BS”D
FIRE, FLAMES AND
FLAX: PARSHAT VAYESHEV/CHANUKAH
Shira Smiles shiur
2018/5779
Adapted by Channie
Koplowitz Stein
What an unusual segue from the end of the preceding parsha, Vayetzei, to the
beginning of this parsha, Vayeshev. Parshat Vayetzei concludes by listing the
descendants of Eisav and all their chieftains. Parshat Vayeshev begins by
seeming to list the progeny of Yaakov, but lists only Yosef. What is the
connection between Yosef and Eisav, and why is Yosef the only child of Yaakov
mentioned here when Yaakov was the father of twelve tribes?
To begin to understand these relationships more clearly, Rashi cites a medrash
based on the prophecy of Ovadyah: “And the house of Yaakov shall be a fire, and
the house of Yosef a flame, and the house of Eisav for flax...” The medrash
speaks of a flax merchant with a full load of flax approaching a town. The
blacksmith in town notices the straw merchant and wonders where the merchant
will store all that straw. A clever fellow answers him, “One spark can go forth
from your bellows and burn it all up.” How does this response answer the
blacksmith’s question? Perhaps it does, for if the flax is stored in or near
the blacksmith’s home, one ember would destroy not only the flax, but also the
blacksmith’s home. The fellow was responding to the blacksmith’s fear and
hinting to keep the flax far away from the home. If the blacksmith will keep up
his work, the owner of the flax will also fear his own loss, and he will keep
his distance. Yosef represents this spark, that will ultimately consume
Esav. We need to understand why it is specifically Yosef that has this
particular ability. [Another Midrash, notes that it is specifically the
children of Rachel imenu, and that connection, too has to be examined.]
Further, since this parsha is always read on or right before Chanukah, we will
also examine its connection to Chanukah.
If we are to understand the metaphor, we must first understand the
difference between Yaakov and Eisav, and then discover how Yosef fits in so
beautifully. Perhaps we can see the contrast between Yaakov and Eisav most
glaringly when they meet again after many years of separation. Eisav refuses
Yaakov’s conciliatory gifts, saying, “I have much.” Yaakov’s response is, “I have
all/everything,” writes Rabbi Tatz. Herein lies the difference in the
philosophy of each. Eisav values the physical and material. In this scenario,
you may have much, but there is always room for more and, like straw, there is
no intrinsic value, except in quantity. Yaakov, on the other hand, values the
spiritual. Within him is the spark of the Jewish soul, the constant connection
to God that contains everything he needs and has the power to consume all that
is physical.
In this sense, Yosef continues the true legacy of his father Yaakov. Yosef had
full control over all his physical desires and could withstand the lure of the
yetzer horo even in the actual moment of extreme temptation, writes Rabbi
Goldstein in Shaarei Chaim. Only with his own passion for Hashem could
he overcome the physical passion aroused by the wife of Potiphar. Rabbi Schorr
in Halekach Vehalebuv continues the discussion of Yosef’s strength.
While Mrs. Potiphar clutched at his garment, Yosef was able to leave that
garment, representing his physicality, and run outside to avoid sinning. The
extra burning of the flame within him enabled him to flee the enticements of
Mrs. Potiphar. As another medrash based on the verse in Tehillim tells us why
the Red Sea split so Bnei Yisroel could pass through safely. The Sea saw the
coffin of Yosef Hatzadik being carried to the water. If Yosef could overcome
his human nature and flee, reasoned the waters, I too can overcome my natural
tendency to flow together and split apart. Perhaps that’s why, continues Shaarei
Chayim we practice the opinion of Beit Hillel and light our Chanukah
menorah adding to the candles and the flame each night. After all, the name
Yosef means adding to. And we know that one small flame can eliminate a world
of evil. As Rabbi Wolbe z”l adds, the small flask of oil the Maccabbees found
symbolized their self - sacrifice for Hashem and the mitzvoth, Similarly, we
too must rededicate ourselves to the performance of mitzvoth and service to
Hashem, thereby helping to bring the final redemption.
Yaakov was told not to worry about the nations of Eisav for they will stay away
for fear of being destroyed themselves, as the flax merchant fears approaching
the blacksmith’s fire. Unfortunately, today the nations are not afraid because,
although we still have the fire of Torah, we lack the passionate flame of
Yosef. We practice the mitzvoth apathetically and by rote. If we are to keep
the forces of Eisav away, we must fan the flames of our Yiddishkeit passion and
fervor. When we are passionate about our own heritage, the lure of other
cultures will not entice us.
Yosef is the symbol of our ability to withstand the lure of other cultures,
especially the lure of immorality. This is the very foundation/yesod of
our covenant with Hakodosh Boruch Hu, a covenant sealed in the organ that
represents the foundation and continuation of mankind, explains Rabbi Sternbach
in Taam Vodaath. When we are circumspect in our adherence to morality,
as was Yosef Hatzadik, we have the power over the forces of Eisav.
Let us study Rabbi Schorr’s analysis of our first medrash and how it relates to
Chanukah. As long as the blacksmith keeps focused on his work, on his fire, on
the fire in his own hands, and doesn’t keep looking over his shoulder, the
flax merchant will stay away for fear of his own destruction. Yosef represents
the blacksmith with the fire and the flax merchant represents Yavan/Greece, the
villainous nation in the Chanukah story. We can now examine some telling numerical
equivalents. YOSeF, MeLeCh YaVaN,
and ANTIoChuS (the Greek king) each adds add
up to 156. Yosef in his passion for spirituality is the foil to Yavan and to
Antiochus. Greek culture considered physical beauty the greatest ideal and
believed that the world functioned solely through the laws of nature. This
philosophy was the diametric opposite of the Jewish belief in the spiritual and
in a single, supreme God that ruled the world. When the Greeks decreed that
Jews “write on the horns of an ox that they have no share in the God of the
Jews,” they were alluding to the spirituality of Yosef whom Yaakov Avinu
compared to an ox.
Yosef represents going above and beyond nature, what he did independently by
going outside and fleeing Mrs. Potiphar. In contrast, Hashem took Avraham Avinu
outside to show him how his descendants would resemble the stars/Koh yihiyeh
zaracha, and be directly under His supervision rather than subject to the
rules of nature. The difference between the two was that at the time of
Avraham’s vision, Avraham had not yet been circumcised and therefore needed
Hashem’s intervention. Yosef, on the other hand, had been circumcised at eight
days old and was already connected to the Source and capable of circumventing
nature.
Yosef’s entire life represented the intervention of God in the natural order of
his life, writes the Sifsei Chaim. From the jealousy of his brothers, to
the unexplained meeting with the stranger who pointed him to the unplanned
place his brothers had gone, to being brought down to Egypt in a caravan
carrying fragrant spices rather than the usual foul - smelling things, Yosef
always recognized Hashem’s presence and felt His love. Even when he got out of
the dungeon because he had the ability to interpret dreams, he took no credit,
but told Pharaoh that it all comes from Hashem. Yosef maintained his holiness
and connection to Hashem in every circumstance in which he found himself. He
saw Hashem’s hidden hand in everything, and he is the antithesis of Amalek who
credits everything to coincidence and sees Hashem’s hand in nothing.
This element of the supra natural is also the basis of our celebration of
Chanukah. The name of Greece/YaVaN begins
with such an exalted letter of wisdom (Y-Yud) that
it doesn’t even touch bottom. But the Greek culture not only brought that
wisdom down to earth (V) and further degraded it so that it went
even below the dirt (N). We put the holiness of our Tzadik,
Yosef, in front of YaVON and create TziYON, the symbol of that
which goes above nature.
Yosef embodies the flame, the candle of God which is the soul within each of us
adds Rabbi Schorr. This is a further connection to Chanukah, the only holiday
mandated for eight days (not just outside Israel), for eight represents the
supra natural, the supra natural victory of the Maccabbees over the Greeks, and
the supra natural miracle of the oil lasting for eight days. If the Maccabbees
fanned the flame of connection to Hashem and went above and beyond the natural
calling to dedicate themselves to His service, Hashem rewarded them with also
going beyond nature with the Chanukah miracles.
We have to learn from Yosef, writes Rabbi Friedlander z”l. We have to recognize
Hashem’s hand even in the hidden ways of the world. We should begin our day
with verbalizing that recognition, at least with a recitation of blessings as
we set about our “normal routine”.
Yosef’s constant reference to Hashem can easily be traced back to Yaakov.
Hashem’s name was always on the lips of Yaakov, even when he surreptitiously
accepted the blessings meant for Eisav. For us, writes Rabbi Reiss in Meirosh
Tzurim, it is also not enough just to be aware of God’s presence
intellectually, as important as that is, but to go a step beyond and verbalize
that consciousness. That way we will always feel we are standing before Him and
we will refrain from sinning. When we forget His presence, we falter and sin.
Yaakov Avinu was on such a high spiritual level that even when he was asleep,
he sensed Hashem standing over him. Our Sages instituted so many brachot
into our daily lives to maintain our connection and awareness of Hakodosh
Boruch Hu constantly, on multiple occasions throughout the day.
The Greeks understood this, and therefore decreed that anyone who mentioned
Hashem’s name would be stabbed with the sword. The Maccabbees immediately
rebelled against this decree, and made sure to put Hashem’s name on every
document (until they feared they were created Sheimos, documents that
should not be destroyed,) writes Halekach Vehalebuv. (For similar
reasons, it is preferable to write BS”D rather than B”H at the top of our
written pages.)
At the time of the Judges, when Bnei Yisroel had become corrupt and often
forgot Hashem. Boaz and his Torah Court instituted that Jews greet each other
with the name of God to remind them that they are always in God’s presence. The
Megillah records that this is how he greeted his field hands and how they
returned the greeting when he went out to the field and first met Ruth.
It is not only from his father Yaakov, but also from his mother Rochel that
Yosef became the antithesis to Eisav, writes Rabbi Mattisyahu Salomon in Matnas
Chaim. Yosef responds with love even when his brothers want to kill him.
This family love he inherited from Rochel who, with tremendous self -
sacrifice, shared the special signs with her sister Leah so that Leah would not
be embarrassed as she wed Yaakov. In contrast, Eisav wanted to kill his brother
from the moment Yaakov received their father’s blessing, albeit Eisav had
already sold it to Yaakov.
It was also from Rochel Imenu that he and his full brother Binyamin inherited
the power of restraining their speech and remaining silent. While the Torah
records that Yosef brought evil reports about his brothers to their father, The
Megale Amukot clarifies Rashi, that Yosef did not go around
gleefully tattling, but rather considered each word he said, whether it was
permitted or not to bring it to Yaakov’s attention, and he refrained from
saying anything that would be simply loshon horo.
Chanukah is also about rectifying the body and elevating it, continues Rabbi
Schorr. As Shimon, the son of R’ Gamliel says in Pirkei Avos, “I have
found nothing better for oneself/one’s body than silence.” Each of the twelve
months parallels one of the twelve tribes which is then represented by a
particular stone on the High Priest’s breastplate. The month of Chanukah,
Kislev, is the month which parallels Binyamin whose stone is yeshpeh/jasper.
But yeshpeh translates to “he has a mouth,” (and knows when and how to
use it appropriately). Binyamin knew about the sale of Yosef but kept silent.
Binyamin’s descendent, Esther, kept silent about her lineage while she was
queen of Ahashuerosh, enabling her to be the vehicle for the salvation of her
people.
But there is also a time not to be silent, most especially during Chanukah,
when we should use our voices lehodot ulehallel/to thank and praise Hashem
not only for overt miracles, but also for all He does for us. Like Rochel,
Yosef and Binyamin, we must know when to be silent and when to use our mouths
for good.
With profound insight into human nature and the current social atmosphere, Rabbi
Immanuel Bernstein quotes the Sochachaver Rebbe, who writes that the ability to
remain silent is a hallmark of authenticity and confidence in one’s self worth.
We live in an age where people feel that everything must be told, where
appearance on social media rather than truth gives authenticity. We are
subjugated to a world of falsehood, of appearances, to the world in which Eisav
and subterfuge dominate. One feels compelled to share information, true or
otherwise, for only through the eyes of others can he achieve self -worth. Our
performance of mitzvoth has authenticity and meaning even if no one knows about
it. It is through looking inward, to the flame Hashem implanted in our souls,
recognizing our own worth and our connection to our Creator that we will repel
Eisav and IY”H achieve both personal and national redemption.