Rabbi Howard Morrison

In many years, Parshat Vayeshev coincides with Chanukah. In many years, the Haftarah today would be a special one for Chanukah. Not this year! We will have to wait a week. The one and only Shabbat Chanukah will coincide with next week's portion of Miketz. The Special Chanukah Haftarah will be recited next week. 

Chanukah will begin this Wednesday night, December 25th. Once in every nineteen-year cycle, the Hebrew and Western calendars will intersect. Kislev 25, the first light of Chanukah, will meet December 25. Yes - Chanukah always begins on Kislev 25, but not necessarily on December 25.

Today's Parsha already hints towards Chanukah. Joseph is cast into the depths of a pit, a place of darkness and despair. But he will be lifted out to a new light. At the end of the Parsha, Joseph will be cast into the depths of a dungeon, called "Bor - a pit" in the Hebrew. Again, Joseph is lowered into a place of darkness and despair. But in the next week's Parsha, he will again be lifted out to a new light and will become second in command for all of Egypt.

The Joseph pattern of darkness followed by light is the pattern of our entire history. Chanukah begins when the days are at their shortest, and the nights are at their longest. Darkness hovers over the light. In the ancient Pagan world, humanity lit up the skies when the days were short, hoping for and praying for the light to dispel the darkness. In the Midrash, when Adam experienced his first full day of life, he thought that everything was going to come to an end when nightfall came. To his surprise, he awoke to the dawn of a new day. He offered gratitude to God, not yet understanding the pattern of darkness being dispelled by the light of a new day.

Two thousand years ago, the schools of Shammai and Hillel debated over the ritual of lighting the Chanukiah. Shammai ruled to start out with all eight candles the first night and subtract one each night. Hillel ruled to start out with one candle the first night and add one each night. Over time, the ruling of Hillel won out for all Jews. Over the course of Chanukah, we dispel the darkness with increasing light. The Sages expand Hillel's ruling - "Maalin B'Kodesh V'Ain Moridin - We ascend in holiness and do not descend." It is noteworthy that the Hebrew word for ADDING  a candle each night is "Mosif," from the same root as "Yosef-Joseph."

Throughout our lives, we all encounter the despair of darkness in many ways, as individuals, families, and as a community. The last year and a few months have felt darker than many previous periods of contemporary Jewish history. It is important that best we can we stay the course; retain faith, hope, and optimism. Like the dawn of a new day; like the increasing of light during Chanukah - light will dispel the darkness. We do not rely on a divine miracle. We have to help miracles to occur. The Maccabees did not sit on the sideline passively. They engaged actively, even waging war on Shabbat, so that our people would survive and live to see future Shabbatot. They helped to shed a new light for our people, our holy Temple at the time, and our heritage.

May the saga of Joseph which we begin to read today inspire us to comprehend a deeper meaning of Chanukah this year.

Shabbat Shalom - Chag Urim Sameach!

Rabbi Howard Morrison