ה ם ה ש מ ע ת י ך י י ש ש ב ר ב מ צ ר י ם ר דו ש ל ה ו ש ב רו ל נו מ ש ם ו נ ח י ה ו ל א נ מות: ו ט ר דו א ח י י וס ף ע ש ר ה ל ש ב ר ב ר מ ל צ ר י ם: Yaakov saw that there were supplies in Egypt and Yaakov said to his sons, Why should you show yourselves *as if you have plenty+? He said, I have heard that there are supplies in Egypt, go down there and bring supplies from there and we will live and we will not die. The ten brothers of Yosef went down to bring supplies of grain from Egypt. Now, the descent into Egypt was done at the clear behest of Yaakov Ovinu, Yaakov the father of the Shevatim. It is therefore surprising that when the brothers went down that the Torah describes them as the brothers of Yosef. They should have been described as the sons of Yaakov. Why were they attached to Yosef at this point? Rashi writes: וירדו אחי יוסף - ולא כתב בני יעקב, מלמד שהיו מתחרטים במכירתו ונתנו לבם להתנהג עמו באחוה ולפדותו בכל ממון שיפסקו עליהם: The brothers of Yosef The Torah did not write the sons of Yaakov. This teaches that the brothers regretted selling Yosef and were determined to act with him in brotherhood and to redeem him with whatever money would be assigned for his redemption.

6 It is clear from the verse itself that there was a sense of,אחוה brotherhood expressed by the verse s narrative. But, we note at the same time that that sense of brotherhood is not the same as the sense of guilt that we read later on. How many years have passed since the sale took place? Over 20! There are feelings regarding Yosef. They are deep-seated and not expressed; otherwise the Torah would have found a way to tell us before this occasion. Their father was mourning; they knew that Yosef was in Egypt because that is where the caravan that took him was headed 4. And two decades pass and then they go to look for him? And two decades passed and then they admit their guilt? Before exploring the implication of these thoughts, let us revisit a subject that we only touched upon briefly. The events that transpire when Yehuda went down from his brothers are documented clearly in the Torah. At the very end, Tamar who was with Yehuda when he was unaware of her identity is accused of immorality and sentenced to death. We read (Perek 38/Posuk 24): ו י ה י ך מ ש ל ש ח ד ש ים ו ט ג ד ל יהוד ה ל אמ ר ז נ ת ה ת מ ר ך כ ת ך ו ג ם ה ם ה ה ר ה ל ז נונ ים ו ט אמ ר י הוד ה ה וצ יאוה ו ת ש ר ף: 4 This is clear from the verse (Perek 37/Posuk 25): ו ט ש בו ל א כ ל ל ח ם ו ט ש או ע ינ יה ם ו ט ר או ו ה ם ה א ר ח ת י ש מ ע אל ים ב אה מ ג ל ע ד וג מ כ יה ם נ ש א ים נ כ את וצ ר י ו ל ט ה ול כ ים ל ה ור יד מ צ ר י מ ה: The brothers sat down to eat bread and they raised their eyes and behold they saw aishmaelite caravan coming from Gil ad and their camels were carrying spices and tzri-sap and lotus-grass; they were going to take [their load] to Egypt.

7 After about three months it was told to Yehuda saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law acted promiscuously and is now pregnant from her promiscuousness; Yehuda said, Take her out and let her be burned. Of course, we are in awe of Tamar. Her heroism is extraordinary. She teaches us regarding the severity of extreme shaming and how it must be avoided at any cost. That is what we learn when we read the following verse: ה וא מוצ את ו ה יא ש ל ח ה א ל ח מ יה ל אמ ר ל א יש א ש ר א כ ה כ ו אנ כ י ה ר ה ו ת אמ ר ה ך ר נ א ל מ י ה ח ת מ ת ו ה פ ת יל ים ו ה ל ח ה ה א כ ה: She was taken out and she sent to her father-in-law saying, The man to whom these belong is from whom I became pregnant, and she said, recognize these: to whom belong this seal and these strings and this staff? Since these objects that she displayed were unidentifiable as belonging to Yehuda, except to Yehuda, Chazal tell us (Masseches 43 b): אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב, ואמרי לה אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר רבי שמעון חסידא, ואמרי לה אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי: נוח לו לאדם שיפיל עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חברו ברבים. מנלן - מתמר, שנאמר: היא מוצאת וגו'. Mar Zutra bar Tuvia said in the name of Rav and some say that it was Rav Chano bar Bizno who said in the name of Rabi Shimon Chasido and some say that it was Rabi Yochanan who said in the name of Rabi Shimon bar Yochai: It is better for a person to cast himself into a fiery furnace and not gravely shame someone else publicly. How do we know this from Tamar as it says She was taken out to be burned. Now, if we pay attention well, we may note that Yehuda also demonstrated a certain level of heroism. Yehuda responded immediately when he recognized the secret symbols that Tamar presented. He had a choice he could let Tamar die and no one would

8 know that he was the guilty party or subject himself to terrible shame, embarrassment and ridicule. Yehuda chose to be shamed and not to let another life be lost. When the moment of challenge comes years later, as he and his brothers stand before TzofnasPa aneach with Binyamin s life threatened greatly, Yehuda speaks up and does not stand by the side. We read (Perek 34/Posuk 18): ו ט ג ש א ל יו י הוד ה ו ט אמ ר ב י א ד נ י י ד ב ר נ א ע ב ד ך ד ב ר ב אז נ י א ד נ י ו אל י ח ר אפ ך ב ע ב ד ך ך י כ מ וך ך פ ר ע ה: Yehuda approached TzofnasPa aneach and he said, Please, sir, allow your servant please to speak of this matter in the ears of my master; do not be angry at your servant because you are like Par o. Rashi writes: ואל יחר אפך - מכאן אתה למד שדבר אליו קשות: Do not be angry from here you can learn that Yehuda spoke harshly to TzofnasPa aneach. Rashi also comments on Yehuda saying you are like Par o. If Yehuda asked that TzofnasPa aneach not be angry, how do we understand the comparison to Par o? The more that TzofnasPa aneach is like Par o, the more harsh speech will be offensive and punishable! Therefore, Rashi writes: כי כמוך כפרעה -דבר אחר כי כמוך כפרעה אם תקניטני אהרוג אותך ואת אדוניך: Because you are like Par o Another explanation [is to read the verse as] just like you and just like Par o and it means if you anger me I will kill you and your master.

9 We are now faced with a most significant question and since the question revolves around ShivteiKoh about whom we have extreme respect and reverence, the question is all the more powerful. The question revolves around ShivteiKoh about whom the Torah writes in last week s Parshas Vayishlach (Perek 35/Posuk 22) about a most challenging event: ו י ה י ב ש ך ן י ש ר א ל ב אר ץ ה ה וא ו ט ל ך ר אוב ן ו ט ש ך ב א ת ב ל ה ה פ יל ג ש אב יו ו ט ש מ ע 5 י ש ר א ל ו ט ה יו ב נ י י ע ק ב ש נ ים ע ש ר: It was when Israel dwelled in that land and Reuven went and disturbed the bed of Bilhoh 6 the concubine of his father and Yisroel heard and the sons of Yaakov were twelve. Rashi comments on the final phrase of this verse: ורבותינו דרשו ללמדנו בא שכולן שוין, וכולן צדיקים, שלא חטא ראובן: Our Rabbis interpreted [this phrase] that it comes to teach us that all [the sons of Yaakov] were equal; all were righteous and that Reuven did not sin. Now, that we see that the Torah continued to confer the highest regard for the Shevatim, our question gains even more force - why did ShivteiKoh wait so many years before acting upon the conscience that was bothering them? They knew where Yosef was. They saw their father s unbearable, constant suffering. They knew they were wrong; they possessed the potential convictions and potential determination to free Yosef, with money or by battle-even with a veiled threat to TzofnasPaneach and Par o the King of Egypt. Now we are aware that the Ribbono Shel Olom has His own agenda. That agenda was revealed in part at BrisBeinHaB sorim, as will be brought later. 5 Extraordinarily, this verse is divided with the words up to here on one line and the rest of the verse on the following line. In printed Chumashim you will find the letter,פה pey, here indicating a פתוחה,פרשה an incomplete, open, line. 6 See Rashi.

10 The Posuk hints at that agenda of the Ribbono Shel Olom when we readin our Parsha (Perek 37/Posuk 14): ו ט אמ ר ל ו ל ך נ א ר א ה א ת ש ל ום אח יך ו א ת ש ל ום ה צ אן ו ה ש ב נ י ד ב ר ו ט ש ל ח הו מ ע מ ק ח ב ר ון ו ט ב א ש כ מ ה: Yaakov said to Yosef, Go please and see the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the sheep and bring me back a report; Yaakov sent him from the valley of Chevron and Yosef came to Shechem. Rashi writes there: 7 מעמק חברון - והלא חברון בהר, שנאמר )במדבר יג /כב ) ויעלו בנגב ויבא עד חברון, אלא מעצה עמוקה של אותו צדיק הקבור בחברון, לקיים מה שנאמר 8 לאברהם בין הבתרים )לעיל טו/יג ) כי גר יהיה זרעך: From the valley of Chevron Isn t Chevron on a mountain as it says, They went up in the Negev and he came to Chevron? But, the answer is that [this event stems] from the deep counsel of that righteous one [Avraham] who is buried in Chevron in order to fulfill that which was said to Avraham at the event ofbeinhabsorim, Your seed will be strangers. And that hint is emphasized when we read the very next verse: ו ט מ צ א הו א יש ו ה ם ה ת ע ה ב ש ד ה ו ט ש אל הו ה א יש ל אמ ר מ ה ת ב ק ש: 7 The entire verse reads: ו ט ע לו ב ם ג ב ו ט ב א ע ד ח ב ר ון ו ש ם א ח ימ ן ש ש י ו ת ל מ י י ל יד י ה ע נ ק ו ח ב ר ון ש ב ע ש נ ים נ ב נ ת ה ל פ נ י צ ע ן מ צ ר י ם: The spies went up in the Negev and he came to Chevron and there Achiman, Shei shai and Talmai the children of the giant and Chevron was built seven years prior to Tzoan of Egypt. 8 The entire verse reads: ו ט אמ ר ל אב ר ם י ד ע ת ד ע ך י ג ר י ה י ה ז ר ע ך ב א ר ץ ל א ל ה ם ו ע ב דום ו ע םו א ת ם אר ב ע מ א ות ש נ ה: Hashem said to Avram, You should surely know that your seed will be a stranger in and land that is not theirs and they will enslave them and afflict them for 400 years.

11 A man found him and behold he was wandering in the field and the man asked him, What are you seeking? Rashi comments there: וימצאהו איש - זה גבריאל שנאמר 9 )דניאל ט/כא ) והאיש גבריאל: A man found him This was the angel Gavriel as it says and the man Gavriel. So, it is very true that there was a Divine Plan. However, even when that Divine Plan is known to us, unless it is presented to us as a Mitzvah, we have no obligation to fulfil it. Certainly, Avraham Ovinu was not commanded to undertake any action, or to desist from any action, in order to bring the Divine Plan to fruition. Furthermore, since a significant part of BrisBeinHaB sorimwas a prophecy regarding a deleterious outcome, we know that such a prophecy of bad is not guaranteed to be realized; our actions, or other circumstances, can lead it to be changed The entire verse reads: ו ע וד א נ י מ ד ב ר ב ת פ כ ה ו ה א יש ג ב ר יא ל א ש ר ר א ית י ב ח ז ון ב ת ח כ ה מ ע ף ב יע ף נ ג ע א ל י ך ע ת מ נ ח ת ע ר ב: I am still speaking in prayer and the man Gavriel that I saw in the vision at first is flown with a flight and touches me at the time of the afternoon prayer. 10 Rambam writes in HilchosYesodeiHaTorah (Perek 10/Halachah 4): דברי הפורענות שהנביא אומר כגון שיאמר פלוני ימות או שנה פלונית רעב או מלחמה וכיוצא בדברים אלו אם לא עמדו דבריו אין בזה הכחשה לנבואתו, ואין אומרים הנה דבר ולא בא, שהקדוש ברוך הוא ארך אפים ורב חסד ונחם על הרעה ואפשר שעשו תשובה ונסלח להם כאנשי נינוה, או שתלה להם כחזקיה, אבל אם הבטיח על טובה ואמר שיהיה כך וכך ולא באה הטובה...וזה...ל אפילו על תנאי אינו חוזר שאמר בידוע שהוא נביא שקר, שכל דבר טובה שיגזור הא מפורש במסכת שבת... Words of punishment that the prophet speaks, for example if he says this person will die or this year will be famine or war and similar things, if the prophecy does not realize this is not a contradiction to true nature of the

12 Thus, we can conclude that that which was incumbent upon all was to act correctly, according to the Mitzvos that were placed upon them and not to be concerned to fulfil dire Divine prophecies. In fact, the opposite is true: that which is incumbent upon all is that they should do all in their power to avert dire prophecies, just as was done in Ninveh. We read in Sefer Yonah (Perek 3/Posuk 45): ו ט ח ל י ונ ה ל ב וא ב ע יר מ ה ל ך י ום א ח ד ו ט ק ר א ו ט אמ ר ע וד אר ב ע ים י ום ו נ ינ ו ה נ ה פ כ ת: Yonah began to come into the city, a one-day distance, and he said, In another 40 days Ninveh will be overturned. The Novi continues in the next verse: ו ט א מ ינו אנ ש י נ ינ ו ה ב א...ל 'קים ו ט ק ר או צ ום ו ט ל ב שו ש ק ים מ ג ד ול ם ו ע ד ק ט ם ם: The people of Ninveh believed in G-d and they proclaimed a fast and they donned sackcloth, from the greatest among them to the smallest among them. The Novi continues (P sukim 8-9): ו י ת ך מו ש ק ים ה אד ם ו ה ב ה מ ה ו י ק ר או א ל א...ל 'קים ב ח ז ק ה ו י ש בו א יש מ ד ר ך ו ה ר ע ה ומ ן ה ח מ ס א ש ר ב כ פ יה ם : מ י י וד ע י שוב ו נ ח ם ה א...ל 'קים ו ש ב מ ח ר ון אפ ו ו ל א נ אב ד: They covered themselves with sackcloth, man and animal, and they called out to G-d with strength and each person repented from his evil way and prophet and we do not say, Behold, the prophecy did not come true [and therefore he is a false prophet ]. This is because Hashem is slow to anger and has great kindness and He retracts the bad and it is possible that people repent and they are forgiven as occurred with the people of Ninveh or that Hashem suspends the punishment as He did with King Chikiyah. But, if the prophet promises good and said that there will be such and such and it does not happen, it is known with certainty that he is a false prophet because anything good that G-d decrees, even conditionally, is not retracted This is taught explicitly in Masseches Shabbos (55 a)

13 from the corruption in their hands. *They said+, Who knows *perhaps+ G-d will return and retract and return from His anger and we will not perish. The result of the actions of the people of Ninveh is documented in the following verse: ו ט ר א ה א...ל 'קים א ת מ ע ש יה ם ך י ש בו מ ד ר ך ם ה ר ע ה ו ט ם ח ם ה א א ש ר ד ב ר ל ע ש ות ל ה ם ו ל א ע ש ה:...ל 'קים ע ל ה ר ע ה G-d saw their deeds that they repented from their evil way and G-d retracted the bad that He spoke to do to them; and He did not do it. Thus, after studying what should have been done in the situation that the brothers were in, we can look back in regret at the failure of the brothers of Yosef to take their feelings and emotions, both their grief for their father s grief and their own misgivings about the sale of Yosef, and act upon them immediately rather than wait the decades until their thoughts and emotions were translated into deed. We can look back in regret that the brothers of Yosef could have made partial amends for the sale immediately when the severity of their action began to sink in. But they didn t. And what a contrast this is to the observance of Chanukah that will be immediately upon us. Why were the Chashmonaim heroes? Their heroism was not only in the battles that they fought and the success with which they met. Their heroism was not only in the courageous action that they undertook; it was in the immediacy of their response, as well. The third Rebbe of Ger, the ImreiEmes, wrote (Chanukah 5666 d.h. leildaled): הישועה מן היונים היתה מפני שישראל מסרו נפשם לה', איתא )מכילתא יתרו כ ו( מה לך יוצא ליהרג על שמלתי את בני מה לך יוצא לישרף על שקראתי בתורה,

14 11 הישועה היתה על ידי הכהנים שעשו במסירות נפש כענין שכתוב )דברים לג/ט ) האומר לאביו וגו' ואת אחיו לא הכיר וגו' כי שמרו אמרתך ובריתך ינצורו, כתיב )שמות לב/כו ) מי לה' אלי ויאספו אליו כל בני לוי, כתיב )דברים לג/ אי ) ברך ה' 14 חילו ופועל ידיו תרצה ואיתא )מכות יב א(...על חנוכה כתיב )יחזקאל ז/כג ) ובאו בה פריצים וחללוה )ע"ז נב ב( The salvation from the Greeks was because Israel gave their lives for G-d. We learned in the Mechilta [the conversation that occurred between the skeptics and scoffers on the one hand and the martyrs on the other hand): son. Why are you going out to be killed? Because I circumcised my Why are you going out to be burned? Because I read Torah. 11 The entire verse reads: ה א מ ר ל אב יו ול א ל ו ל א ר א ית יו ו א ת א ח יו ל א ה ך יר ו א ת בנו ב נ יו ל א י ד ע ך י ש מ רו א מ ר ת ך וב ר ית ך י נ צ רו: He says about his father and mother, I did not see him and he did not recognize his brothers and his sons he did not know because the Tribe of Levi guarded Your Words and Your covenant they protected. 12 The entire verse reads: ו ט ע מ ד מ ש ה ב ש ע ר ה ל ח נ ה ו ט אמ ר מ י ל ה' א ל י ו ט אס פו א ל יו ך ל ב נ י ל ו י: Moshe stood in the gate of the camp and he said, Whoever is for Hashem, to me and the entire sons of Levi gathered to him. 13 The entire verse reads: ב ר ך ה' ח יל ו ופ ע ל י ד יו ת ר צ ה מ ח ץ מ ת נ י ם ק מ יו ומ ש נ איו מ ן י קומון: Hashem, bless the strength [of Shevet Levi] and be pleased with the work of his hands, crush the loins of those who uprise against him and give no rise to those who hate him 14 The entire verse reads: ו ה ס ב ות י פ נ י מ ה ם ו ח כ לו א ת צ פונ י וב או ב ה פ ר יצ ים ו ח כ לוה : I Hashem turned My face from them and they profaned that which I hid; and the marauders entered it and profaned it.

15 The salvation came about through the Kohanim who were willing to sacrifice their lives as we read 15, He said to his father etc. and he did not recognize his brother etc. because they guarded Your Word and protected Your covenant. It is written *regarding the EigelHaZahav that Moshe said+, Whoever is for G-d, come to me and all of the Levites gathered with Moshe. It is written, Hashem, bless the strength [of Shevet Levi] and be pleased with the work of his hands. 16 And the Gemara in Masseches Makkosteaches that the Kohanim of Chanukah displayed the same dedication as did their ancestors at the time of the EigelHaZahav when we read, The nations came and broke through and profaned it. Chanukah represents heroism in a number of ways. It is the heroism of the few who were willing to stand up against the many. It was the heroism of those who knew the difference between their purity and the impurity of others who fought to preserve that purity. It was the heroism of those who truly believed in the inherent and eternal value of תורתך,עוסקי immersed in Your Torah who fought the זדים those who plotted against the everlasting values that Torah represents. But that heroism had an additional aspect. It was the heroism of those who knew that they needed to act on their beliefs at that very moment and who did not push off that which was right and correct and wait to see what would happen. It was the heroism of those who knew that every minute counts and were aware of the intervening disaster even if everything will turn out right in the end. 15 This verse, said at the time of the sin of EigelHaZahav, demonstrated the complete loyalty of Shevet Levi to HaKodosh Boruch Hu. They valued the Ribbono Shel Olom over their closest family members. 16 The translation of the remainder of this citation is greatly paraphrased. See the Gemara in Masseches Makkos for the specific method in which the heroism of the Kohanim at the time of Chanukah is derived from the verse in Yechezkel and the connection between that verse and the verse in V zoshabracha, Perek 33/Posuk 11.

16 This annual juxtaposition of these Parshos at the end of Sefer B reishis with the holiday of Chanukah reminds us of that which is incumbent upon us. The annual juxtaposition of these Parshosenables us contemplate the inaction of the Shevatim after they realized the gravity of their deed in comparison with the Chashmonaim who understood the gravity of the threat against Torah and its adherents and acted upon that threat without delay. On Tish a B Av and Yom HaKippurim we read the elegy of the AsaraHarugeiMalchus, the far-more than ten martyrs of the Jewish People at the time of Chazal and the false and evil use the enemy made of the sale of Yosef to find those sages culpable for the sins of their ancestors. On Chanukah we see our more recent ancestors and are reminded that they understood well the failure of the Shevatim and were determined not to repeat that same grievous error. As we stand in the crossroads between Parshas Vayeshev and Chanukah this Motzaei Shabbos 5777, the choice is placed before us. Hashem should give us all the strength and courage to choose correctly. Shabbat Shalom Chanukah Sameach Rabbi Pollock