Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English Parshas Miketz (Shabbos Chanukah) – Rosh Chodesh Tevet 5786
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Miketz (Shabbos Chanukah) – Rosh Chodesh Tevet 5786
Bostoner Rebbe shlit’a – Yerushalayim
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According to the Tur (O.C. 417), the Three Festivals correlates to the Three Patriarchs. Pesach corresponds to Avraham, as he received the three angels on the festival of Pesach and baked Matzos for his guests (see Beraishis 18:6). Shavuos relates to Yitzchak, as the Shofar blasts at Har Sinai were sounded with the Ram of Akeidas Yitzchak. Sukkos corresponds to Yaakov, who while traveling back to Eretz Yisroel built Sukkahs (Beraishis 33:17) and named his settlement Sukkos. The Tur concludes by connecting the 12 annual Rosh Chodesh holidays to the 12 tribes of Yisroel.
Picking up where the Tur left off, one could suggest that Yosef symbolizes the Rosh Chodesh of Tishrei, and the festival of Rosh Hashana. Although R’ Eliezer and R’ Yehoshua argue over what month the world was created and what month the Final Redemption will arrive, all opinions agree that Yosef was released from prison in this week’s Parsha – it occurred on Rosh Hashana.
On one hand, Rosh Hashana is a day of judgment for both individuals and the world as a whole (Hilchos Teshuva 3:1-4). Yosef was judged for his lack of faith in Hashem on Rosh Hashana and sentenced to two additional years of prison (Rashi 40:23). Similarly, the entire world was judged on Rosh Hashana as expressed in the dreams of Paroh at the beginning of Parshas Miketz. Alternatively, Rosh Hashana is also associated with the coronation of Hashem as King of the Universe. On Rosh Hashana, Yosef was crowned as the viceroy of Egypt, and reigned for eighty years – the longest of any Jewish ruler in history.
To continue with this train of thought, the Sfas Emes (5642) maintains that the festival of Purim corresponds to Moshe Rabbeinu, as the Gemara explains how happy and encouraged Haman was when his ‘Purim’ [lots] fell out on the month of Adar, the month of Moshe’s death. He did not know that Adar was also the month that Moshe was born (Megillah 13b). In addition, one may add that the silver half-Shekels collected by Moshe counteracted the 10,000 talents of silver that Haman paid to Achashveirosh to ‘purchase the Jewish People’ (see Tosfos to Megillah 16a).
Another deeper connection can be found in a Midrash which explains that Torah Sh’Bichtav was accepted with a full heart at Sinai, as the people exclaimed “‘Na’aseh V’Nishma” – ‘we will do and we will listen’ (Shemos 24:7), however, the Oral Torah required coercion (Tanchuma Noach 3). As related in Shabbos 88a, Hashem suspended Har Sinai over Klal Yisroel and gave them an ultimatum. Either they accept the Torah, or else they would be buried alive beneath the mountain. Only ‘in the times of Achashveirosh’, did they accept the Torah Sh’B’Al Peh without duress, as it states, “Keyamu V’Kibalu HaYehudim” (Esther 9:27) – The Jews ‘confirmed what they had already accepted previously’. Thus, Purim is essentially the completion of Klal Yisroel receiving the Torah from Hashem via Moshe.
Chanukah, according to the Sfas Emes represents Aharon HaKohain. One of the hints to Chanukah in the Torah is the juxtaposition of the beginning of Parshas Behaaloscha, which discusses the lighting of the Menorah, with the end of Parshas Naso, which discusses the offerings of the Nissi’im during the dedication ceremony known as the Chanukas HaMishkan. In fact, this entire section composes the Torah Reading throughout the eight days of Chanukah.
The Tanchuma (Bamidbar 5) explains that Levi was not represented among the tribal princes who brought offerings at that time. “Aharon said, ‘Woe is me, perhaps because of me [my role in the Golden Calf] the tribe of Levi is not represented’. Hashem said to Moshe: ‘Go and tell Aharon, when you kindle the lamps..’ (Bamidbar 8:2) – the Korbanos are only offered when the Beis HaMikdash is extant, however, the lamps of the Menorah and the blessings that I have given you to bless my sons (Bamidbar 6:24-26) will never be annulled.” The Ramban at the beginning of Parshas Behaaloscha points out that since the lighting of the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash terminated after the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, the Midrash must be referring to the lighting of the Chanukah candles which continue to this very day.
Furthermore, it was the descendents of Aharon, the Chashmonaim, who spearheaded the opposition that overcame Antiochus and the Greek nation. They were the ones who rededicated the Mikdash, and lit the Menorah with one day’s worth of pure olive oil, with the seal of the Kohain Gadol, which miraculously lasted for eight days. Mattiyahu the Kohen Gadol and his sons, reestablished self-rule and a kingdom in Eretz Yisroel which lasted for over 200 years until the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash (Hilchos Chanukah 3:1)
This leaves us with one final Shepherd of Klal Yisroel – Dovid HaMelech. It seems to me that Dovid HaMelech, the last of the seven chronologically, corresponds to the day of Tisha B’Av. It was the desire of Dovid HaMelech to build the Beis HaMikdash (Shmuel II 7), and although he was disqualified from doing so, he was permitted to build its foundation, while the construction was completed by his son Shlomo. It was Dovid and his son who codified the third blessing of Birkat HaMazon known as Boneh Yerushalayim (Brachos 48b). Additionally, the Yerushalmi Brachos 2:4 states that Tisha B’Av is the day when Moshiach ben Dovid will be born.
The Chashmonaim were the valiant heroes of Chanukah. Without them, Torah and Mitzvos – Chas V’Shalom – might have been completely wiped out by the ‘darkness’ of the Greeks and their goals to Hellenize the Jewish People. However, as the Ramban explains on the Pasuk, “the scepter shall not be removed from Yehuda” (Beraishis 49:10), the Chashmonaim were punished and the Beis HaMikdash eventually destroyed because they established themselves as kings during the Second Temple era, yet they were not from the tribe of Yehudah and the House of Dovid. “May you speedily cause the offspring of Your servant Dovid to blossom…for we hope for Your deliverance all day long’. Moreover, in the merit of all seven Shepherds of Yisroel, and the days of the Jewish calendar that they represent, ‘may You rebuild it soon in our days as an eternal structure and may You speedily establish the Throne of Dovid within it. Baruch Atah Hashem, the Builder of Yerushalayim. Amen.
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