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Friday, December 19, 2014

MIKEITZ / CHANUKAH


‎Pharaoh summons Yosef to interpret his dreams; Not only does Yosef interpret the dreams, but he also offers advice on how to try to avoid the impending catastrophe, ועתה ירא פרעה איש נבון וחכם וישיתהו על ארץ מצרים. “Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man & set him over the land of Egypt.”

Pharaoh had only asked him to interpret the dream. Why was Yosef offering advice too, even specifying what kind of person he would need to find to carry out the task. Ramban asks, isn't that a little presumptuous to start offering his own advice? He explains that Yosef understood that the reason Hashem had revealed to Pharaoh what he was about to do was so that he would take action. Yosef was a wise man & החכם עיניו בראשו " the wise man has eyes in his head" so he was subtly promoting himself to get the job.

Rav Tzvi Hirsch Farber explains this with a parable. There were two princes that were riding the train to the next town. Each one of the princes was more infatuated with himself & his honor than the next one. When they got to the station, an orchestra began playing to greet them. Each one of the princes, in his great quest for honor, was convinced that the orchestra was there for him. They couldn't convince each other, that the other one was more honored.

Arguing with each other as to who the music was for, they came upon a Jew from the neighborhood whom they decided to ask, “whom did the musicians come for”. The Jew, who hadn't a penny to his name for the upcoming holiday, told them that it would cost them fifty rubles for him to arbitrate. They agreed & paid him the fifty rubles. He told them, "the musicians didn't come for either one of you; rather they came for me so that I would have money for the holiday!”

Yosef, ‎ too, thought to himself why did Hashem have to tell Pharaoh what was going to happen in the future? It could only be so that I could rise to power; therefore he offered the advice & Pharaoh offered him the job just as he intended.

Now, wasn't it enough that Yosef was finally freed from jail? Why did Hashem make it that he ended up as king too?

One of the famous questions asked about the miracle of the oil lasting eight days on Chanuka is why did we need to find pure oil to light the Menora? Even if the oil had been impure, the rule that טומאה הותרה בציבור, spiritual impurity is allowed when it's related to the whole klal yisroel, would have allowed it to be used since the lighting of the Menora is a ‎communal obligation. Therefore, what was the reason Hashem had to make the miracle? The פני יהושע answers that the reason Hashem did that was to show his love for the Jewish people. Even at a time when they would have been allowed to use any oil, Hashem made a miracle for them to show that his love for them was still strong & He wanted them to serve Him in purity.

With Yosef too, Hashem could have arranged it for Yosef to get out of jail. Then, the famine would come without preparation & the brothers & Yaakov would end up in Egypt some other way. However, He did it this way to show His love for the Jewish people. Even though they had to eventually end up in Egypt, Hashem made sure it was done in the best way for them by making Yosef the king. Then, when his father & brothers came down, they were treated like royalty, demonstrating Hashem’s love for the Jewish people. Even in times of trial, Hashem is there pulling the strings behind the scene to ensure that it's as positive as could be. We have to recognize this & know that whatever is happening, Hashem loves us & is doing what He knows is best!

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