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SHABBAT SCHEDULE Mincha 5:25pm Shir Hashirim: 5:40pm Candle Lighting: 5:19pm Shaharit: 8:30am Youth Minyan: Recess Zeman Keriat Shema 9:07am 2nd Zeman Keriat Shema 9:44am Daf Yomi TBA Shiur: 4:20pm Minha: 5:00pm Followed by Seudat Shelishit, Children’s Program, Teenager Program, & Arvit Shabbat Ends: 6:19pm Rabbenu Tam 6:51pm Avot Ubanim: Recess

We would like to remind our Kahal Kadosh to please Donate wholeheartedly towards our Beautiful Kehila. Anyone interested in donating for any occasion, Avot Ubanim $120, Kiddush $350, Seudat Shelishit $275, Weekly Bulletin $150, Weekly Daf Yomi $180, Daf Yomi Masechet $2500, Yearly Daf Yomi $5000, Weekly Breakfast $150, Daily Learning $180, Weekly Learning $613, Monthly Rent $3500, & Monthly Learning $2000, Please contact the Rabbi.

Thanking you in advance for your generous support. Tizke Lemitzvot!

We have the Zechut of Hosting Rabbi David Hanania Pinto Shlit”a this

Shabbat!

We would like to wish a Hearty Mazal Tov to our Dear Mr. Albert Gad on

the Berit Milah of his Dear Son David Elyasaf. He should see him grow in Torah, Hupa, Ulmaasim Tovim Amen! Mazal Tov to Mrs.

Malka Gad!

BH there will be a Netz Minyan this Shabbat starting at 6:00am.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE SUNDAY

Shaharit: 7:30am Shaharit #2 8:30am Minha 5:25pm Followed by Arvit & Teenager Program Recess

MONDAY TO FRIDAY Shiur 6:10am Shaharit 6:30am Hodu Approx: 6:45am Shaharit #2 8:00am Minha 5:25pm Followed By Arvit & Shiurim in English & Spanish

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If anyone would like to contact the Rabbi, please feel free to call or text 786-879-4951, or email rabbi@hechalshalom.org.

Torah Teasers (AISH)

1. What in this parsha occurs after "two years"? What else in the book of Genesis occurs after "two years"? (2 answers) 2. Which two pieces of jewelry are in this parsha? 3. Who in this parsha is called a kohen (priest)? Who else in the book of Genesis is called a kohen? 4. What in this parsha is compared to sand? Where else in the book of Genesis is there a comparison to sand? (2 answers) 5. What 3 vocations appear in this parsha, but nowhere else in the Torah? 6. What object appears in this parsha 15 times, but does not appear anywhere else in Tanach? 7. In what context are different types of nuts mentioned? 8. How many brothers go down to Egypt the first time? How many brothers go down to Egypt the second time? 9. Who washes his feet in this parsha? Where in the book of Genesis are the same feet washed - twice in one day? 10. Where in this parsha is there a kal v'chomer (a fortiori) argument? Where else in the Torah does a kal v'chomer appear? (3 answers)

Answers 1) Pharaoh has his dreams two years after Yosef interprets the dreams of the butler and baker (Genesis 41:1). In Genesis 11:10, Noah's son Shem has a son, Arpashchad, two years after the Flood. In Genesis 45:6, Yosef tells his brothers that only two years have passed in the famine and they all must move to Egypt. 2) Pharaoh gives Yosef "his ring" and places "a golden chain" upon his neck (Genesis 41:42). 3) Poti-Fera, the father-in-law of Yosef, is the "the priest of On" (Genesis 41:45). In Genesis 14:18, Malkei-Tzedek is called a kohen. 4) Yosef gathered so much food that it was as numerous "as the sand of the sea" (Genesis 41:49). In Genesis 22:17, Hashem promises Avraham that his offspring will be "like the sand on the seashore." In Genesis 32:13, Yaakov prays to Hashem to save him from Esav, mentioning that Hashem promised to make his children as numerous as the sand of the sea. 5) Yosef is called the Shalit (ruler/viceroy) and the Mashbir (provider) (Genesis 42:6). Later on, a Maylitz (interpreter) translates the conversation between Yosef and his brothers (Genesis 42:23). 6) An amtachat (sack) in which the brothers carry back the grain appears 15 times in this parsha but nowhere else in Tanach. 7) Pistachios and almonds are part of the gift that Yaakov sends to Yosef (Genesis 43:11). 8) The first time, ten brothers go down to Egypt, since Yosef was already there and Benyamin did not go. The second time as well, ten brothers go down - although Benyamin went down, Shimon did not, since he was imprisoned in Egypt. 9) The brothers wash their feet when arriving at the house of Yosef (Genesis 43:24). In Genesis 18:4, Avraham tells the angels who visit him to wash their feet, and then when the angels visit Lot, he too tells them to wash their feet (Genesis 19:2). 10) When the brothers are accused of stealing Yosef's silver goblet, they respond with a kal v'chomer: "The money that we found in our sacks, we brought back to you from the Land of Canaan; so why would we have stolen from your master's house any silver or gold?" (Genesis 44:8). In Exodus 6:12, Moshe says to Hashem: "If the Bnei Yisrael did not listen to me, how could Pharaoh be expected to listen to me?" In Numbers 12:14, Hashem says to Moshe: "If a father would spit in his daughter's face she would be humiliated for 7 days, so for sure Miriam should be outside the camp for 7 days (while stricken with tzarat). In Deut. 31:27, Moshe tells the Jews: "If you rebelled when I was alive, you will surely rebel after I die."

Refuah Shelema List Men Women

• Yosef Zvi Ben Sara Yosefia, • Yosef Haim Ben Mesouda • Mordechai Ben Brucha Malka

Shmalo, • Yizhak Abraham Ben Sheli, • Yosef Yizhak Ben Sara Hana, • Mordechai Ben Miriam, • Meir Raymond Ben Mathilde • Menahem Ben Shira • Aviv Ben Luba Miriam • Mordechai Ben Mercedes

• Isaac Ben Mesoda, • Haim Ben Marcelle, • Yizhak Ben Simja • Reuben Ben Eta, • Michael Ben Aliza, • Eliel Moshe Ben Sarah • Refael Ben Clara • Netanel Sayegh Ben

Rosa • Eliyahu Ben Mazal

• Simja Bat Esther, • Rachel Bat Sarah, • Nina Bat Rachel, • Gitel Rina Bat Yael, • Miriam Bat Sofy, • Rahma Bat Simha • Esther Bat Fortuna • Malka Bat Dina • Raizel Bat Miriam • Leah Bat Rivka • Camouna Bat Fortuna

• Sara Ledicia Bat Mesoda, • Alegria Simha Bat Esther, • Naomie Bat Rarel Adda, • Malka Bat Joyce Simja, • Sivan Simha Bat Yehudit, • Natalie Rachel Bat Nancy, • Abigael Haya Bat Esther • Madeleine Bat Esther • Nurit Jacqueline Bat Rahel • Marcelle Mesoda Bat

Alegria

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Community Announcements (It is YOUR Community, make the most of it!)

Miscellaneous Announcements:

• This Week’s Congregational Kiddush has been Kindly Sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Abitbol in memory of his Dear Mother Zohra Bat Missoudi z”l the 5th of Tebet. Tihye Nishmata Tzerura Bitzror Hahayim Amen.

• The Kiddush Club Initiative. Anyone interested donating a Kiddush Please kindly contact the Rabbi. Tizke Lemizvot!

• This Week’s Seudat Shelishit is still available for Sponsorship!

• This Week’s Breakfast has been Kindly Sponsored by Mrs. Jeannine Furhmann in memory of her Dear Father Daniel David Amar Ben Mazal Tov z”l the 3rd of Tebet. Tihye Nishmato Tzerura Bitzror Hahayim Amen.

• This Week’s Breakfast has been Kindly Sponsored by Mr. Michael Fellous in memory of his Dear Grandmother and Great Aunt Marcelle Bat Hanah Azoulay z”l & Esther Goergette Bat Hana Scetbon Tihye Nishmatam Tzerura Bitzror Hahayim Amen.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Breakfast for this week or on any day please contact the Rabbi.

• This Week’s Daf Yomi is still available for Sponsorship!

• If anyone is interested in creating a weekly class in your house or an individual class with the Rabbi, please do not hesitate to contact the Rabbi.

• We are trying to update our Congregant’s contact information. We would like to start sending texts about different Events and Shiurim. We would also like to start emailing the weekly bulletin. We would like to start a list of Nahalot/Azkarot/Yahrzeits. We would also like to make a Refuah Shelema list. Please send your contact information to the Rabbi at rabbi@hechalshalom.org

• Please feel free to contact any of the board members either in person, or via email with suggestions or comments. Our email addresses are:

Important Message!!!

Eruv Update: Surfside: The Eruv in Surfside now includes the walking paths along the beach. Pushing strollers and carrying is permitted on the paths, but not beyond the path or onto the beach. Bal Harbour: The Eruv in Bal Harbour included the inner (western) walking path only. The pier at Haulover Cut is not included.

• Due to the recent reorganization of seats in the Bet Hakenesset, We are happy to announce the NEW possibility of purchasing seats in the Bet Hakenesset. For more information, please contact the Board.

• Before hanging up anything anywhere in the Bet Hakenesset, please seek authorization from the Rabbi. This includes flyers etc. • Please be advised that prior to bringing any food or drinks for any occasion, you must first seek the authorization from the Rabbi.

Special Announcements

• We are pleased to announce that Ness 26 is part of the Amazon Charity Program, which would allow our community to collect 0.5% of all the orders made by any of you on Amazon.com. In order to register you need to log on smile.amazon.com and select Ness 26, Inc as the Charitable Organization you want to support, and from then shop on smile.amazon.com instead of www.amazon.com. It won’t cost anything more, and is an easy way to contribute to our budget needs.

• Anyone wishing to receive the Daily Halacha by the Rabbi please send a whatsapp message to Simon Chocron 786-351-1573

Community Calendar:

• The program for Teenaged Boys ages 13-18 Started again with Great Succes with Shiur by the Rabbi & Supper on Sunday Evenings After Arvit at around at 5:45 pm With Supper. New Participants Welcome! Anyone wishing to sponsor this Shiur Please contact the Rabbi. Tizke Lemitzvot!

• We have started the Mishmar Program Every other Thursday evening at 8:00 pm with Chulent, Beer, & Snacks. Everyone is welcome!

Avot Ubanim: This Mosae Shabbat at 7:15pm In Recess

Youth Minyan • We are very proud of our YOUTH/TEEN MINYAN lead by our Dear Dr. Ari Benmergui geared to train and

teach our future generations on the different Tefillot and Parashiyot. Please encourage your children to come early & participate. Looking forward to seeing lots of Nahat from them!

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We would like to Whole Heartedly Thank our Dear Friends,

Anonymous for generously Donating the TORAH LEARNING of

Kislev 5780 For Refuah Shelema for all

Am Yisrael Amen! We truly appreciate it. In this merit,

may Hashem Bless you & your wonderful family with all the Berachot of the Torah. Amen.

Happy Birthday To • Mr. Jacky Werta – Fri. Dec. 27th, • Mrs. Deborah Maya – Shabb. Dec. 28th, • Miss Avigail Benmergui – Sun. Dec. 29th, • Nathan Cohen – Thurs. Jan. 2nd • Annael Adi Albergel – Fri. Jan. 3rd • Shirel Esty Albergel – Fri. Jan. 3rd • Deborah Abigail Benarroch – Shabb. Jan. 4th • Adam Shem Michael – Shabb. Jan. 4th • Mr. Raphael Amar – Mon. Jan. 6th , • Mr. Michael Benchetrit – Mon. Jan. 6th , • Mr. Amichai Shoshan – Wed. Jan. 8th , • Mr. Samuel Cohen Scali – Fri. Jan. 10th, • Ohr Yisrael Shimon Lahmi – Shabb. Jan. 11th,

Happy Anniversary To Jean Paul & Muriel Courchia Dec 25th

Nahalot

• Clara Aronovici Bat Rosa Fanny z”l the 30th of Kislev (Shabbat) (Mother of Yaacov Aronovici)

• Yaacov Ben Sultana z”l the 30th of Kislev (Shabbat) (Father of Mrs. Ruby Mouyal)

• Yehoshua Belecen Bar Clara z”l the 1st of Tebet (Uncle of Mr. Alberto Belecen)

• Yizhak Hacohen Bar Esther z”l the 1st of Tebet (Father of Mr. David Cohen)

• Serge Shlomo Ben Henriette ve Eduard z”l the 1st of Tebet (Father of Mrs. Gisele Bouhnik)

• Bilha Bat Jana Carciente z”l the 3rd of Tebet (Mother of Mrs. Jeannete Kamhazi)

• Daniel David Amar Ben Mazal Tov z”l the 3rd of Tebet (Father of Mrs. Jeannine Furhmann)

Next Shabbat: • David Guenoun Bar Shelomo z”l the 7th of Tebet (Shabbat)

(Father of Mr. Abraham Guenoun) • Coty Benarroch Bat Sol z”l the 12th of Tebet

(Mother of Mr. Vidal Benarroch & Mrs. Sol Aquinin)

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We would like to Whole Heartedly Thank our Dear Friends,

Isaac & Karine Castiel for generously Donating the TORAH LEARNING of

Tebet 5780 In Honor of Rabbi Pinto Shlit”a

We truly appreciate it. In this merit, may Hashem Bless you & your wonderful family

with all the Berachot of the Torah. Amen.

Community Shiurim Weekday mornings:

• 6:10AM to 6:45AM: Laws of Nidah. New participants welcome!

• 7:30AM Shiur on Hok Leyisrael with Breakfast! Everyone Is Welcome to

Join. • 7:45AM to 8:30AM: Daf Yomi Masechet Nida. NEW DAF YOMI

MASECHET! New participants are welcome! It is a great time to start learning the Daf and join thousands of Jews across the world in this incredible project.

• 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM: Mishna Berura Dirshu Cycle! New participants welcome!

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Weekday afternoons:

• Before Minha o Monday through Thursday: Shiurim in Spanish on assorted topics.

• After Arvit: o Mondays & Wednesdays: Hoshen Mishpat – Business Halacha o Monday through Thursday: Shiurim in Spanish on assorted topics. o Every Thursday evening after Arvit Hilchot Nida in Depth for Men. o Tuesday Assorted Topics

In Recess for the Summer o Monday & Tuesday at 7:00pm Masechet Berachot in French o Every other Monday evening at 8:30pm Shalom Bayit Class to Women. o Every other Tuesday evening at 8:30pm Shalom Bayit Classes to Men.

• SHIUR for Ladies! The Rabbi’s Shiur on Halachot of Kashrut NEW SERIES ON Hilchot Basar Vechalav, (Laws pertaining to Meat & Milk) to Ladies, in the Bet Hakenesset, every Tuesday afternoon at 2:05 pm. New Participants are always Welcome! In Recess

Shabbat: • Shabbat night before Arvit: Short lecture on the Parasha of the week. • Shabbat Morning: Short Lecture on the Parashah of the week. • Shabbat Morning: Lecture on the Parashah of the week after Kiddush • Shabbat Afternoon – Daf Yomi TBA. • Shabbat Afternoon – Shiur at 4:20pm • Teenager Shiur – with Isaac Benmergui During Seudat Shelishit. • Seudat Shelishit: Short lecture on the Parasha of the week.

The Wine-Bearer and the Baker

(Rabbi Mansour from Daily Halacha) Parashat Miketz begins with Pharaoh’s unusual dreams, and his desperate attempt to find out what they meant. After he was dissatisfied with the interpretations given by his advisors, the Sar Ha’mashkim – the wine-bearer who had been in prison with Yosef –

tells Pharaoh about Yosef, who had successfully interpreted his and his fellow inmate’s dreams. As we read in last week’s Parasha, the Sar Ha’mashkim and the Sar Ha’ofim – the baker – both dreamt dreams on the same night. The Sar Ha’mashkim dreamt that he was serving Pharaoh a cup of wine, and the Sar Ha’ofim dreamt that birds were eating bread from a basket on his head. Yosef interpreted these dreams to mean that the Sar

WEEKLY INSPIRATION

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Ha’mashkim would soon be released from prison and reinstated, whereas the Sar Ha’ofim would be executed. Sure enough, this is what happened. The Sar Ha’mashkim thus advised Pharaoh to consult with Yosef to find out what his dreams meant. The question arises as to why Pharaoh was so impressed by Yosef’s interpretations. Was it not obvious that these dreams foretold the wine-bearer’s reinstatement and the baker’s execution? After all, the wine-bearer dreamt about serving Pharaoh wine, and the baker dreamt about birds eating food from his head, a clear reference to his imminent death. Were Yosef’s correct interpretations really that impressive? The Malbim (Rav Meir Lebush Weiser, 1809-1879) offers a fascinating explanation to this entire episode, one which sheds an entirely new light on Yosef’s interpretation of these dreams. The Torah introduces the story by stating that the "Mashkeh" and "Ofeh" – the one who prepared the king’s drinks, and the baker – committed crimes against Pharaoh. Throughout the rest of this section, however, the Torah speaks of the Sar Ha’mashkim – the officer in charge of the drinks – and the Sar Ha’ofim – the officer in charge of the baked goods. The Malbim asserts that these terms are not interchangeable, and thus they refer to four different people. The Mashkeh and Ofeh were the ones who worked in the kitchen preparing, respectively, Pharaoh’s beverages and food. But understandably, these were not the ones who served the drinks and food to Pharaoh. It would not be respectful for the chef wearing a soiled apron to come before the king to serve. The serving was done by the Sar Ha’mashkim and Sar Ha’ofim, higher-ranking officials. And these officials, the Malbim explains, were the ones who were imprisoned and charged with crimes. They were held responsible for the mistakes that occurred – a fly in Pharaoh’s cup, and a pebble in Pharaoh’s bread. The Malbim proceeds to explain that a trial was held, and the Sar Ha’mashkim was found guilty, whereas the Sar Ha’ofim was cleared of charges. After all, the one who brought Pharaoh’s cup bore the responsibility to

ensure that nothing fell into it along the way, while the one who served the bread could not be expected to know that there was a pebble inside. These judicial rulings enjoyed broad support among the Egyptian population, and were hailed as sound, rational decisions. This is what made Yosef’s interpretation so courageous and impressive. Yosef had the courage to state that the precise opposite would occur – the Sar Ha’mashkim would be reinstated, while the Sar Ha’ofim would be killed. Yosef’s interpretation of the dreams ran against popular sentiment and defied reason. In the end, of course, he was correct. We do not know what changed, why Pharaoh reversed the ruling and decided to have the Sar Ha’ofim executed and the Sar Ha’mashkim reinstated, but this is what happened – precisely as Yosef had predicted. And thus, indeed, Yosef’s interpretations impressed Pharaoh who immediately summoned Yosef so he could interpret his dreams, as well.

Setting an Example

(Rabbi Mansour) The Torah in Parashat Miketz tells the story of Yosef’s brothers who come to Egypt to purchase grain. Unbeknownst to them, Yosef, whom they had sold as a slave many years earlier, had risen to the position of Egyptian vizier, and when they come before him to purchase grain, they did not recognize him. Yosef accused them of coming to Egypt as spies and imprisoned them. Three days later, he released them, and informed them that he had changed his mind. He would keep one brother in prison in Egypt while the others return to Canaan to bring the youngest brother, Binyamin, and this would prove that they are not spies. When Yosef approached them after the three-day imprisonment to inform them of the change in plans, he first said, "This is what you shall do and thereby live; I am God-fearing" (42:18). Why did Yosef tell the brothers that he is "God fearing"? Rav Shimon Schwab

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(Germany-New York, 1908-1995) offers a brilliant explanation of Yosef’s intent in these words. The defining characteristic of a God-fearing person is his ongoing self-evaluation. Somebody who truly fears God is constantly reexamining his conduct and lifestyle to determine what needs to be corrected or improved. He never feels completely comfortable and at ease with himself; he is always questioning and reexamining so he can continue to grow. This is what Yosef was telling the brothers: "Because I am God-fearing, I reconsidered my decision, and concluded that I should let you free." Rav Schwab noted that this insight also explains the brothers’ reaction to Yosef’s new decision. The Torah says, "They did so" (42:20), which, at first glance, means that Yosef’s new decision was implemented, and one brother was imprisoned while the others returned to Canaan. However, the Torah explicitly records this happening several verses later, indicating that "They did so" refers to something else. Rav Schwab explained that the phrase "They did so" introduces what the Torah writes immediately thereafter – that the brothers expressed remorse over the sale of Yosef, and realized that the tribulations they were experiencing in Egypt were a punishment for what they did to their brother. In other words, the brothers learned from Yosef’s example. Seeing how Yosef reconsidered his decision out of his fear of God, they, too, "did so" – they followed his example, and they looked back at their past deeds and reexamined their conduct. They were inspired by the Egyptian vizier, who treated them harshly but then reconsidered and changed his mind, and they, too, revisited their decisions of the past. And they realized that they acted wrongly in the way they treated Yosef, and that they were now being punished for their wrongdoing. One lesson we can learn from this insight is the influential power of setting a personal example. Yosef taught by example the critical lesson of self-examination, and it had a profound impact upon the brothers. If we wish to influence the people around us, especially our children, the most effective way of doing this is by setting a personal example, by

modeling the kind of behavior we want others to embrace. It worked for Yosef – and it can work for us, as well.

The Hanukah Candles and

Gradual Growth (Rabbi Mansour)

The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (21b) outlines the three levels of the Misva of lighting Hanukah candles. The basic obligation, the Gemara teaches, requires every household to light just one candle each night of Hanukah. The next level – the level of "Mehadrin" – is to light one candle for each member of the household, each night of Hanukah. The highest level – the "Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin" – is, according to the accepted opinion, to light one candle the first night, two the second night, and then one additional candle on each subsequent night. Of course, we all observe the Misva on the highest level, the level of "Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin." Why did the Sages institute three different levels of this Misva, something which was not instituted for any other Misva? Rav Pinchas Friedman (contemporary) explained that three levels of observing this Misva can be understood in light of the precise nature of the threat posed by the Greeks. The Hebrew word "Yavan" ("Greece") is spelled with three letters – Yod, Vav, Nun. These three letters are all a straight line, each one longer than the preceding one. The Yod is a small line; the Vav extends lower than the Yod; and the Nun extends even lower. Rav Friedman explains that the Greeks’ strategy was to pull the Jews down slowly, one step at a time. This is, indeed, the only the way the Yeser Ha’ra – our evil inclination – can lead us to betray Hashem. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (105b) teaches that the Yeser Ha’ra works by first persuading a person to commit a minor offense, then persuading him to commit a more grievous offense, and then

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persuading him to abandon observance entirely. It’s a gradual process. Elsewhere, in Masechet Sukka (52b), the Gemara expresses this idea by teaching that the Yeser Ha’ra is first called a "Holech" ("passerby"), then an Ore’ah ("guest"), and finally, an "Ish" (which Rashi explains to mean a permanent resident). The process of decline unfolds in these three stages – with an occasional misstep, which is then followed by more frequent violations, which then becomes permanent abandonment. This was the strategy of "Yavan" – to begin with the "Yod," with leading the Jews to relatively minor infractions, and then gradually proceeding to the "Vav," and then, finally, to the "Nun," pulling them all the way down, Heaven forbid. On this basis, Rav Friedman explains, we can understand the three levels of the Hanukah candle lighting. We are to learn from the method of the Yeser Ha’ra. Just as the Yeser Ha’ra tries to defeat us incrementally, in stages, similarly, our process of spiritual growth is to proceed gradually, one step at a time. If we try to grow rapidly, and to leap directly to the greatest heights of piety, we are bound to fail. We might suggest an analogy to extreme weight-loss programs, which are often effective for losing weight in the short-term, but their effects are eventually reversed, as the individual is incapable of permanently following such an extreme diet. Likewise, people who undertake extreme religious measures, trying to instantly transform themselves into great Sadikim, are all but guaranteed to fail. Religious growth must be slow, steady and incremental. And so to celebrate our triumph over the Greeks, who tried to pull us down one step at a time, the Rabbis instituted the three-tiered obligation of the Hanukah candles, which represents the notion of incremental growth. We must first begin with the observance of our basic obligations, and then gradually proceed to the higher level of "Mehadrin," and then to the lofty standard of "Mehadrin Min Ha’mehadrin." This is also the message of the custom of "Mosif Ve’holech," of adding one candle each night of Hanukah. We express the notion that

when it comes to spiritual growth, we need to follow the system of "Mosif Ve’holech," of growing one step each day, without ever trying to jump straight to the top. May Hashem help us all to continually be "Mosif Ve’holech," to increase our light of sanctity gradually, one day at a time, throughout our entire lives, Amen.

Why Couldn’t the

Magicians Have Figured It Out?

(Rabbi Frand from Torah.org) Parashat Miketz begins with the famous story of Pharaoh’s dreams. In the first dream, seven fat cows emerge from the Nile, followed by seven scrawny cows. The seven scrawny cows eat the seven fat cows. What does that mean? Then Pharaoh has a similar dream – but instead of cows, there are stalks of grain. The same scenario plays out – seven thin stalks swallow up seven fat stalks and the stalks remain as thin as they were previously. The pasuk says “And it was in the morning; and his spirit was agitated; so he sent and summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all of its wise men; Pharaoh related his dream to them, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.” (Bereshit 41:8) Eventually, they brought up Yosef from the dungeon. Yosef came with a recommendation that he is a master dream interpreter. When Pharaoh introduces himself and his situation to Yosef, he says – “I understand you are an interpreter of dreams” to which Yosef responds, “That is beyond me; G-d will respond to Pharaoh’s welfare.” (Bereshit 41:16) Basically Yosef denied having any personal ability to interpret dreams but did acknowledge that if Hashem would communicate the dream’s message to Yosef, he would be able to pass that information on to Pharaoh. The question needs to be asked: How was it that “all the magicians and wise men of Egypt” were not able to interpret these dreams for

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Pharaoh? These dreams were not rocket science. You do not need to be a world class genius to figure out what the symbolism might be of scrawny cows swallowing up fat cows. True, Yosef gave a nice interpretation, but it was not so unique or creative that it makes sense to say nobody else could have figured out the same symbolism. Why, in fact, did these dreams stump the magicians (chartumim) and the wise men of Mitzrayim? Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin writes that they could not figure it out because these were the “chartumei Mitzrayim.” We have seen on other occasions that the “Chartumei Mitzrayim” could foretell the future. They were seers. They had clairvoyance. So they looked in their crystal ball and saw that there were going to be seven years of plenty and they were going to be followed by only two years of famine. (This ability to discern the future on the part of the “magicians” was some type of sorcery – through the powers of tumah (impurity) — that existed in Biblical times). Why were there only two years of famine? Chazal say that when Yaakov came down to Egypt – two years into the period of famine – the famine stopped. Had the magicians seen in their crystal ball seven years of plenty followed by seven lean years, they would have certainly been able to interpret the dream! However, seven years of plenty followed by only two years of famine did not match the parameters of the dream. Consequently, “No one could interpret them to Pharaoh.” They saw the future, but it did not make any sense. Yosef, on the other hand, responds “Elokim will answer the welfare of Pharaoh.” The Master of the Universe knows not only what WILL happen in the future, He also knows what COULD HAVE BEEN. The Almighty knew that Yaakov Avinu will come down to Egypt, and in his merit the famine will stop, but what could have been without this special merit of the Patriarch was that the famine would have lasted for seven years. This is why Yosef could interpret the dream, but not the magicians of Pharaoh.

Rav Yehoshua Leib says that with this we can understand a passage in the Hagadah. (Write this down and stick it in your Hagadah for next Pesach or you will not remember it!) The Hagadah says “v’Es Lachatzeinu” (and our oppression) “zu perishut Derech Eretz” (this refers to abstinence). Inasmuch as parents were afraid of bringing more children into the world (particularly after the decree to slaughter male children by throwing them into the Nile), husbands and wives abstained from having relations. This means that potentially there could have been many more Jewish children, but the parents did not allow this to happen. What textual proof does the author of the Hagadah cite to corroborate this teaching? “As it is written: “And Elokim knew.” (She’ne’emar vaYedah Elokim). What is the meaning of vaYedah Elokim? This expression is used because the Almighty knows not only what WILL BE in the future, He also knows what COULD HAVE BEEN. The Ribono shel Olam saw that if the men and women had lived together, there would have been so many more children. This is the interpretation of “v’Es lachatzeinu zu perishat Derech Eretz; she’ne’emar vaYedah Elokim.”

How Does One Earn the

Title “Tzadik”? (Rabbi Frand)

I heard the following beautiful thought in the name of the Ba’ale haTosafot. It is short and sweet. There are two people in Tanach and Chazal who are referred to as “Tzadik” (righteous). The first is Noach (Bereshit 6:9). The other person, as mentioned in the Talmud (Yoma 35b), is Yosef. Chazal never speak of Avraham Avinu haTzadik or Yaakov Avinu haTzadik. The term is not used to describe Moshe Rabbenu or David haMelech. The Rabbis do, however, speak of Yosef haTzadik.

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The Ba’ale haTosafot say the commonality between Noach and Yosef is that both sustained the world. Someone who sustains the world earns the title Tzadik. The proof of the matter is the pasuk “Open Your Hand and satiate all living creatures with favor.” (Tehillilm 145:16) What is the next pasuk? “Tzadik Hashem (the L-rd is Righteous) in all His ways and pious in all His Actions.” Someone who opens his hand and provides satiation to all life with favor earns the title Tzadik. Therefore, Noach and Yosef are both referred to as Tzadik because they each had the unbelievable merit of keeping the entire world alive.

Two Thoughts for Chanukah

(Rabbi Frand)

Chazal say (Avodah Zarah 52b) that the House of the Chashmonaim hid away the Mizbayach (Altar) because the Greeks (Yevanim) defiled it. In other words, the Yevanim ransacked the Bet Hamikdash and not only did they defile the oil and the Menorah – which are central to the story of the Miracle of Chanukah – but they defiled the Mizbayach by using it for idolatrous purposes, as well. The Talmud expounds the pasuk “u’vau vah peritzim ve’chilliluhah” (Yechezkel 7:22) as referring to the fact that once they defiled the Mizbayach, they made it Chulin (it lost its sanctity), such that the Chashmonaim had to bury it. If that is the case, then everything in the Bet Hamikdash had to be re-consecrated – all the keylim (vessels)! And yet, the Miracle of Chanukah occurred specifically with the Menorah and the oil. Why was there not a miracle involving the Mizbayach or the Shulchan (Table) or any other Bet Hamikdash keylim that had to be rededicated? Why is the Nes Hanukah manifested specifically with the Menorah and specifically with the oil?

A second question – asked by Rav Asher Weiss – is the following: Why is it that the miracle and the victory came about through the Chashmonaim? As successful and as brave as these warriors were, these individuals were not 100% “clean” regarding a very grave sin. Their sin was that the Chashmonaim, who were Kohanim (from the Tribe of Levi), took over the Kingship of Klal Yisrael. The pasuk “The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah” (Bereshit 49:10) teaches that Kingship in the Jewish nation belongs in the Tribe of Judah. In fact, the Ramban, in his Chumash commentary, says that the Chashmonaim were punished for this sin and eventually their entire house was wiped out as a punishment for usurping the Jewish monarchy. Nevertheless, the Chashmonaim were the heroes and the victors that saved the Jewish people at this historical juncture. We need to give credit where credit is due. In general, we say that “Meritorious actions are brought about by meritorious people.” However, it is peculiar that people who do not have a 100% clean record, so to speak, were the heroes of this era. Why did the Miracle of Chanukah take place through the hands of the Chashmonaim? Rav Asher Weiss suggests that the reason it was the Menorah that was the locus and the focus of the miracle, and the reason it was the Chashmonaim who were the heroes of the story is because Chanukah was all about Torah. The Greeks tried to make the Jews “forget the Torah and make them transgress the Laws that You Will.” Not only did the Yevanim wage a physical battle against the Jews but even more so, they waged a spiritual war. It was specifically about learning Torah. They knew that the basis of all Jewish philosophy is the Torah. They wanted to impose Greek philosophy on us. Therefore, they felt, the way to do that is to first eradicate Torah learning from the people of Israel. In kindergarten, we all heard the story of why we play dreidel on Chanukah – because the Jews were learning Torah secretly. When the Greek monitors approached the classroom, the children stopped their Torah learning and

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played with their dreidels. At any rate, the cultural war that took place was all about stopping Torah learning in Jewish society. This is why the Miracle came about through the Menorah. We have mentioned many times when learning Parashat Terumah that Ner Mitzvah v’Torah Or (a candle represents a mitzvah and Torah represents light). If there is one keli (vessel) in the Bet Hamikdash that symbolizes Torah study, it is in fact the Menorah. This is what the Gemara (Baba Batra 25b) means when it states “One who wishes to be wise (l’hachakim); should face south (yadrim) (in his prayers)” because the Menorah was in the southern part of the Bet Hamikdash structure. Since this was a battle about Torah, the miracle needed to come about in that Keli that was the symbol of Torah learning. Rav Asher Weiss says that this also explains why this victory came at the hands of the Chashmonaim. Who are the protectors of Torah in Klal Yisrael? It is the Tribe of Levi. “They teach Your statues to Yaakov, and Your Torah to Israel” (Devarim 33:10). The Chashmonaim, who were the Kohanim, who were a part of the Tribe of Levi, needed to be the ones who would win the victory for Torah in the nation. Rav Asher Weiss points out an interesting phenomenon. Rav Tzadok brings a Medrash: Rabbi Akiva stated: From the day Torah was given on Sinai, we had the Torah. However, the glory of Torah and its brilliance, its richness, and its beauty were only evident at the time of the Second Bet Hamikdash. Why did it happen then? It is because that is when there was self-sacrifice (mesirat nefesh) for Torah. As a result of that, there was a renaissance of Torah. It was in the period of the Second Bet Hamikdash that we had the first Tanaaim. When we speak about the “Age of Enlightenment”, when we speak about “The Renaissance”, if there is one period in Jewish history about which we can say there was a “Renaissance of Torah” it was in the time of Bayit Sheni – after the Chanukah miracle. They fought for Torah, they were moser nefesh for Torah, so the

Almighty decreed that there would be an explosion of Torah. The development of Talmud Bavli which is still the focus of our Torah learning today – which is such an integral part of every Jew’s life – occurred in the period of Bayit Sheni after the Nes of Chanukah. As a result of the mesirut nefesh for Torah, Hashem rewarded them with this overwhelming gift of being able to more fully understand the depth and beauty of Torah.

Finally, one more brief

thought about Chanukah: (Rabbi Frand)

The word Chanukah can be split to mean – Chanu (they encamped) – kaf-hay (on the 25th). They fought the Greeks. They were victorious. On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, they were able to rest from their battles and they re-dedicated the Bet HaMikdash. Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld says that there are 42 journeys that the Jewish people traveled during their desert wanderings. Parashat Masse lists these forty-two stations. “From here they went to there; from there they went to here; etc.” Which was station number twenty-five in this journey? Chashmonah! (Bamidbar 33:29) Chanu Kaf-Hay: They rested on the 25th. Where is that? It is the station of Chashmonah. A hint from the Torah that the “resting” of the Chahmonaim will occur on the twenty-fifth of Kislev! A Happy Chanukah to all!

Thanking Hashem for Misfortune and Deliverance

(Rabbi Zev Leff) Rabbenu Yonah writes in Shaare Teshuvah When one receives Hashem's chastisement and as a consequence improves his ways, it is proper for him to rejoice in his sufferings, for

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they brought him great benefit, and he should thank Hashem for them as he would for other successes ... and one who truly trusts in Hashem should hope in the midst of his distress that the darkness will be the cause of his light .... As our rabbis, of blessed memory, said, "If I did not fall, I could not have arisen; if I had not been in darkness, it would not have been light for me" (Midrash Tehillim 22). We do not celebrate our salvation alone, but also the misfortune and suffering that necessitated that salvation. The suffering and the deliverance are to be seen as one indivisible unit. If someone dug a hole in a public thoroughfare into which someone else fell and broke his legs, he would deserve little thanks for offering to pay the medical expenses. But if a doctor has to break an arm in order to reset it properly, he deserves thanks for both the breaking and the resetting. So, too, must we recognize G-d's providential hand in our suffering as well as our deliverance. The Sfat Emet explains that the days of Chanukah were designated as days of hallel ve'hoda'ah (praise and thanksgiving): hallel for the miraculous salvation and hoda'ah for the suffering and misfortune that preceded it. Thus in the Al Hanisim prayer that is added to Shemoneh Esre during Chanukah, we not only thank G-d for His miracles, deliverance, and mighty acts, but also for the battles. The Gemara (Shabbat 13b) says that those who composed Megillat Ta'anit (the list of all the days commemorating miraculous deliverances for the Jewish people during the period of the Second Temple) cherished calamities. In other words, only those who could appreciate the Divine involvement in misfortune could truly place the deliverances in their proper perspective. Our inability to perceive the Divine in our suffering is a result of our limited perspective. The Gemara (Pesachim 50a) asks on the verse, "On that day will Hashem be One and His Name One"- "Are Hashem and His Name not One now?" The Gemara answers that this world is not like the next world. In this world we say the blessing, hatov vehameitiv, on good fortune and dayan ha'emes on misfortune. But

in the World to Come, we will say hatov vehameitiv on everything. In this world we write G-d's name with the letters, hey, vov, hay, yud, but we pronounce it. In the next world, G-d's name will be read as it is written. In the next world, when we look back in hindsight, we will understand that all the misfortunes upon which we made the blessing dayan ha'emes in this world were really for our good, and then we will say hatov vehameitiv retroactively. Similarly, Hashem's Name -signifies that He transcends time-that He was, is and always will be. It is a name that connotes mercy, for in the final analysis, beyond time, all is for the good. Since we are bound by time, however, we cannot relate to G-d's name as it written. Rather, we see misfortune and adversity, and relate to Hashems' a name that signifies that G-d masters and guides everything in the world, whether it appears to us as good or bad. Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz used to give the following mashal. When a small child draws a person, it is obvious from the start that the circle on top is the face, the line going down is the body, and the lines projecting out are the arms and legs. But when a master artist paints a person, he may start with a stroke of bright red, which to the uninitiated viewer appears to ruin the canvas. Only when the painting is completed, will it be obvious why the stroke of red was needed for contrast. So, too, Hashem is painting a masterful panorama of history. As the painting develops, there are strokes that we see as unnecessary or detrimental. But when the painting is finished, it will be obvious that every stroke was necessary for the perfection of the picture. That is what the Gemara means when it says there is no artist like Hashem (Berachot 10a). When Moshe Rabbenu asked Hashem to explain the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked, Hashem responded, "You will see My back, but My face, you cannot see," (Shemot 33:23). The Ktav Sofer explains: "My back-when the world reaches its completion, then you will understand in hindsight; but My face- with foresight, as the events are unfolding, you will not comprehend."

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We must, says the Gemara, make the blessing of dayan ha'emes with the same joy that we make the blessing, hatov vehameitiv. But if we recognize that all misfortune is really for our good, why do we not make hatov vehameitiv on everything that happens? The answer is that we must function on two levels simultaneously. From the standpoint of our physical beings, we are bound by time and hence experience misfortune as misfortune. What is more, that is how G-d wants us to relate to it. Our suffering is comparable to a painful operation which will cure us of a spiritual malady from which we suffer. Although one is happy that an operation will result in his ultimate recovery, the necessity for the operation and the pain it involves is still reason to be somber. At the same time, our neshamos transcend time, and therefore inwardly we are aware that this misfortune will ultimately be revealed as good. This gives us an inner simchah, even as we cry outwardly. The real meaning of the blessing dayan ha'emes is not that G-d is the True Judge, but rather that He is the Judge of Truth. Only He can determine how the truth will ultimately be revealed-sometimes it will be in ways that are clear and sometimes in ways that are elusive and confusing to us. Now we can understand the distinction of Nachum Ish Gamzu, so named because he responded to every misfortune with the words, "Gam zu letovah-this is also for the good." But if every Jew is required to believe that everything from Heaven is for the good, wherein lies Nachum's special distinction? The answer is that one is only required by halachah to acknowledge that from G-d's standpoint all is good. Yet one is permitted to react to misfortune as misfortune from his own limited perspective. Nachum, however, actually related to misfortune as good, an achievement far beyond the halachic requirement. My wife once asked me: Why does Miketz end in the middle of the story, with Binyamin's fate hanging in the balance, rather than with Yosef revealing himself? The story of Yosef and his brothers, says the Chafetz Chaim, contains a good lesson for the future. We often imagine

that when Mashiach comes, days if not weeks will be needed to explain the many tragedies of our history. But it is not so. With only two words-"And Yosef, I am Yosef"-Yosef cleared up all his brothers' questions. So, too, when Hashem reveals Himself and the complete picture of the world becomes known, only two words - "And Hashem, I am Hashem" - will be necessary. The chachamim who divided the weekly Torah readings, intentionally ended Miketz with a cliffhanger to teach us that although all is ultimately for the good, sometimes one must wait until "next week's sedrah" to understand how this is so. Reprinted with permission from Artscroll Mesorah Publications, ltd. This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il

Hanukkah & Weddings: The Deeper Connection

Celebrating Hanukkah represents the same type of joy as getting married – we actively choose who we love in order to continue our people. (By Rabbi Benji Levy) Should a couple getting married on Hanukkah light a menorah at their wedding? The most recent time I was asked this question, rather than answering, I took advantage of the educational opportunity and asked if one can even get married on Hanukkah. The answer is yes, but why? The Talmud famously states we do not mix two different smachot, or joyous occasions, as they can detract from or be confused with one another, preventing adequate attention to each.1 For this reason, the custom is not to get married on Purim.2 With so many similarities between these two festivals, why can one get married on Hanukkah but not on Purim? Purim represents the ultimate miracle of physical survival against a physical threat.

Food for thought

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Haman hated the Jewish people and therefore wanted to exterminate every Jew. The gallows that were set did not discriminate against female or male, young or old, believer or non-believer – the very existence of Jews necessitated their eradication. Jews were never welcome into society regardless of what they could potentially add or remove. Hanukkah, on the other hand, was very different in this sense. Jews were not hated for who they were but for what they did. It was not their existence but their practice that threatened Greek culture. Jews that acted as Jews were different from those that were prepared to assimilate. Indeed, they were loved as people and only hated as Jews – if only they could express their humanity through Greek society and abandon their particularity, they would be welcome to not simply survive but thrive. When read this way, the miracle of Purim is a celebration of the most basic human need – the ability to live and breathe. The miracle of Hanukkah, however, is a celebration of the most basic Jewish need – to live freely and actively as a Jew. The enemy of Purim hated us so much that they would kill us regardless of what we did – the enemy of Hanukkah loved us so much that they wanted us to subscribe to their Hellenistic way of life. Returning to our question, celebrating the miracle of Purim represents a different type of joy to getting married – the former represents being alive, the second how we choose to live. Celebrating Hanukkah represents the same type of joy as getting married – we actively choose who we love in order to continue our people. A Jewish wedding is becoming rarer, not because of hatred, but because of love – universalism is more embracing than particularity and assimilation is more accommodating than distinction. It is for this reason that one may get married on Hanukkah, according to all opinions, as essentially the smachot are two expressions of the same source – choosing to love rather than falling in or out of love, celebrating the perpetuation of our destiny and Jewish continuity.

Therefore, while there are questions around the blessings, one can light Hanukkah candles at a wedding for the purpose of publicizing the miracle, because indeed, the miracle of a Jewish wedding is the perpetuation of the miracle of Hanukkah – “the strong were delivered into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few.”3 Hanukkah is a time to learn from our past as we spark, ignite and shine through the next generation, illuminating the path ahead for a brighter future! 1. Moed Katan 8b. 2. See the Be’er Heitev on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Hilchot Megillah Purim 696:8. See also the Levush, Magen Avraham and Pri Chadash. 3. HaNissim prayer.

The 30 Minute Screen-Free

Hanukkah Challenge Enhance your family’s Hanukkah and turn off all devices for 30 minutes while your menorah lights burn. (By Dr. Yvette Alt Miller)

Can you go screen-free for 30 minutes? That’s the challenge many Jews around the world are taking on this Hanukkah. With so many families making an effort to come together during the eight nights of Hanukkah, lighting the menorah is a great time to encourage everyone to ditch their electronics and focus on each other instead. Hanukkah is a particularly appropriate time to go screen-free: Hanukkah candles are meant to burn for a minimum of 30 minutes and during that time we are meant to enjoy their beauty, not using their light for any mundane tasks. It’s also customary for Jewish women to even take this a step further, enjoying the half hour that candles burn as a time of relaxation and fun, and refraining from working while the Hanukkah lights cast their special glow. Traditionally, Jews have regarded the period that Hanukkah lights are burning as a very special time. Turning off our electronics can make it even more noteworthy.

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The 30 Minute Screen Free Hanukkah Challenge began in Chicago in 2016. Rabbi Eric Goldman came up with the idea as a way to capitalize on the fact that families and friends often light Hanukkah lights together. “If we can focus on these 30 minutes, when families are coming together to light the candles, then we can use it as a springboard to figuring out ways to spend more time together and not on our devices,” Rabbi Goldman explains. Recent research backs this up. People who spend the most time online using social media seem to be the most unhappy and isolated. One 2017 University of Pittsburgh study found that young adults who spend more than two hours a day online said they felt isolated and lonely fully twice as much as those who spend a half hour or less on social media. A 2016 study in Britain found that 20% of people report feeling depressed after socializing with friends via social media instead of face to face. Engaging with other people without the distractions of electronics can result in closer feelings and greater levels of well-being and happiness. Studies find that the happiest teenagers seem to be those who spend time on a range of non-electronic activities, including sports, attending religious services, and non-electronic hobbies and even homework. In 2017, Jewish organizations across the U.S. and beyond picked up on the 30 Minute Screen-Free Hanukkah Challenge and started spreading the word. This year communities in the United States and Mexico have pledged to go screen free and 2018 promises to be the biggest year of the Challenge yet. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” explains Rabbi Nechemia Gottlieb who has promoted the idea. Families can use these 30 minutes for any purpose: from playing family games to talking to studying Jewish texts... This Hanukkah, I am pledging to go screen-free for 30 minutes each night as our Hanukkah candles burn. We’re going to talk and connect, enjoy latkes and doughnuts and

a game of dreidel without the distractions of phones or other electronics.

5 Ways to Stop Your Kids Getting Spoiled this

Chanukah Ensuring Jewish values don’t get lost amidst all the presents and parties. (By Rabbi Anthony Knopf) Chanukah is a highlight of the year for the Jewish family! Delicious latkes, beautiful songs and unforgettable family experiences. But for most of us, these aren’t the only memories we have. Many of us have seen our kids show more interest in their presents than in the family celebration. Siblings fight over gifts and donuts and before we know it our beautiful holiday devolves into an exercise in self-indulgence. How do we ensure that Judaism’s beautiful values are not lost amidst our Chanukah celebrations? 1. Appreciate the Givers Help your kids to appreciate the people who bought them gifts. Encourage them to text or email a photo of them using the present they received, together with a personalised thank you message. 2. Donate Jewish teaching and psychological research both emphasise how what we do influences who we are. If Chanukah is a festival of taking, our kids become materialistic and feel entitled. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Have your kids put money in a tzedakah box each evening before opening presents. If they receive Chanukah gelt, teach them to give 10% of it to charity. There are other ways of giving over Chanukah. If you are in the northern hemisphere then Chanukah falls in the Winter. This is a time when clothing is particularly needed by those who are homeless. Socks are the most needed (and often least donated)

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item of clothing. Go with your children to a shop and pick out one or more pairs to donate. 3. Spread the Joy of Chanukah Chanukah can be a very sad time for those living on their own or away from their families. Make some Chanukah cards and then go on a family visit to a Jewish residential home to celebrate with the residents. You can check out this excellent page which gives ideas for doing it in the most meaningful way. Or take latkes or donuts to a sick or lonely neighbour. 4. Set Limits Whether it’s the number of latkes or the amount of time playing on the iPod during school vacation, teach your child boundaries. While it’s not good to be overly strict, it’s important that sometimes the answer they hear is ‘no’. Teach them to realise that they won’t get their way through screaming and rude behaviour. This also applies to your toddler – don’t wait until they are five before you teach them how to behave! 5. Setting the Example The most important rule – what you do matters more than what you say! Set the example by talking openly about the things you appreciate this Chanukah. Chanukah Sameach!

When Xmas Meets Hanukkah

Jews differ with Christians on many critical points of theology, but we can focus on the threat we equally face for our survival. (By Rabbi Benjamin Blech)

I got a very interesting call the other day. It was a reporter for USA Today, concerning an article about Xmas and Hanukkah falling out on the same day this year. How is it, the journalist asked me, that whereas Xmas has a fixed date of December 25 Hanukkah always seems to be moving

around to different days, from Thanksgiving Day in 2013 to late in December? It was simple enough for me to explain to him that whereas our secular calendar is solar, consisting of a fixed 365 days a year (with the occasional additional of one day during a leap year to adjust the reality of the annual journey of the earth around the sun), the Hebrew calendar is based on the cycle of the moon – hence the word month, contraction of moonth. The moon serves as a symbol, by way of its visible stages and cycles, of the history of the Jewish people. But because a moon year of 12 months only has 354 days and would cause the calendar as well as our holidays to move from season to season, an adjustment was made to insert a leap month seven out of nineteen years in order to maintain the necessary correspondence between the moon calendar and the solar reality (and to ensure that Passover always falls out during the spring). So that’s why Hanukkah can be as early as Thanksgiving or as late as Xmas, but not beyond both of them by much in either direction. Jews observe a combination lunar /solar calendar unlike the Christian one which is totally solar or the Muslim one which is completely lunar, with its possibility for the observance of Ramadan possible in every season of the year. The reporter thanked me and then pressed on with a final fascinating question: But since what happens this year is quite rare, having happened only four times in the past 100 years, could you attribute any special meaning or significance to it? Might there perhaps be a message implicit in two major faiths celebrating their religious traditions at the very same time? I thanked him for opening my mind to an intriguing insight. Perhaps precisely because Christians and Jews both share a major moment for spiritual reflection, we might together focus on the contemporary threat we equally face for our survival. The Hanukkah miracle is not about a military victory. The battle was not between competing armies fought over territory. It was a struggle between two competing ideologies, a clash of

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cultures whose goal was nothing less than determining the direction of civilization. Was the world to be dominated by the secular outlook of the Greeks, with its emphasis on the body and its pleasures, or would the Jewish stress on spiritual perfection and the soul become the defining measure of humankind? The Maccabees did more than fight for the cause of their own religious freedom. It was not merely so that Jews could again worship in their temple, be able to observe their Sabbath, or circumcise their male children in accord with their religious precepts. It was so that the spirit of Hellenism does not overwhelm the truths of Judaism. It was so that the voice of the soul would not be silenced by those whose sole delight was the cries coming from the Olympic amphitheater. Oil refuses to be dissolved with other liquids; it does not lose its identity when mixed with water. What was at stake in the story of Hanukkah was the survival of the very idea of holiness. Judaism taught that the purpose of life is that life must have a purpose. Hellenism preached that life has no purpose – so the only thing that is left is for human beings to “eat, drink and be merry – for tomorrow you will die.” It is interesting that oil became the symbol of the Hanukkah miracle. Oil, rabbinic commentators remind us, has a unique feature. It refuses to be dissolved with other liquids; it does not lose its identity, as other liquids do, when mixed with water. Just like the heroes of the Hanukkah story, oil does not “assimilate” but preserves its essence and rises to the top. More interesting still, the word for oil in Hebrew – Hashemen – when its letters become transposed becomes the Hebrew word neshamah, soul. Jews differ with Christians on many points of theology. We do not agree on crucial issues, on the identity of God and the idea of the Messiah. But we do agree that we are bound by a commitment to morality, to a life of meaning and of purpose. In an age when the secular spirit of Hellenism again threatens the spiritual sources of human survival it is good to be reminded that this year

we can, at least for a short time in December, mutually celebrate life's meaning and purpose.

The Torah Readings of Chanukah

(Rabbi Frand) In the Torah Reading on Chanukah is from Parshat Nasso – the respective chapters of the offerings of the Nessiim [Princes] during the 12 days leading up to the dedication of the Mishkan. Our tradition is that they started building the Mishkan on the 11th of Tishrei (immediately after Yom Kippur, the day Moshe descended for the third time from Mt. Sinai, having achieved atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf) and the Mishkan was completed on the 25th of Kislev. The actual inauguration of the Mishkan was put off until the first day of Nisan, which is when the Nessiim started bringing their offerings. But since the Mishkan was actually completed on the 25th of Kislev, we read the section of the Nessiim on Chanukah, to link the rededication during the Chanukah period with the original dedication of the Mishkan in the time of Moshe. The Medrash points out an anomaly in Halacha that exists here but nowhere else. We never allow a private person’s offering (Korban Yachid) to be brought on Shabbat. Only public offerings (Korbanot Tzibbur) are “doche Shabbat” [may be brought on Shabbat]. Nevertheless, the offerings of the Nessiim, which were private offerings, were brought for 12 consecutive days, which obviously spanned a Shabbat. Specifically, the offerings were started on Sunday and the offering of the Nasi [Prince] of the Shevet [Tribe] of Ephraim was brought on the seventh day, on Shabbat. This was a ‘Horaat Sha-ah’ — a special one-time dispensation that a private offering could be brought on Shabbat. The Chafetz Chaim offers a suggestion to explain this anomaly. The Medrash indicates that when the Nessiim brought their offerings, every Shevet had in mind what they would be bringing. The first day, Nachshon ben Aminadav of Shevet Yehudah brought his

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offering. The second day was the turn of Netanel ben Tzuar of Shevet Yissachar. The second person to offer was faced with a dilemma. What should I bring? The first person brought a beautiful offering, but what should I bring? Should I bring the same offering? No! That is not going to be good enough anymore. He was tempted to bring something even more impressive, which would have put pressure on the third Nasi to bring something even more expensive and so on down the line. It is very easy to fall into the trap of one-ups-man-ship. It is like kiddushim in shul. The first week’s sponsor has one potato kugel. The second person to make a Kiddush the following Shabbat has to add kishke to the menu. By the third week they are adding “herring from New York”. It quickly becomes a contest of outdoing one’s predecessor. What did Netanel ben Tzuar decide? He resisted the temptation. He recognized that the purpose of the Mishkan was to bring unity to the Jewish people, not strife and competition. He recognized if they began the inauguration of the Mishkan with competition, there would not be ‘achdut’ [unity] amongst the Jewish people, there would be dissension. Therefore, he took heroic action and brought exactly the same type of Korban as did Nachshon ben Aminadav, thereby sending a message — my friends, this is not the time for competition or ones-up-man-ship. His example was followed by the third, fourth, and fifth Nessiim and so on down the line. This explains why the Torah, which is so frugal with its words, spends 60 plus pasukim in repetition of that which we already knew. The Torah could have told us in a pasuk or two that they all brought the same offering. Why go through the repetition, over and over again? The Almighty is teaching: “It is so precious and dear to Me that you each brought the same offering and did not play ones-up-man-ship that I will give each Nasi the exact same amount of ‘print’ in the Torah.” The Chafetz Chaim suggests it could be for this reason — the Almighty’s pleasure at the unity of His children by this non-competitive gesture — that He made an exception and

ruled that ‘This private offering can even negate the laws of Sabbath.’

Halachot of Hanuka (Daily Halacha)

1) It is preferable to use olive oil for Hanukah candles, since the miracle of the Menora involved olive oil. Furthermore, there is a custom to add water beneath the oil, in order to symbolize the Jews’ triumph over the enemy gentile nations. The oil symbolizes Am Yisrael, and the water represents the enemy nations. It is therefore appropriate on Hanukah, which celebrates the Jews’ victory over their oppressors, to place some water underneath the oil as a symbol of our triumph over tyranny. One should not light the Hanukia partly with wax candles and partly with oil. If one uses wax-coated floating wicks for the lighting, it is preferable, if possible, to first light the wicks to melt the wax coating before lighting them for the Misva. One should light the Hanukah candles when the time arrives even if he is at that moment engaged in Torah study. The lighting should be done with the entire family together, and with genuine joy borne out of the recognition that we directly benefit from the Hanukah miracle. It is preferable to fuel the Hanukah lights with olive oil, but the act of lighting should preferably be performed with a wax candle. 2) As we know, one must add an extra candle (the “Shamash”) from which he may derive personal benefit. Since Halacha forbids deriving personal benefit from the Hanukah candles, one must add another candle so that if he does make use of the candles, he will be considered as making use of the extra candle. Even if one does not intend on using the Hanukah candles, he must nevertheless add an extra candle to demonstrate that the others were lit specifically for the Misva, and not for light.

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3) Nowadays, it is customary to light the Hanukah candles inside the home (as opposed to Talmudic times, when the Hanukah candles were lit outside, near the entrance to the home). If a person lives on a ground floor, it is clear that he should light the Hanukah candles near a window, as they will certainly be visible to pedestrians outside. The question arises, however, as to whether somebody who lives in a high apartment should light by his window. Halacha disqualifies Hanukah candles lit higher than twenty Amot (approx. 40 feet), since at this height they are not visible to the public. Seemingly, then, those who live in high-rise apartments should not light Hanukah candles by the window. In truth, however, even in such a case one may light near the window, since these windows are generally visible to people living in adjacent apartment buildings or buildings across the street. In such a situation, then, lighting even at a height of above twenty Amot achieves “Pirsumeh Nisa” (publicizing the miracle), and one may therefore light by a window even in a high apartment. 4) It is preferable to position the candles at least three Tefahim (handbreadths) from the ground, and no higher than ten Tefahim. Therefore, one should not place the Hanukah candles directly on the floor. When we speak of these heights, we refer to the height of the flame itself (as opposed to the candle); the flame should, ideally, be positioned between three and ten Tefahim from the ground. One may place the candles on a window sill that is higher than ten Tefahim, since they will be visible by people outside. However, if one has the option of placing the candles on a window sill that is within ten Tefahim of the floor, he should preferably place the candles on that window sill, rather than a sill higher than ten Tefahim. 5) If a person lit the Hanukah candles properly in a place where they can be expected to burn for at least a half-hour, but they happen to burn out before a half-hour, he should preferably relight them, though strictly speaking this is not required. One should not relight the candle from one of the remaining Hanukah candles but rather from another candle. If one or more candles burn out before one has completed

lighting all that night’s candles, then he is obligated to relight them. 6) It is forbidden to fast on Hanukah, even on the occasion of a Yahrtzeit. Eulogies should not be given during Hanukah, even at a funeral, except at the funeral of a Torah scholar when the body is present. All the laws of mourning apply during Hanukah, as does the Misva of visiting mourners. One should not visit a cemetery during Hanukah, though it is permissible to pray by the gravesite of a Sadik. 7) Although one who travels on Hanukah generally does not have to light Hanukah candles, as he fulfills his obligation through his wife’s lighting at home, if he is in a place with no Jews he should light Hanukah candles, with the Berachot. 8) Sefaradim lights the candles immediately with Tzet Hacochavim (Nightfall). This year nightfall is at 6:10 pm. There has to be enough oil to last a minimum of half an hour after nightfall. If one does not light at nightfall one should try their utmost to light within the half an hour after nightfall. Bediavad, in extenuating circumstances one can light until Dawn the next morning on condition that family members are awake. 9) Hanukah candles on Erev Shabbat. We should light the Hanuka candles Erev Shabbat in a different place from where we light our Shabbat candles. We first light the Hanuka candles and then the woman lights the Shabbat candles. If one forgot and the woman lit the Shabbat candles the man can still light the Hanuka candles as quickly as possible to avoid Chilul Shabbat. On Erev Shabbat one must place extra oil so it will stay on until half an hour after nightfall. One should not light the Hanukah before Pelag Haminha. 10) One is not allowed to eat a meal or work half an hour prior to the time of lighting the Hanukah in order to ascertain they will fulfil the Mitzvah. 11) Married children visiting their parents on Hanukah are not required to give them money to participate in the lighting, although it is praiseworthy to do so.

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12) It is permissible to light a Hanukah candle from another Hanukah candle, but it is prohibited to light an ordinary candle from the Hanukah candles, even if the purpose of the ordinary candle is to light other Hanukah candles. Furthermore, it is prohibited to use a

Hanukah candle to light another Hanukah candle that was lit but became extinguished immediately afterward. This restriction applies only to the Hanukah candles during their first half hour after being lit.

InterestIng MIdrash (from Torah Tots)

THE SECRET OF THE LOCKET Now that Yosef was Viceroy, he had everything a house, a chariot, a job. The only thing he was missing was a wife. Of course, Yosef the tzadik couldn't marry an Egyptian woman. But where does a nice Jewish boy find a Jewish girl in Egypt? Here's a twist... how about in his own house! Confused? - Here's what happened... It all started when Shechem kidnapped Dinah. Shimon and Levi destroyed the entire city but Dina was left with a baby fathered by Shechem. Yaakov was afraid that this baby girl would become Shimon and Levi's next target, so he hid her under a bush (sneh - thus Asenat, get it?). From there, a Malach (angel) whisked her off to Egypt, but not before Yaakov engraved a message in a locket and stuck it around her neck. The writing in the locket remained a mystery as Asenat grew up in the home of a rich Egyptian aristocrat. From time to time she would ask a wise man or one of Pharoh's advisors to examine the script. But, let's face it, not too many people outside of Yaakov's family were speaking Hebrew in those days. Little did Asenat realize that she should have asked the house slave from Canaan to try his hand at deciphering the script. That's right - Asenat grew up in the house of Potifar and she never knew that the person serving soup was her very own uncle Yosef! When Yosef was promoted from lowly prisoner to Viceroy, Pharoh had him led through the streets on a beautiful chariot. Yosef was very handsome. Local women

stood on their roofs and threw their jewels at him to attract his attention. Asenat was no different. Since she had no jewels, she threw her locket. Lucky her: Yosef recognized the writing in the locket. It read "Whoever marries this girl should know that his children will be descendants of Yaakov." Of course, you know the rest of the story. Yosef and Asenat were married and had two children, Menashe and Efraim. This teaches us a great lesson that Hashem always ties up all the loose ends. Here's how things worked out in our story: When Yaakov went to meet Esav, he hid Dinah in a chest. But the truth was that if Esav would have seen and married Dinah, he might have been influenced by her righteousness and done teshuva. For this, Dinah was kidnapped by Shechem. Since Yaakov had hidden her with the best of intentions, Dinah's child remained pure in Egypt and married Yosef. At that same meeting with Esav, Yosef was the only son who stood in front of his mother and "hid" her from Esav's sight. Since he hid his mother, he was given the zchut to marry Dinah's daughter who was also hidden!

Kid’z Korner (Revach)

The Story Of Chanukah Part 1 - Greek Culture Seeps Into Eretz Yisrael Sefer Ezra describes the dedication of the second Bet Hamikdash in the sixth year of the reign of King Daryavesh, the king of Paras. The small portion of Bne Yisrael who had heeded Ezra’s call to return to Eretz Yisrael celebrated the dedication of the second Bet Hamikdash with great joy amidst tears. The

Kidz Corner

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tears were shed by those who had witnessed the first Bet Hamikdash in all its glory. The 2nd Bet Hamikdash was not comparable, physically or spiritually, to the first Bet Hamikdash, which had been built through open miracles. The era of the second Bet Hamikdash was also not comparable to that of the first Bet Hamikdash. Nevuah was lost, and the position of Kohen Gadol became a political tool which was handed out to those with the most money and influence. Shortly after the dedication of the second Bet Hamikdash, the era of Persian rule ended, as Alexander the Great, swiftly rises to great power, and sweeps in the era of Greek domination of the world. Alexander easily conquers Eretz Yisrael, which is comprised of a weak, newly-formed community. The era of the third galus of Bne Yisrael, under the domination of the Yevanim, commences. Alexander is magnanimous to Eretz Yisrael and the Bet Hamikdash, thanks to a miraculous encounter with Shimon Hatzaddik. Shimon Hatzaddik was the Kohen Gadol and the last member of the Anshe Knesset Hagedolah. As Alexander and his army approached Yerushalayim on their way to its conquest, Shimon Hatzaddik and the other elders went out to greet him, fearing that Alexander will destroy the city and the Bet Hamikdash. When Alexander the Great, the conqueror of the entire civilized world, catches a glimpse of Shimon Hatzaddik, he immediately bows down before him. He explained to his men, who were amazed at his uncharacteristic behavior, that he had seen a vision of Shimon Hatzaddik before each of his victorious battles. Alexander was sure that his victories were in the merit of this esteemed leader of the Jews, and his subsequent behavior towards them and the Bet Hamikdash reflected his appreciation and awe. Along with Greek military and political domination, came the domination of Greek culture, and Hellenism began infiltrating the world, and even Eretz Yisrael. Greek culture glorified the arts and beauty. The human body was considered the ultimate in physical beauty, and its perfection was rewarded in the

Olympics, a Greek invention. The concept of modesty was not part of the Greek vocabulary, and in fact, the word gymnasium stems from the Greek words which means naked. The Greek religion, or Greek G-ds, was secondary to the power and idolizing of the human being. These ideals were foreign to the Jewish nation, but nevertheless began making insidious inroads into the previously pure Torah values of Bne Yisrael. The spiritual decline begins after the death of Shimon Hatzaddik, who in his lifetime was a source of spiritual strength to Bne Yisrael.

The Story Of Chanukah Part 2: From Alexander To Antiochus - Lots Of Politics, Terrible Oppression Alexander the Great died at the prime of his life, and his kingdom was divided among four kings, who promptly began vying each other for power. Eretz Yisrael was caught in the middle of the struggle between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kings, and was eventually conquered by the Ptolemaic kingdom. It was during the reign of Ptolemy II that seventy chachamim were forced to translate the Torah into Greek. In 199 B.C.E., Antiochus III the Great, a Seleucid, conquered the Ptolemaists and began ruling over Eretz Yisrael. Eretz Yisrael was now part of the Seleucid kingdom, which ruled Syria. After his death, his son Seleucus IV succeeded him, and during his reign, the struggle between the Hellenist and the Torah faithful Jews was heightened. This struggle reached its final height during the reign of his son, Antiochus IV. When Shimon Hatzaddik died, his student Antigonas succeeded him as head of the Sanhedrin. Two of Antigonas’ students, Zadok and Boesus, began a new branch of “Judiasm” which denied the validity of the Torah Shel Baal Peh, emunat chachamim and the existence of Olam Haba. These Jews became known as the Tzidukim and the Torah faithful Jews were called Pharisees. The Tzidukim were natural allies of the Hellenists. When Antiochus IV became king, the Hellenists offered him bribes for the position of Kohen Gadol. The position of Kohen Gadol

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became a political position, often given to the most corrupt individual. The Hellenists built a gymnasium near the Bet Hamikdash; a site of immorality and even avodah zara. Hellenist leaders, after bribing Antiochus IV for power, oppressed their fellow Jews, and even murdered them in their struggle for power. When murmurs of rebellion were heard among the Torah Jews in Yerushalayim, a full civil war erupted, which prompted Antiochus to step in to ascertain his power over the Jews. Antiochus attacked Yerushalayim and forty thousand Jews were killed, and another forty thousand were taken captive. Antiochus then entered the Bet Hamikdash and looted the kelim, the mizbeach, the Menorah, the shulchan for the lechem hapanim, and the parochet. Antiochus did not satisfy himself with physically ravaging Bne Yisrael, and he began a campaign of spiritual oppression as well. He forbade the Jews to continue offering their korbanot in the Bet Hamikdash, and forced them to sacrifice pigs instead. Antiochus banned the observance of Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, the Yamim Tovim, kashrut, brit mila, taharat hamishpacha, and limud Torah. Pagan G-ds were set up in the Bet Hamikdash. Antiochus brutally enforced his new laws. Sifrei Torah were burned at the stake and chachamim were murdered. Jews are forced to eat pork and worship Greek G-ds. Babies discovered with a brit mila were murdered along with their mothers in a brutal fashion. It is during this time that Chana and her seven sons submitted themselves to torturous deaths rather than desecrate Hashem’s name.

The Story Of Chanukah Part 3: They Won The "Real" War But The Battles Continued During these horrible days of persecution, Matityahu Hachashmanoi left Yerushalayim, which was now controlled by the Yevanim and Hellenists, and settled in Modiin, a town outside Yerushalayim. The town did not prove to be a haven however; the long arm of Antiochus reached even there. The king’s soldiers appeared and ordered the Jews to offer a pig to the Greek G-ds. Matityahu

refused to comply, but a Hellenist Jew prepared to follow the soldiers’ orders. Matityahu became enraged with fury for Hashem’s honor and killed the Jews and the soldiers. He called out his famous battle cry of “Mi LaHashem Elai!” and he, his five sons, and followers escaped to the hills of Midbar Yehudah. There, they dwelled in caves and formed an army led by Matityahu’s oldest son, Yehudah. Yehudah was dubbed Macabee, which means hammer, and also stands for, ‘Mi chamocha baelim Hashem.” The Maccabim were a small guerilla army (12,000 or less men) courageously prepared to engage the Syrian-Greek army (40,000 men) in battle. The Syrian-Greek army not only vastly outnumbered the Maccabim, but was also equipped with professional arms and elephants, the tanks of yesteryear. The Maccabim began attacking towns which were controlled by the Yevanim, and the king’s army reciprocated. The Maccabim, under the leadership of Yehudah, successfully fought off the king’s large army time after time, killing thousands of soldiers during the battles. These battles took place over a period of more than two decades, before a final peace treaty was signed with the Greeks, and the Jews were completely independent. However, the Chanukah Nes and the rededication of the Bet Hamikdash occurred three years into the fighting, after a particularly fierce battle in which the Maccabim ravaged the enemy army. The Yevanim later regrouped themselves and continued the war. The Chanukah nes was a celebration of a victory of ruchniyut; it did not indicate a military victory which occurred over two decades later. The Maccabim were able to return to Yerushalayim after three years of fighting. They marched directly to Har Habayis where a dismal sight met their eyes. The Bet Hamikdash lay in ruins, desolate and neglected. They sadly tore their clothing and mourned the desecration of the Bet Hamikdash. The Kohanim then cleaned the Bet Hamikdash and removed the idols. They forged new kelim, including a mizbeach to offer korbanot the next morning. They brought ketores that very afternoon. They constructed a temporary menorah out of iron skewers and

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plated it with zinc. They looked for oil to light the menorah, but all the oil they found in the Bet Hamikdash had been contaminated. They continued searching and they eventually found a small flask containing enough oil for one night, with the unbroken seal of the Kohen Gadol. The seal in itself was miraculous since it was not standard practice that the flasks were sealed, and the Kohen Gadol was not usually involved in the production of the oil. The Kohanim lit the menorah using this flask of oil and the oil burned miraculously for eight days, after which fresh oil had been produced and brought to the Bet Hamikdash. The next day, the twenty fifth of Kislev, the Korban Tamid was brought. Bne Yisrael celebrated the rededication of the Bet Hamikdash for eight days amidst great joy and song. The next year, the Sanhedrin realized that the spiritual implication of the Chanukah nes was eternal, and they declared that Chanukah should be celebrated for eight days every year.

The Story Of Chanukah Part 4 - Deathbed Confessions, But The Battles Rage On The Bet Hamikdash once again served as a meeting place for the Jews and their Creator, but the battle for independence was far from over. The nations living around Eretz Yisrael were intimidated by the news of the Jews’ victory and began attacking the Jews living in their lands. Yehudah came to his brothers’ aid by waging war against these nations including Edom, Amon, Gilad, Acco, Tzor, and Tzidon. Antiochus, who had been occupied with other political losses, was informed about the loss of Greek power over the Jews as well. He became depressed and fell ill with a ghastly disease. Before he died, he confided in his advisors that he regretted persecuting the Jews and looting the Bet Hamikdash. He felt that the sins he had committed against the Jews were the reason for his downfall. He died and was succeeded by his young son Antiochus V. In Yerushalayim, the Jews were not yet at peace. The Acra fortress near the Bet Hamikdash was occupied by Syrian -Greek soldiers and Hellenist Jews, who constantly

tried to attack the Jews and bring the avodah in the Bet Hamikdash to a halt. Two years after the Chanukah miracle, Yehudah and his army attacked the Acra. Antiochus V was informed and he sent a huge number of soldiers, horses and elephants to aid his soldiers. A fierce battle ensued in which Yehudah’s brother, Elazer, was crushed to death by an elephant. The Syrian-Greek army enforced a siege on Yerushalayim, and within a short period of time (it was a Shemitta year) famine began to affect the city. However, the Jews in Yerushalayim were saved from hunger by internal Greek politics. While Antiochus V was away from his throne, an imposter attempted to take over as king. The king and his advisors lifted the siege in order to return to Antioch and eliminate the imposter. They quickly arranged a truce and left Yerushalayim. Shortly later, the brother of Antiochus IV, who had been held hostage in Rome until then, escaped and reappeared in Syria. He garnered power, established himself as leader, and had Antiochus V executed. The truce between Yehudah and Antiochus was now no longer valid. The Hellenists seized the opportunity created by the transition of power to forge an alliance with the new leader and conspire with him against Yehudah. The Hellenist attacked the Jews in Yerushalayim and had many of them executed. They began persecuting the Torah Jews with even more vehemence than the Syrians. Yehudah was forced to wage war once again, and under impossible conditions of the few against the many, the Jew were again victorious. A few months later, the Greeks and the Hellenists attacked again, and Yehudah was killed in battle. His brother Yonatan became the new leader. After several more battles, a peace treaty was finally signed between Syria and the Jews in Yerushalayim. Yonatan led Eretz Yisrael over the next several years, and was able to gain further power and prestige for the Jewish people fueled by political turmoil and change among the Syrians. The expanded borders and power of Judea was too tempting for one official, Triphon, who was the real power

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behind the throne of Antiochus VI, who was then too young to rule. He hoped to take over Judea and went to battle against Yonatan. When Triphon realized he could not win over the Jewish army, he tricked Yonatan into coming to him to sign a peace treaty and then took him as hostage and had him executed. The last surviving brother, Shimon then led a successful battle against Triphon, and Eretz Yisrael finally won its hard-earned independence. The Acra fortress was finally defeated as well. Shimon was recognized as Kohen Gadol and Nasi of Yisrael.

The Story Of Chanukah Part 5: The End Of The Chashmonaim Dynasty Shimon ben Matityahu was established as Nasi of Yisrael, but purposely did not call himself king. Hashem had established the royal line from the house of David, and Shimon, as a Kohen stemmed from Levi. Shimon’s son, Yochanan Hyrkanus succeeded him after his death. Yochanan garnered even more power for Eretz Yisrael and expanded its borders. Unfortunately, he erred by forcing the conquered nations to convert (or flee). Yochanan died, and was succeeded by his son, Alexander Yannai, who did not follow in the Torah ways of his ancestors and was influenced by the Hellenists. Alexander named himself king, in defiance of the established custom. Most of the Chashmonai kings who followed were also Hellenized and corrupt. The last two Chashmanoi kings, two brothers named Hrykanus and Aristolus, disputed each other over who should be king, and they decided to involve Rome in their dispute. This was a very sad mistake, with repercussions lasting until this very day. Rome intervened, took over power in Eretz Yisrael, and stayed there until the destruction of the second Bet Hamikdash and our present day exile. Pompei entered Eretz Yisrael and established Hrykanus as the leader since he was the more passive of the two brothers. Six years after they entered Eretz Yisrael, the Romans annulled the power of the Sanhedrin.

Hryankus’s advisor, Antipater, who was the real power behind the throne, was a descendant of one of the nations which had been forcibly converted by Yochanan Hrykanus. Antipater’s son, Hordus completely wiped out the Chashmanoi dynasty, which ruled for only 103 years. The Gemara says that Hordus (who had a hobby of killing people, including his wife and children) killed all the members of the Chashmonaim except for one young girl. (Bava Basra 3b) The young girl then jumped off a roof. As she fell to her death, she announced that anyone who professes to be a descendant of Chashmonaim is really a slave. The Chashmonaim, whose reign began with true Torah heroes, whose success in battle stemmed from their emunah in Hashem, met a very sad end. The Ramban says that the reason the Chashmonaim were punished so severely was because they ruled over Bne Yisrael instead of Bet David, which was not their role.

Le Secret de la Royauté Dans la paracha Mikets, la Torah nous raconte comment les prophéties de Yossef se réalisèrent. En effet, après avoir été vendu en tant qu'esclave en Egypte, il devient vite le bras droit de son maître Potifar. Dès lors, la bénédiction s'installe chez ce dernier: tout ce que touche Yossef Atsadik se transforme en or. La réussite de ce beau jeune homme de 17 ans ne laisse personne indifférent, et encore moins la femme de Potifar qui tombe éperdument amoureuse de lui. Malgré ses refus quotidiens, celle-ci le harcèle pendant un an. A la suite d'un dernier échec, elle fait courir le bruit que cet esclave l'a violée. Pendant douze ans, Yossef est jeté dans la prison royale. Soudain, le roi d'Egypte fait un rêve que personne n'arrive à interpréter. Ses conseillers se souviennent qu'il existe un esclave juif qui excelle dans l'interprétation des songes. Pharaon sort alors

Pour Les Francophones

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Yossef de prison et lui décrit celui qui le préoccupe. Ce dernier lui explique qu'il y aura sept années d'abondance qui seront suivies de sept années de disette. Yossef propose un plan de secours économique pour sauver l'Egypte. Pharaon accepte ses idées et le place à la tête de la plus grande puissance de l'époque. A la surprise générale, un esclave juif tout droitsorti de prison devient le second de Pharaon. Comme vous pouvez le constater, l'histoire de Yossef ressemble à un scénario de film hollywoodien. Seulement, comme nous le répétons souvent dans le livre de Béréchit, la Torah n'est pas un livre d'histoire et encore moins un roman à l'eau de rose Has Véchalom. Si la Torah ne s'est pas contentée de nous dire que "Yossef est devenu second du roi en Egypte", si elle prit la peine de nous expliquer tout son parcours, c'est forcément pour apprendre à chaque juif, pour chaque génération, comment se comporter. Nous allons essayer de déduire un des enseignements de cette paracha selon les paroles du rav Tsvi Meir Zilberberg. A travers l'ascension prodigieuse de Yossef Atsadik, la Torah nous dévoile le secret pour faire partie des élites sociales, devenir chef d'entreprise, dirigeant… Si on observe bien le parcours de Yossef, nous pouvons constater qu'il n'a accompli pratiquement aucune démarche pour obtenir ce poste. Au contraire, lorsque Pharaon l'appelle pour lui interpréter ses rêves, il répond que ce n'est pas lui, mais Di-u, qui parviendra à le tranquilliser. Alors comment a-t-il réussi à se hisser au sommet de la hiérarchie? La réponse se trouve dans le comportement de Yossef. Notre ancêtre a travaillé sur lui, puis est parvenu à faire ce que peu de gens réussissent: à régner sur lui-même! La Torah témoigne que, malgré les difficultés qu'il rencontra, il a su rester le capitaine de son navire sans jamais dériver de la route qu'il s'était fixée. Ainsi, pendant un an, a-t-il résisté aux avances de la femme de son maître. Qui peut s'imaginer l'importance de cette épreuve? Après l'avoir surmontée, on le jette en prison. N'avait-il pas toutes les raisons du monde de penser que Di-u l'avait abandonné? Il est maltraité pendant plus de dix ans et pourtant sa foi ne diminue pas. Il sort de

geôle et lance à Pharaon: "seul Di-u peut te répondre". Enfin, lorsqu'il se dévoilera à ses frères qui l'avaient vendu, il leur dira: "Je suis Yossef votre frère!" Sachez que, malgré ce que vous m'avez fait, je suis votre frère, je ne vous en veux pas car c'est Hachem qui a décidé de tout cela. Nous devons tous apprendre de Yossef à être des rois et à régner sur nous-mêmes. Ce travail comporte bien évidemment de nombreuses facettes, comme on l'a vu: il faut savoir se contrôler et ne pas céder à toutes ses pulsions, réussir à surmonter aussi ses rancunes, ses mauvaises pensées…Nous trouvons dans le traité Brakhot (4, a) à propos de David Amélekh l'enseignement suivant: « Ne suis-je pas un Hassid? Tous les rois d'est et ouest dorment jusqu'à la troisième heure du jour, alors que moi je me lève au milieu de la nuit pour Te louer. » Nous voyons de cette gémara que la royauté d'un juif s'exprime au réveil. Lorsque nous dormons, nous ne sommes plus les maîtres de notre corps. Au réveil, nous retrouvons cette possibilité de régner sur nous-mêmes. Ce premier défi de la journée est très déterminant pour la suite. A tel point que le Choulhan Aroukh, le livre qui enseigne les lois de la vie juive, s'ouvre par la loi suivante: "un homme doit se "lever" comme un lion pour accomplir le service divin." Ainsi, lorsqu'un juif sort de son lit le matin, malgré le sommeil, le froid, et se prépare pour la prière, il commence sa journée en montrant qu'il est le roi. Un autre aspect de ce travail, c'est d'arriver à lutter contre la perte du temps. Il est écrit dans les lois de Roch Hachanna que celui qui ne fait rien ressemble à une personne qui dort. Car le sommeil représente la non maîtrise de soi, l'absence. Lorsqu'une personne tue le temps, passe le temps…elle dort, elle quitte le navire. Cela ne veut pas dire que l'on ne peut pas se reposer... Mais nous devons comprendre que le temps est précieux. "La vie est courte et le travail est important." Si nous voulons arriver à de grandes choses, nous devons profiter de chaque instant. Voilà la leçon que nous devons apprendre de cette paracha. Il ne faut pas se laisser perturber par les épreuves et les situations de la vie. A l'image de Yossef, nous devons travailler sur nous nuit et jour, sans

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nous poser de questions. Car c'est en devenant les rois de nos vies qu'Hachem nous fera accéder à toutes les ascensions. Nous vous souhaitons de réussir dans cette longue lutte contre soi-même…

Les Petites Fioles de

Hannouca Après plus de vingt ans de service chez Lavan, Yaacov avinou retourne en Eretz Israel avec sa famille et son nombreux bétail. Seule ombre au tableau, Essav son frère vient à sa rencontre avec une lourde armée pour le tuer. Yaacov avinou tente de faire la paix, prie et enfin se prépare à une lutte qui semble inévitable. Cependant, peu après la tombée de la nuit, seul, il revient sur ses pas et traverse une nouvelle fois la rivière. Là-bas, il lutte contre l'ange d'Essav jusqu'au petit matin. La guémara dans la Masséret Houline (91,a) explique que Yaacov avinou était parti chercher de petites fioles qu'il avait oubliées lors du voyage. Même s'il est possible d'expliquer cet épisode selon son sens simple, de nombreux commentateurs comprennent que ce passage de la Torah représente un combat spirituel entre notre ancêtre et l'ange d'Essav. L'enjeu de cet affrontement était d'obtenir les petites fioles de Hannouca! Nous allons essayer de déchiffrer le message que nos sages ont voulu nous transmettre. L'année juive est rythmée par les fêtes qu'Hachem nous a données. Plus que de simples rendez-vous familiaux, chacune nous permet de puiser les forces qui nous accompagnent toute l'année. Comme vous le savez, chaque Yom Tov possède ses caractéristiques, ses mitsvots, son énergie. Par exemple, nous faisons le plein de foi à Pessah, de Torah à Chavouot…Il faut savoir que sans ces fêtes, il serait impossible de vivre notre religion à long terme. C'est une des raisons pour laquelle on appelle ces fêtes "Régalim"(les pieds) car sur elles repose toute l'année. Cependant, même si Hachem déverse sur chaque juif des forces illimitées, chacun reçoit, pendant ses jours sacrés, en fonction de son travail et de sa préparation.

Ces derniers obéissent à deux conditions: il faut, dans un premier temps, effectuer notre service divin au maximum de nos capacités. C'est-à-dire faire attention à tout ce que cela implique: s'éloigner des fautes, accomplir les mitsvot, faire attention à son prochain, à ses paroles, ses pensées et ses actes…Dans un second temps, il faut s'efforcer d'effectuer au mieux ce qu'Hachem attend de nous à chaque fête, à travers les mitvots et le travail requis par chacune d'elles. Comme nous l'avons dit, tout le service divin de l'année s'appuie sur ce que nous avons puisé lors des Yom Tov. Mais il faut savoir que ceci s'applique encore plus à la fête de Hannouca. En effet, celle-ci est la dernière que notre peuple a reçue avant la venue du Machiah Tsikénou. Lors de la sortie d'Egypte, nos ancêtres faisaient le plein de spiritualité pour traverser l'année grâce aux fêtes données lors du don de la Torah: Roch-Hachana, Kippour, Souccot, Pessah et Chavouot. A partir du premier exil, ils eurent besoin de plus de lumière... Alors Hachem lors donna la fête de Pourim. Vers la fin du second Temple, une obscurité opaque s'abattit sur notre peuple, quand les Grecs décidèrent de déraciner la religion et la spiritualité. Et à ces fins, tous les moyens leur furent bons: le meurtre, l'immoralité, l'argent… Pour lutter contre ces agressions qui affaiblissent notre judaïsme depuis deux mille ans, Hachem nous a réservé une lumière spéciale! Une force spirituelle qui se révèle tous les ans à Hannouca et qui nous donne les forces pour tenir dans cet exil. Or lorsque Yaacov avinou vit par prophétie que cette lutte contre Essav allait s'étendre sur plusieurs millénaires, il pria Hachem pour qu'il nous rajoute quelques fioles de sainteté, quelques lumières cachées pour la survie des bné Israël. Et ce message se retrouve dans la mitsva de l'allumage des bougies, que nous faisons la nuit, symbole de l'exil, pendant le mois de Kislev et Tevet, pendant lesquels les nuits sont les plus longues. De plus, il est bien d'allumer devant les maisons, dans la rue afin de se rappeler qu'Hachem est avec nous même hors de chez nous, loin d'Eretz Israel…

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Ainsi cette fête vient-elle nous donner les forces spirituelles pour traverser cette longue nuit qu'est notre exil qui semble ne plus finir. C'est pourquoi nous ne devons pas rater cette chance et profiter de ces 192 heures pour faire le plein pour l'année. Pour cela, nous allons détailler quelques domaines dans lesquels il est important de se renforcer pendant cette période. Le Schla Akadoch (zrouto yagen alénou) explique qu'il faut étudier pendant ces jours sacrés plus que toute l'année. Car l'étude de la Torah permet l'ouverture des cœurs et de se rapprocher d'Hachem. Et puisque l'essentiel du service divin de Hannouca doit provenir du cœur, il est nécessaire d'étudier autant qu'on peut. Ensuite, il est important d'enflammer toutes nos prières pendant cette période. Et plus encore, chaque partie d'entre elles doit être récitée avec ardeur. Nous devons dire un Hodou de Hannouca, un Baroukh Chéamar de Hannouca, une Qriat Chéma de Hannouca, une Amida de Hannouca…en nous efforçant de nous attacher à Hachem de toutes nos forces, en particulier lors du Hallel que nous lirons chaque jour. Mais il faut savoir qu'en dehors des prières journalières, ces 192 heures sont un ET RATSON (temps propice pendant lequel les prières sont davantage acceptées) incomparable, et en particulier lorsque les

lumières sont allumées. Nous devons essayer de consacrer du temps pendant la journée pour prier pour tous nos besoins spirituels, matériels, pour nous et tout notre peuple, pour toutes les délivrances collectives et individuelles que l'on désire. Il est même conseillé d'écrire dès à présent des listes de demandes pour ne rien oublier pendant la fête. Il est important, pour pouvoir ressentir le miracle et le diffuser, de bien connaître l'histoire de Hannouca. Enfin cette fête a été définie par nos sages comme" des jours de louanges et de remerciements" afin de nous enseigner que nous avons un devoir de remerciement envers notre créateur à ce moment particulier. Là encore, le travail se compose de deux parties: il faut remercier sur tout ce qui touche à la fête: sur les miracles de Hannouca, sur les forces et la lumière qu'Hachem nous a transmises pendant ces huit jours. Mais surtout nous devons remercier notre créateur pour tous les bienfaits qu'Il nous offre toute l'année dans les domaines spirituel et matériel. Voilà un petit aperçu de ce qu'Hachem attend de nous pendant cette enthousiasmante semaine. A nous de nous préparer au mieux pour pouvoir remplir nos vies et nos maisons de lumière. Dvar thora inspiré du livre Divrés Ithazkout sur Hannouka

¿El hombre sirve a Di-s, o Di-s sirve al hombre?

La parashá de esta semana comienza con la interpretación que le dio Iosef a los sueños de Paró y con su subsiguiente ascenso al poder en Egipto. Si analizamos cuidadosamente el diálogo que hubo entre Paró y Iosef podremos notar diferencias fundamentales en sus puntos de vista. Paró era un idólatra que, al igual que todos los egipcios, idolatraba al río Nilo, el cual era su

principal fuente de sustento. Al describir su sueño, Paró dijo que él estaba "parado sobre el río" (1). El entendimiento simple de este versículo es que nos está informando la ubicación física de Paró respecto al Nilo. Sin embargo, también nos enseña sobre su actitud hacia su Di-s, ya que el versículo destaca que estaba parado sobre el Nilo, en una posición de superioridad, lo cual no es una manera muy respetuosa de relacionarse con su Di-s. Esto simboliza que Paró no adoraba al Nilo por el beneficio del Nilo, sino que lo hacía por

Reflexion semanal

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el beneficio propio; él necesitaba al Nilo y por lo tanto lo apaciguaba con su adoración. Al final de cuentas, el Nilo estaba sirviendo a Paró, y no al revés. La actitud de los egipcios hacia su Di-s queda demostrada aún más claramente por elcomportamiento del Faraón que vivió en los tiempos de Moshé. El Faraón solía ir al río temprano por la mañana para hacer sus necesidades físicas en él (2), ¡una forma sumamente irrespetuosa de tratar a su Di-s! El Talmud va más allá y nos cuenta que el Faraón incluso creía que él era quien había creado al Nilo (3). Estas fuentes indican que el servicio de los egipcios a sus Di-s es emanaba de un deseo de obtener de ellos lo que necesitaban; el Nilo estaba allí principalmente para servirlos a ellos. La actitud de Paró es muy diferente a la que tenía Iosef. Cuando Paró le pidió que interpretara sus sueños, Iosef mostró tener una gran sumisión a Di-s. Sus primeras palabras hacia Paró fueron: "No procede de mí; Di-s será quien responda respecto a la fortuna del Faraón" (4). Todos los años leemos este versículo y lo pasamos rápidamente, pero si reflexionáramos un poco comprenderíamos lo increíble que fueron las palabras de Iosef. Luego de haber estado doce años en prisión, Iosef finalmente tenía una oportunidad única para ser liberado; si lograba calmar a Paró podría tener un nuevo comienzo en su vida. Iosef sabía que Paró no creía en el Di-s judío, sino que creía que él mismo era un Di-s, una arrogancia sin paralelos. ¿Qué diría una persona en esa situación? Habría sido sumamente entendible si Iosef hubiera pensado que no era el mejor momento para atribuirle todo a Di-s y que por lo tanto hubiese elegido promoverse a sí mismo y a sus talentos. Sin embargo, Iosef no dudó en atribuirle todos sus talentos a Di-s, lo cual fue una increíble muestra de subordinación que contrasta muchísimo con la arrogancia de Paró respecto a su Di-s. Iosef heredó este rasgo de subordinación de Yaakov. Mientras que Paró se para sobre su Di-s, Yaakov se para bajo Di-s. Esta idea la vemos en la parashá Vaietzé, cuando Yaakov tiene su famoso sueño. La Torá nos dice: "Di-s estaba parado sobre él" (5). El énfasis aquí es que

Yaakov estaba debajo de Di-s, no sobre Él. Esto nos muestra que el servicio de Yaakov a Di-s no estaba definido por él mismo, sino por Di-s. Yaakov anuló sus deseos propios y sólo quería cumplir con la voluntad de Di-s. La radical diferencia que hay entre el punto de vista de Paró y el de Yaakov y Iosef es también una característica fundamental del choque entre la ideología del pueblo judío y la del imperio griego. Los griegos adoraban a muchos Di-s es, pero la idolatría no era el foco central de su ideología, sino que enfatizaban la idea de la perfección humana, creían que el hombre era el centro del universo y que el objetivo de los Di-s es era satisfacer los deseos de las personas. Muchos griegos, incluyendo a Aristóteles, expusieron la creencia de que la Tierra era el centro del universo, siendo esto un reflejo de la superioridad humana. Enfatizaban la belleza del cuerpo humano y el dominio de la razón por sobre cualquier otra forma de sabiduría. La filosofía griega claramente estaba en desacuerdo con la Torá; los griegos consideraban al judaísmo como la antítesis de sus creencias ya que la Torá destaca por sobre todas las cosas la sumisión del hombre a Di-s y la imperfección del hombre. Entender esto nos ayuda a comprender por qué los griegos prohibieron que el pueblo judío observara la circuncisión y estudiara Torá. La circuncisión es un reflejo de la creencia que el hombre no es perfecto en el plano físico y que debe ser mejorado. Los griegos creían que el hombre fue creado completo y que no puede ser mejorado; ante sus ojos, cortar una parte de su cuerpo era un acto altamente destructivo. Estudiar Torá significa que el hombre intenta entrenar su mente para entender la perspectiva de Di-s y para aprender a ver el mundo de esta manera. En contraste, los griegos creían que la razón del hombre es la principal y mejor fuente de sabiduría, la cual no debería subyugarse absolutamente a nada. La batalla de Januca fue un choque entre dos ideologías: una que ponía a Di-s en el centro, y otra que ponía al hombre en ese lugar. Espero que todos ameritemos seguir el ejemplo de Yaakov y Iosef respecto a poner a Di-s en el centro.

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(1) Miketz, 41:1 (2) Vaierá 7:15, con el comentario de Rashi. (3) Moed Katan 18a, con Rashi. (4) Miketz, 41:16. (5) Vaieitzé 28:13.

Nahala of Rav Haim Shmulevitz Tuesday the 3rd of Tebet

Rav Chaim Leib Shmulevitz, rosh yeshivas Mir (1902-1979), born in Stutchin, Poland, where his father, Rav Alter Raphael, was Rosh Yeshiva. His mother, Ettel, was the daughter of Rav Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the Alter of Novardok. In 1920, both of his parents suddenly died, and Reb Chaim was left to care for his younger brother and two younger sisters. When Rav Chaim was 22, Rav Shimon Shkop, Rosh Yeshiva in Grodno invited him to join his yeshiva. Within three years, Chaim was appointed to a lecturing post in the yeshiva. Reb Chaim continued his studies in Mir where the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, chose him as a suitable match for his daughter. With the outbreak of World War II, he remained with the Mirrer Yeshiva in its exile in Shanghai for five years. After the war, he lived for a short while in America. With the establishment of the Mirrer Yeshivah in Yerushalayim, he immigrated to Eretz Yisrael and served as its Rosh Yeshivah. Rav Chaim authored Sichot Mussar.

Chanukah and the Heroic Jewish Woman

Are we willing to fight for what’s right? (By Emuna Braverman) For Shabbat we try to make the perfect challah, for company perhaps the perfect soufflé, and for Chanukah we try to make the perfect brisket and of course the perfect latke. In the midst of all these food preparations, after ferreting out the most creative menorah and those special artisan candles, we don't

want to lose sight of the holiday. How can we have the perfect Chanukah? All beginnings are based on understanding. There was a prominent advertising campaign for a shopping mall in southern California whose motto was "Don't Blend In." You have your own unique style; don't be caught looking like a carbon copy of someone else. In fashion, it's clear. For some there is nothing more mortifying than to catch an acquaintance wearing the same outfit as you. While we may have mixed feelings about the application of this motto to clothing, the application to Jewish pride should be unambivalent. Chanukah is the holiday of Jewish pride; it's the time when we made a historic commitment not to blend in. Despite the allure of Greek society, despite the capitulation of many of our brothers and sisters, the true heroes were those who stood apart. They were not seduced by the blandishments of the Greeks; they knew they held a precious treasure and it was not to be relinquished… The Lioness Roars One of the lesser-known yet not-unsung heroines of the Chanukah story was the widow Yehudit. Perceiving the danger that her people were in – the physical danger of the Assyrians at the door, and the spiritual danger should Jerusalem fall, she devised a plan. Her town was under siege, its inhabitants on the verge of surrender due to lack of water when Yehudit acted. Pious and resourceful, she requested a meeting with the Assyrian General Holofornes. She recommended herself as his advisor in his campaign to defeat the Jews. Seduced by her intelligence, blinded by her beauty, Holofornes agreed to her plan. She invited him to a luxurious dinner where she served him great quantities of cheese – to promote thirst, and wine – to quench it. Finally he fell into a deep and uncomprehending sleep. Without wasting a moment, Yehudit grabbed his sword, cut off his head, and returned with it to the anxious, waiting Jews. The severed head was displayed on the walls of the city,

Nahalot

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terrifying the Assyrian army who panicked and retreated. The Jewish soldiers were victorious and a prayer of thanksgiving was offered up, with gratitude to the Almighty and his righteous agent, Yehudit. When the chips are down, women have the power to rise above. When the chips are down, women have the power to rise above. When our families are threatened, we become mother lionesses, roaring at and attacking our enemies. When our people are at risk, we have the power to save them. If we use it wisely. If we're focused on the goal. Too frequently, the goal is obscured. We blink and we've lost sight of it. We have a brief moment of insight and then we're back to carpools, homework and (finally!) bedtime. But what are we giving our children if it's only a ride from place to place? What is our lasting legacy if all we talk about is homework and shopping? We want to teach our children how lucky they are to be Jews, that it's a heritage not worth trading for all the money in the world. America has been a wonderful haven for the Jews. Our gratitude knows no bounds. But it also defines itself as a "melting pot." The goal is that the edges should blur as all races and ethnicities blend into one "American" whole. That is not a Jewish goal. We recognize the tremendous loss that occurs when we sacrifice our uniqueness. Again we say "don't blend in." As Jewish women, we need to model, to embody this motto... Strength and Pride The Greeks outlawed the Jewish celebration of the new month, dismissive of man's relationship with G-d in framing time, dismissive of Jewish calendar, a Jewish perspective on the yearly cycle. We have to reclaim the Jewish calendar. Our lives are deepened if the week is centered on Shabbat instead of Sunday. Our dinner parties are infused with meaning if they're connected to Jewish celebrations. Our tradition is upheld and reinforced if it is the clear priority, and not the non-Jewish or secular holidays that surround us.

We're proud of being different. Chanukah is a good place to start – but the message should inform all our activities throughout the year. Our ancestors fought many long and bloody battles to preserve their Jewishness. Chanukah is a celebration of the victory in that struggle, not the physical victory – for the battle was not yet over – but the spiritual one. Jews at Chanukah said, "We're not afraid to be different; we're proud of being different. And we'll fight to the death for our privilege and responsibility to remain different." With no imminent battles on the horizon, how do we take our stand today? By living a life that embodies Jewish values. Just as we are unique as women, we are even more precious as Jewish women. And we have a message to teach the world – beginning with our family and friends and expanding outward in ever-widening concentric circles. We can dress in a way that teaches the world about dignity. We can talk in a way that teaches the world about thoughtfulness. We can treat others in a way that teaches the world about kindness. We can raise our children in a way that teaches the world about morality. And we can pray in a way that teaches the world about G-d. We don't have to do it on our own. The Torah is the guidebook for our actions. We have community to reinforce our beliefs. But we should be prepared to go it alone. We should have the strength and the pride that nothing can stand in our way. We need to find the battle that Yehudit would have fought today – and drawing on her legacy of strength and spirit – lead the troops… And while we're doing all this – while we're developing into great Jewish women and using our strengths and talents to impact our world, while we're standing up with quiet dignity and inner fortitude and refusing to blend in, we can also be at home – spinning the dreidel, passing out Chanukah gelt, eating latkes, and teaching our children, our families, our communities how to live an inspired moral and unique life; a life that only we as individuals, and we as members of a people, can create. Excerpted from Inspiring Lights (Afikim)