Weekly Parsha

Chanukah begins Thursday evening, December 7, 2023 and continues through Friday, December 15, 2023

On Friday evening (before sundown) light two candles on your menorah.

Refuah Sheimah: Chaim Moshe ben Esther, Yehuda Baruch ben Sarah, Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue praying for: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon"

Genesis 37:1 - 40:23

This week's portion is called "Vayeshev" (וַיֵּשֶׁב‎ — Hebrew for "and he lived," the first word of the "Parashah" (portion) and it includes four stories:

1.  The selling of Yosef (Joseph) as a slave by his brothers -- which eventually positioned Yosef to be second in command in Egypt and enabled him to save the known world from famine. 
2.  The indiscretion of Yehuda (Judah) with Tamar (Tamar) ...
3.  The attempted seduction of Yosef by Potifar's wife, which ends with her framing Yosef and having him imprisoned.
4.  Yosef interprets the dreams of his fellow prisoners, the wine steward (who was reinstated and forgot to put in a good word for Yosef) and the baker (who was hanged).

* * *

"What was so special about the miracle of the oil burning for eight days?

For communal rituals, the prohibition against tumah (ritual impurity) may be waived. Many commentaries, therefore, ask why was there a need for a miracle at all? It was permissible to light the Menorah even with ritually impure oil.

Because it was permissible to use impure oil that the only purpose of the miracle was to show G-d's intense love for Israel -- especially towards those who had defected to Hellenism, but returned to Torah observance with the triumph of the Macabees.

This is the message of Joseph and his brothers. Joseph did not simply forgive his brothers and suppress his resentment for their abuse of him. Rather, he loved them and cared for them as if nothing had happened, telling them that he feels toward them as he does to Benjamin, who was not involved in his kidnapping (Gen. 45:12).

The celebration of Hanukah is, therefore, more than the commemoration of a miracle. We are to emulate the Divine attributes. Just as when G-d forgives, His love for us is completely restored, so must we be able to restore the love for one another when we mend our differences.

As we watch the Hanukah candles, let us think about the light they represent: the bright light of a love that is completely restored.

In the Diaspora, the practice of publicizing the miracle via lighting the menorah in full view of public thoroughfares was discontinued due to the persecutions that such displays could have potentially engendered. 

Now that by the grace of G‑d the vast majority of Jews live in lands that pride themselves on their commitment to religious freedom and tolerance, it is certainly appropriate to restore the holiday message that had been silenced for so long.

And there certainly has never been a time when the message of the Chanukah lights has been more needed by societies that so thirst for meaning and spirituality.

May the Lord bless all of our Jewish brothers and sisters who can't display their Menorah at their windows because of antisemitism. 

Let us celebrate spirituality over materialism, Lord's love over sadness and light over darkness. May these 8 days of celebration bring peace, health, joy and miracles to your household.

Seek joy in what you give, not in what you get!

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a Happy Hanukkah 

R. Ovadia Tank

Kehilat Kodesh has established an Israel Emergency Fund following unprovoked, multi-front attacks on Israel during last Shabbat. We are in close contact with our overseas partners and we anticipate an unprecedented need for cash to assist victims of terror and their families. 

The wise man seizes the opportunity to do mitzvot. The lazy person says -- someday I'll do it. (King Solomon).

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College in New York, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is a Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation in the United States and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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