Increase the Light

by HaRav Dov Begon
Rosh HaYeshiva, Machon Meir

We customarily read the episodes about Yosef on the Shabbatot that fall out on Chanukah, which is no coincidence. The miracles performed for Yosef were akin to those performed for Israel during the Second Temple Period. Yosef was thrown into a pit full of snakes and scorpions and saved. He lived in Egypt among corrupt people who were at the bottom of the forty-nine rungs of impurity – yet he remained righteous. He was in prison, and he rose to greatness, even becoming viceroy of Egypt.

In the same way, Israel, during the Second Temple Period was ruled over by the Greeks. They had no political independence. The Greeks and the Jewish Hellenists longed to swallow up Israel within the Greek Empire, blur their Jewish identity, and make them forget their holy Torah and its mitzvot. Israel was like a person sitting in a dark pit, with snakes and scorpions all around him. Yet a miracle was performed, and the Hasmoneans beat the Greeks. The few vanquished the many and the weak vanquishing the strong. At the end of the war, they lit the menorah in the Temple, thereby demonstrating for all to see that they had emerged from darkness to light. And the light of Israel continues to shine forth from Yerushalayim.

Today, we are grateful not just for the miracles performed for us in those times, but also for those performed for us now. We have to open our spiritual eyes and see how G-d performs miracles for us, and how He brings salvation and comfort. After two thousand years, we have emerged from the “pit” of the dark exile, which was full of snakes and scorpions. The Jewish People live on despite countless attempts by the nations of the world and their religions to bite and sting us, to poison the nation’s soul.

And just like Yosef, we climbed out of a deep pit and ascended to a high roof, from Holocaust to Rebirth, from a poor country, governed by austerity at its creation, to a country that by the world’s standards is economically and militarily strong. Yet it is not enough to be strong economically and militarily. We must become stronger from a spiritual and moral standpoint, for “where there is no vision the people cast off restraint” (Mishlei 29:18).

Certainly, we have faith in the eternity of Israel. No effort will succeed in blurring our identity, uniqueness, and purpose as an eternal people intent on bringing light to the world. They will not succeed in extinguishing the lamp of Israel. Yet we must increase the light, the light of Torah, the light of love, the light of faith. We have to learn to recognize our identity and destiny down through the generations and especially at this moment. By such means, we will be privileged to see a new light shine over Tzion, speedily in our day, Amen.

Looking forward to salvation,
With the Love of Israel,
Shabbat Shalom,
Chanukah Sameach.