Miketz: An End to the Darkness

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The contrast between the beauty of Jews celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach and the horrific acts that followed compels us to ask: how do we respond to such darkness?

Joseph, too, in Parshat Miketz, is immersed in darkness – thrown into a pit, brought down to Egypt, and forgotten in prison for two long years. Yet the Rabbis teach that it is precisely at this moment, when all hope seems lost, that God “puts an end (ketz) to the darkness.” The Torah draws a linguistic link between the end of Joseph’s imprisonment – miketz – and Pharaoh’s awakening from his dream – vayikatz Pharaoh. That awakening creates the opening through which Joseph, interpreter of dreams, can emerge from confinement. Recognizing the hand of God at work, Joseph publicly acknowledges this when Pharaoh asks him to interpret the dreams, and he declares that it is God who will provide the interpretation through him.

The timing of this parsha is significant. Parshat Miketz often coincides with Hanukkah, which celebrates the Jewish people’s triumph over the darkness of assimilation and antisemitism. It is for this reason that the Hanukkah lights are placed outside the home or by the window, visible in the public sphere. Joseph and Hanukkah share a central theme: the courage to express faith publicly – faith in God and in the future of the Jewish people.

In the modern era, the men and women of Chabad have embodied this ideal fully, around the world. The Lubavitcher Rebbe pioneered public menorah lightings, from the White House in 1974 to global ceremonies broadcast by satellite in 1990. Like Joseph and the Hasmoneans before them, they stood tall in their faith and made it visible to the world. That is precisely what Rabbi Schlanger and the Australian Jewish community were doing on Bondi Beach – bringing light into public space – before darkness struck. In their memory, our response must be the same: to strengthen our faith, stand firmly in who we are, and continue bringing light into the world. Shabbat Shalom and Hanukkah Sameach -Karen Miller Jackson 

Miketz: Faith and Effort

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Yosef has experienced a number of lows in his life by the time we encounter him in parshat Miketz. He was thrown into a pit, brought down to Egypt and then imprisoned. The commentaries draw insights from Yosef about enduring hardship, balancing faith in God with human hishtadlut (effort) and how not to give into despair.

Yosef, in the hope of going free, asks the chief butler: “But remember me when all is well with you again, and do me the kindness of remembering me to Pharaoh…” However, says the Torah, the chief butler “did not remember him…he forgot him.” Numerous commentaries read this double language as deep forgetting – he removed Yosef’s suffering from his mind and his heart. 

Rashi, citing Bereshit Rabbah, teaches that Yosef remained in prison an extra two years because he put his trust in the chief butler. The repetition refers to forgetting him on that day and also thereafter. The midrash reinforces this through a verse from Tehillim: “Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who turns not to the arrogant…” If this is so, what need is there for us to do our part, our hishtadlut, to bring about our freedom? Other sources emphasize Yosef’s mistake was putting too much faith in outside help. The Kli Yakar comments that when he used conditional language (“but remember me…) it indicates that otherwise he would lose hope. 

The combination of physical effort and spiritual faith is a defining characteristic of Hanukkah. The Hasmoneans did their part and God brought the miracles. As Rabbi Sacks writes: “We need both: human effort and Divine favor. We have to be, in a certain sense, patient and impatient – impatient with ourselves but patient in waiting for God to bless our endeavors.”

May we follow in Yosef’s footsteps and keep up the incredible efforts and deep faith we are seeing around us and may we merit remembrance and miracles, salvation and victory. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson

Parshat Miketz: Truly Seeing

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One word appears throughout the story of Yosef and his brothers – הכר – to recognize. The word is first used at the lowest point in their relationship. In   Parshat Miketz however, it marks a turning point in the brothers’ ability to recognize each other’s distress and take steps toward healing.  

First, when Yosef is taken down to Egypt, the brothers deceptively dip his famed coat in animal blood. They then show it to Yacov as evidence of Yosef’s death and ask “haker na?!” “Do you recognize this coat?” Later, Tamar says the exact same words to Yehuda, in an attempt to get him to recognize her suffering and take responsibility for her. 

In parshat Miketz this word is used again, when the brothers come down to Egypt during a famine looking for sustenance. They find themselves standing before Yosef and “Yosef recognized (ויכר) his brothers, but they did not recognize (הכירוהו) him.” In fact, it states twice that Yosef recognized them. Why this contrast? Rashi, citing Bereshit Rabbah, interprets the brothers lack of recognition as referring to the past, when the brothers didn’t recognize and treat Yosef as a brother when he was vulnerable. However, the Torah emphasizes that Yosef rose above the past when he recognizes them and has mercy on them. 

Interestingly, this word is also used in the Mishna Brachot’s teaching about when one can begin to say the Shema in the morning: “from when one can distinguish (משיכיר) between blue and white.” The Talmud brings an alternative to this time indicator: “From the time when one sees his friend at a distance of four cubits away and recognizes him.” Perhaps here, like in the Yosef narrative, “הכר” is being used both literally and figuratively. As the new day begins and daylight dawns, we are encouraged to look around more carefully, and to be cognizant of and caring toward others. Shabbat Shalom /Hanukkah Sameach /Chodesh Tov – Karen Miller Jackson