Dedication: May we soon see peace once more after evil has been eradicated, and may our soldiers and the captives all come home safely.
This week's parsha focuses, at the beginning, on Yosef being the favorite and the reaction of his brothers to this fact. The reaction, as we know, was not positive, but the relationship had purpose and led to Yosef's ultimate role of leadership.
The Jewish people are known as “the Chosen people,” and we refer to ourselves as Hashem's firstborn and beloved. Hashem created all of humankind btzelem Elokim; they are all His children. The Jewish people, however, have a special relationship with Hashem…and the other nations cannot understand the dreams we have, they cannot recognize the tikkun our nation has brought to the world.
Right now, we can relate too well to Yosef. We feel betrayed by the world, thrown into a pit. There are those who have shown us support, but somedays it feels as if the negative pressure is only growing.
And yet it is Chanukah… the time of miracles. It is the time when Hashem shows his hand. Yes, the world tries to crush us for that unique role, but time and time again we do more than survive. We thrive. Yosef went from slave to prisoner to viceroy, all while maintaining a path of righteousness.
There are many discussions about whether the miracle of Chanukah is military or spiritual, but we know that it was both. Showing might does not, as the rest of the world might think, negate spirituality. Yosef, while not militaristic, was a force of great power in Mitzrayim. The key is military might (or political power) while staying connected to Hashem and to our core Torah values.
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