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Parshat Miketz

Rabbi David Laor

Shabbat Shalom,

This week’s portion MIKETZ is the miracle Parsha of the week of Chanukah. And usually the Rabbi has a hard time deciding whether to deal with the subject of the Festival of Lights or the weekly portion itself. It turns out that like almost everything in Judaism it can be both.

The weekly Torah portion begins with Pharaoh’s famous dream of the seven fat and seven lean cows as we read in chapter 41: “1 Now it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream. And it seemed to him that he was standing by a river; 2 and out of the river came seven cows, beautiful to the sight and very fat, and they were grazing in a meadow. 3 And after them came up from the river seven other cows, ugly and lean in appearance, and they stood by the beautiful cows on the bank of the river; 4 And the ugly-looking, lean-meat cows were devouring the seven beautiful, fat cows. And Pharaoh woke up”.

Joseph offers an intelligent interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, and with that in a few moments he ended two years of prison and became no less than Pharaoh’s second in command! Incredible! It’s almost like a Mexican soap opera TV program that my aunt usually watches at home. And I ask… is it really reasonable to believe? The Pharaoh’s cupbearer himself introduces Joseph as a simple young man as it is written: “There was a young Hebrew with us, a servant of the captain of the guard” meaning that it is not feasible to think that one can reach such high levels in a monarchy as strict as Egypt, especially if we add to that that he was not only a young man (inexperienced), he was also a Hebrew (foreign to Egyptian culture) and not only that, he was a slave! Therefore, according to most historians, Joseph's ascension to the 2nd in throne before Pharaoh was almost impossible to happen.

However, if we consider for a moment that it actually happened... those results were a real miracle! which in retrospect becomes the fulfillment of a prophecy, a divine force that must have pulled the threads of Pharaoh's fate with nightmares on the one hand, and Joseph's fate on the other by granting him intuitive wisdom of dream interpretation, which together form the preparations in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel, and the emotional reunion of Joseph and his family - this will be on next week’s Parasha, do not miss it!

This situation then raises an interesting and even more challenging question: Is the destiny of the people of Israel really already written and predetermined? Is all in our life predestination? Is the history of the people of Israel the product of events intertwined by the creator of the Universe? Or do we have a leading role in this act as well? Or perhaps, may there be changes, like for example, bloopers at the end of the film when you understand that the original story could have been changed. These are the moments that make the original "pre-written" episode different and sometimes even better or funnier than the original.

This week during this feast of miracles I was asked: Why did the miracles of the Bible end? The Torah and the prophets are full of miracles, from Abraham through all the patriarchs then in the Book of Esther and the story of Hanukkah, there are miracles here and there, why don’t we experience miracles of that kind any more? Was this special bond between God and his people of Israel destroyed along with the temple by the Romans?

I replied that miracles just as beauty are “in the eye of the beholder”. Recently I had a heart check and during the Eco-test I was able to wath a screen of my own heart pumping and working! I was mesmerized! I could see the movements, the internal parts and I asked the doctor: How does the heart know how to compress and expand, the rhythm, the intensity, not to stop! What energy generates its movements? The doctor kindly explained that I should take a course to understand deeper why the heart works as it does. My intuition says that doctors do not fully understand the reasons but know how to deal with the problems, and that we can only admire nature and its daily miracles. When I walk to the office looking around me, I can definitely say that miracles are not over! They still exist all around us, and sometimes we get used to them and they become a standard in our lives and we easily lose the sense of the miracle. Chazal (The Sages) understood this well and therefore added to the liturgy of the Amida, that we pray three times a day, at the prayer of Modim (We thank you): ועל נסיך שבכל יום עמנו, ועל נפלאותיך "For the miracles that we have daily, and for the wonders and blessings that we have at all times: evening, morning and noon".

Now keep those words in mind, and try to remember this week, some miracle that happened to you: maybe you witnessed a car accident in which you were not involved, or you received an unexpected phone call, or you saw an incredible sunset or sunrise. Remember: “Bechol et, erev, boker vetzohoraim - at all times, evening, morning and noon” the miracle itself does not happen until we are aware of it.

The traditional Chanuka’s miracle is that while lighting the seven branched candelabra in the restored Temple, a single portion of oil enough for one day, lasted eight days. But was that real miracle? What would you do if there was only a little amount of oil? Most of you would probably say: “ok, I guess we should start looking for more oil!” or prepare more and wait for there to be enough to last a week at least, after all those warriors had already been fighting for two years, and a few more days nothing would happen. But others, perhaps more daring, may think different… The REAL miracle was that when the Cohen came in and discovered that he only had JUST ONE pot of oil enough for one day… even so… he decided to light the candelabra. When we read the book of the Maccabees in a more analytical way we realize something astonishing… The desecration of the temple in Jerusalem lasted two years… TWO YEARS… And we could ask the old man Matitiahu: Until now you come up in arms? Where were you those past two years? Or that you were only affected when they came to your house in Modiin and tried to burn a pig on YOUR altar? Was it only when you were interested in using arms?

The miracle began with the response of the Hasmoneans: when they FINALLY decided to act. The words of the song that we sing every night when we light the candles explains: “Al Hanisim veal Niflaot”, tho those words the Maharal of Prague comments: “Why don’t we say anything or mention the oil? because the miracle is in the response of Yehuda the Maccabee and his soldiers who together managed to defeat a much larger and more powerful Greek army using guerrilla warfare tactics, because the miracle was in TRYING, DARING”. That is why we say “Al Hanisim - For the miracles”. Even if the oil only lasts for one day… Dayenu… it is enough, the important thing is to try. Because through ACTION we initiate the wonderful mechanism of miracles. With the physical lighting of a light, we light up the spiritual part that is in us and we raise our souls to the heights. I make a prayer that with each light we light, we shall not only illuminate our homes but our souls, and with this we shall begin something that leads us to perceive, be aware of, and experience miracles in our lives as we pray: “bejol et, erev, boker vetzohoraim - at all times: afternoon, morning and noon”.

Shabat Shalom and Hag Urim Sameach!

Rabbi David Laor

December 27th, 2024

Sat, February 15 2025 17 Shevat 5785