We witness people deal with incredible difficulties, or great suffering – Holocaust survivors, soldiers, victims of a terror attack, or someone struggling with a deadly disease – and we wonder where they find the strength, the internal fortitude, to move forward with their lives.
In this week’s Torah portion, Joseph has gone through profound suffering and trials. He has fallen from being Jacob’s favored son to a slave and then a prisoner in Pharoah’s dungeon. He has fallen deep into the pit. Suddenly he is called before Pharaoh to interpret his dream.
From this moment forward Joseph begins his spectacular rise to the heights of power in Egypt. Yet Joseph now is not the brash, arrogant young boy, but a humble man. He does not claim that he can interpret dreams, but rather that God gives him the power to do so: “It is just as I have told Pharaoh: Pharaoh has been shown what God is about to do.” (Genesis 41:28) This Shabbat falls during Hanukkah, so we have a special Haftarah reading (selection of Prophets) Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7) which reinforces this theme, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the LORD of Hosts.”
The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates two improbable (miraculous) events: the rebellion of the Jewish people against the Selucid Greeks in the 4th Century BCE and the oil that lasted for eight days when it should only have lasted for one. That the Jewish people, a small group of farmers and shepherds could prevail against one of the strongest empires of their time is miraculous in itself. The miracle of the oil (a later interpretation) is less martial, but still improbable.
What both events share is the faith to do something impossible because you have faith it will turn out right. That is one of the essential messages of Hanukkah– that our strength comes from faith – in God, in our values, in our ideals – and that if we hold fast to them we will come through difficult times to better ones. “Not by might, not by power, but by spirit alone.”
Miketz, Genesis 41:1-44:17; Numbers 28:9-15, 7:42-47, Parshat Hashavua for Shabbat Hanukkah, December 24, 2022 (with a special maftir – additional – Torah reading and a special Haftarah reading, Zechariah 2:14-4:7)
December 23, 2022 by tbhrich • Drashot
We witness people deal with incredible difficulties, or great suffering – Holocaust survivors, soldiers, victims of a terror attack, or someone struggling with a deadly disease – and we wonder where they find the strength, the internal fortitude, to move forward with their lives.
In this week’s Torah portion, Joseph has gone through profound suffering and trials. He has fallen from being Jacob’s favored son to a slave and then a prisoner in Pharoah’s dungeon. He has fallen deep into the pit. Suddenly he is called before Pharaoh to interpret his dream.
From this moment forward Joseph begins his spectacular rise to the heights of power in Egypt. Yet Joseph now is not the brash, arrogant young boy, but a humble man. He does not claim that he can interpret dreams, but rather that God gives him the power to do so: “It is just as I have told Pharaoh: Pharaoh has been shown what God is about to do.” (Genesis 41:28) This Shabbat falls during Hanukkah, so we have a special Haftarah reading (selection of Prophets) Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7) which reinforces this theme, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit—said the LORD of Hosts.”
The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates two improbable (miraculous) events: the rebellion of the Jewish people against the Selucid Greeks in the 4th Century BCE and the oil that lasted for eight days when it should only have lasted for one. That the Jewish people, a small group of farmers and shepherds could prevail against one of the strongest empires of their time is miraculous in itself. The miracle of the oil (a later interpretation) is less martial, but still improbable.
What both events share is the faith to do something impossible because you have faith it will turn out right. That is one of the essential messages of Hanukkah– that our strength comes from faith – in God, in our values, in our ideals – and that if we hold fast to them we will come through difficult times to better ones. “Not by might, not by power, but by spirit alone.”