Parashat Miketz-Lighting Up the Darkness

I’m sending out this week’s message in honor of my dear father, Ben HaRav Yehiel, whose yahrzeit we mark this week—18 years since his passing. May this message be a source of aliyah and nachaṭ ruach for his neshamah.

My father was a remarkable personality. Wherever he went—whether teaching Torah in Poland, in England, or North Africa—he spread Torah with passion and conviction. He was my mentor, my guide, and my rebbe. He instilled in me a true love for Torah and always emphasized the importance of teaching, reaching out to others, and spreading the beauty of Torah to the world.

The Light of Hanukkah: A Daily Growth

As we pass the midpoint of Hanukkah, I hope each of you is feeling more and more of the light and inspiration of the chag. We light one additional candle each night, in accordance with Beit Hillel, to reflect the principle of mosif v'holech—constant growth. Every day we add more light.

This is not just a halachic practice. It’s a profound life message: Life is about growth. Every day, we’re meant to bring in something new—a little more emunah, a bit more kavannah, an act of chesed, or even simply overcoming a personal challenge. That is how we bring more light into our lives and into the world.

When we light the candles, the halacha is "she'tehei shalhevet oleh me'eileha"—that the flame should rise on its own. This too is a metaphor: We are meant to ignite a flame within, to bring warmth and passion to our mitzvot, to our relationships, to our avodat Hashem.

Beauty and Purpose: The Clash with Greece

The Greeks stood for superficial beauty—art, architecture, philosophy, and physical perfection. But their beauty was external, detached from the spirit.

Chazal tell us: "Dirah na’ah, isha na’ah, keilim na’im—marḥivin da’ato shel adam." Beautiful things can elevate the soul—but only when they are used as a means to a higher purpose. If beauty becomes an end in itself, as my father used to teach, you can rearrange the letters of marḥivin (expand) to spell maḥarivin (destroy).

If you build a beautiful home and use it for Torah, chesed, and simcha shel mitzvah, that is holy. But if no one is allowed to walk on the carpet or use the dishes, then that beauty is hollow. The Greeks said: "Ein lanu chelek b’Elokei Yisrael." They sought to erase kedushah and spiritual purpose. Their beauty was cold and disconnected from the Divine.

Yosef HaTzaddik and the Light of Hanukkah

So how does this week’s Parashat Miketz connect to Hanukkah?

The Midrash says on the word miketz—“Ketz sam l’ḥoshech”—Hashem brings an end to darkness. Yosef’s release from prison marks the end of a dark period, just as Hanukkah marks the light emerging from spiritual oppression under the Greeks.

Egypt in Yosef’s time, like Greece later, was a land of great knowledge, art, and science—but also great spiritual darkness. Yosef’s greatness lay in this: Despite being immersed in a foreign culture, he never forgot Hashem.

When Paro praised him, Yosef responded: “Bil’adai—Elokim ya’aneh et shalom Paro.” It’s not me—it’s Hashem. Just as Yehudah HaMaccabi and his brothers cried out “Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim Hashem”, Yosef too declared the supremacy of the Divine. His lips always uttered Hashem’s name—“Shem Hashem shagur b’fiv.”

So too, the Chashmonaim merited victory against a mighty empire because of their unwavering emunah. Chazal say they went to war proclaiming: “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad”—25 holy letters for the 25th of Kislev.

Teshuvah and Responsibility

And in the emotional climax of the parashah, when Yosef accuses his brothers of being spies, they finally confront their past: “Aval asheimim anachnu.” We are guilty. They don’t blame Yosef, or Egypt, or anti-Semitism. They take responsibility. That is greatness—recognizing one's mistakes and seeking to repair them.

We will soon see Yehudah’s mesirut nefesh as he steps forward to protect Binyamin, and this leads Yosef to reveal himself. When people rise to their true greatness, then "Yeshuat Hashem k’heref ayin"—salvation comes in the blink of an eye.

The Light of Miracles

Hanukkah is about believing that even in the darkest moments, miracles can come instantly. We must never give up. As we sit by the menorah these last few nights, let us open our hearts and say:

“Al nisecha v’al nifl’otecha.”

Let’s thank Hashem for the miracles He performs every single day. We just need to open our eyes to see them—and pray for more.

A Final Story

I’d like to end with a story I heard years ago and recently heard again. It’s about a Holocaust survivor who had studied in a great yeshiva in Poland before the war. He was deeply grateful to his Rosh Yeshiva, who had been murdered by the Nazis. After the war, he dedicated himself to finding any surviving family of his rebbe… (story to be continued)

Let us carry the light of Hanukkah forward—into our homes, our hearts, and our daily lives—with passion, faith, and purpose.

(2019)