Parashas Miketz - Shabbas Chanukah
2 Teves 5770
December 19, 2009
Daf Yomi: Bava Basra 120

Guest Author:     

Rabbi Dr. Richard Weiss

Young Israel of Hillcrest, NY

http://www.yihillcrest.org/

At the end of Parshat V’Yeshev, the ministers of cupbearers and bakers are both imprisoned, and both experience troubling dreams, for which Yosef provides their respective interpretations. The verse, Bereshit 40:4, states that prior to their dreams, “…they remained in prison for several days.” Rashi records the actual period of their initial confinement to a full twelve months. Rabbi Meir Simcha in his Meshech Chachmah, [Bereshit 40:13], is curious as to why G-d orchestrated that Yosef and the ministers would be imprisoned together for one year before the incident of the dreams.

One possibility may be based on one phrase in the beginning of this week’s Parsha. When the minister of the cupbearers recounts to Pharaoh that which transpired in prison, he states, [Bereshit 41:12], “ V’Sham itanu..-And there with us, was a Hebrew youth…” Why was it necessary to state that Yosef was there with us, rather than simply saying, “And there was a Hebrew youth…”? Obviously if Yosef was in the same prison, he was there with the two ministers. I believe that the phrase ‘with us’ expresses much more than simply an account of who was present in the prison.

It is, after all, quite telling that these high powered ministers were comfortable and secure in sharing with Yosef their personal dreams, and in trusting his opinion as a person and to be interested in his interpretation. They clearly felt they could open up to Yosef, confide in him, and possibly find guidance through him. They sensed that Yosef’s concern about them was sincere. For that kind of relationship to exist, the three of them needed to be together for a period of time to allow such a rapport to develop. After one year together, they were able to share their dreams with Yosef; not before then. That is the meaning of, “and there, with us…”; Yosef was someone we could relate to, who was there for us, and in whom we had confidence and trust. It was that relationship with one of the ministers that facilitated Yosef’s release from prison.

The Gemara, [Masechet Shabbat, 21b.] relates the historical fact that the holiday of Chanukah was not formally instituted until the following year after the incident of the miracle of Chanukah. The question as to why the sages of the generation postponed the official declaration for one year is a subject of significant discussion. (See K’Motzei Shallal Rav, volume on Chanukah, by Rabbi Avrohom Yisroel Rosenthal, pp.92-93, for an extensive discussion) Rabbi Rosenthal quotes Rabbi Menashe Klein, whose idea suggests that the sages understood that the Jewish people were not yet ready to accept a new holiday immediately after the historical event.

The nation may have had ambivalent feelings as to whether the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash and victory over the Assyrian Greeks were merely of a temporary nature. They did not immediately feel secure in those accomplishments. The period of the second Temple was certainly a very fragile one, both before and after the Chanukah miracle, and any hesitation on the part of the Jewish people was not beyond reality. After a full year of the continued operation of the Beit HaMikdash and self governing, the Jewish nation developed the trust and confidence, that allowed the sages to institute the holiday. In addition, and most importantly, during that year, the relationship between the people and G-d became more secure, and the Jews recognized that the incidents of the previous year were driven by G-d Himself. With that relationship becoming stronger, the holiday of Chanukah was appropriately instituted, as the holiday allows us to open up to G-d and express our feelings, and personal gratitude for that which He has done for us as a nation. Both personal relationships, as demonstrated by Yosef, and Divine relationships, as exemplified by Chanukah, sometimes require time to properly develop. Once developed, much can be achieved.

Shabbat Shalom

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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- MIKAITZ

Rabbi Moshe Greebel

Concerning the Emes (truth), which seems to become more obscured every day in times such as these, there is a very interesting Gemarah in Shabbos 104a, which learns the following lesson from the Alef Bais:

“…..Why are the letters of Sheker (falsehood) close together, while those of Emes are far apart? Falsehood is frequent, truth is rare.”

Basically, the consecutive letters in the Alef Bais of Kuff, Raish, Shin, spell out Sheker, if the Shin is repositioned as the first letter of the three. However, the first letter Alef, the thirteenth letter Mem, and the last letter Tav (the twenty second one), in that specific order, spell out Emes, with much space in the Alef Bais between these three letters.

The letters of Sheker are close together, because falsehood is very frequent. The letters of Emes are far apart, because truth is very infrequent.

In this week’s Sidra, we have a very good example of how exacting the Torah is when it comes to Emes. Immediately, when they came before him, Yosef recognized his brothers:

“And Yosef recognized his brothers, but they recognized him not.” (B’raishis 42:8)

Yet, in the very next Passuk (verse), Yosef accuses his brothers of being spies against Egypt:

“And Yosef remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said to them, ‘You are spies; to see the nakedness of the land you have come.’” (ibid. 42:9)

Now, in reality, Yosef was well aware that his brothers were in Egypt to purchase sustenance, due to the world wide famine, which he himself had prophesized, that was then taking place. How then, could he have possibly accused them of espionage? Was this not in fact, a false indictment? Is it conceivable that a Tzadik (righteous man) such as Yosef, could have uttered that which is untrue?

The Chasam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer [Schreiber] 1762- 1839) of blessed memory, in his text Toras Moshe, addressed this question, in the following manner. The above Passuk precedes Yosef’s accusation of his brothers with his remembering his dreams at the age of seventeen, which he revealed to his father and brothers. Why should this be so?

If we examine one of these dreams, we find that all the sons of Ya’akov were binding sheaves. Yosef described this dream to his father and brothers in the following way:

“For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood around, and made obeisance to my sheaf.” (ibid. 37:7)

This dream, expounded the Chasam Sofer, alluded to the despoiling of Egypt in the time of Y’tziyas Mitzrayim (the Exodus), which can be seen from the Gemarah B’rachos 9b:

“Rav Ami says, ‘This teaches that they made it (Egypt) like a snare without corn.’”

That is, prior to leaving Egypt, the B’nai Yisroel took with them all the money and everything else of value in that land. Therefore, since his brothers arrival in Egypt would eventually result in all the children of Ya’akov coming there, and eventually despoiling the land, the brothers of Yosef were in fact, guilty of espionage, simply by being there.

And so, we have our first example of how exacting the Torah is when it comes to the Emes. Continuing with this theme, the Chasam Sofer expounded Yosef’s oath which he made to his brothers, in the name of the Pharaoh:

“Hereby you shall be tested; by the life of Pharaoh you shall not go from here, except if your youngest brother comes here.” (ibid. 42:15)

On this Passuk, the Midrash, the B’raishis Rabbah 91- 7, stated the following:

“When he wished to swear for falsehood, he would say, ‘By the life of Pharaoh.’”

Now, in truth, posed the Chasam Sofer, Yosef was certainly not making a false oath, because eventually, his younger brother Binyamin would come to Egypt. Why then, does the upper Midrash claim that he swore falsely?

The reality, explained the Chasam Sofer, is that Yosef would have never sworn to a falsehood, G-d forbid, in the name of the Pharaoh, (or, under any other circumstances). For, by doing so, he would have dishonored a legitimate Egyptian king, someone to whom the Torah obligates us to show respect and honor (the same applies to kings of all other nations).

What the Midrash actually meant, taught the Chasam Sofer, was that when Yosef swore on something that was generally believed to be false, he did so in the name of the Pharaoh. This can be seen from the words of the above Midrash, wherein it does not state, ‘When he wished to swear falsely,’ but rather, ‘When he wished to swear for falsehood.’

That is, when others in the court of Yosef thought that he eventually would not force these men to bring their younger brother to Egypt, Yosef swore in the name of the Pharaoh to put fear into his words- to strengthen the fact that he most certainly would have these men bring their younger brother to Egypt, which he eventually accomplished. And so, all of our queries into this matter are resolved.

How essential it is for us, to never utter any word of falsehood, and to never mislead another- Jew or non-Jew. As we have seen in an earlier mailing, the Gemarah in Bava M’tziya 47b instructs:

“…..That your ‘yes’ should be just and your ‘no’ should be just! Abayai said, ‘That means that one must not speak one thing with the mouth and another with the heart.’”

Making certain that everything one utters is the absolute truth, is in fact, a Kiddush HaShem (a sanctification of HaShem). However, being false and deceitful is the quickest way to G-d forbid, desecrate the name of HaShem. Let us consider this thought very carefully through the course of life, and let us be partners only to the Emes.

May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos and A Lichtiger Chanukah.

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