Parshat HaShavua and Laws of Chanukah
Dear Friends,
We hope that you had a good week this week.
Following you will find two write ups. One on this week's Parsha, and the
other on the Laws of Chanuka for your convenience. We light the first candle
on Friday December 15, before the Shabbat candles.
If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Wishing you a wonderful week and a happy Chanuka.
---
Parashas Vayeishev
I. The Wisdom of Experience
"And he (Yosef) was a young man� (Bereishis 37:2)
The confrontation between Yosef and his brothers was a potent force in
shaping the destiny of the Jewish people. It resulted in the sale of Yosef,
and the chain of events that ultimately led to the enslavement of the Jews
in Egypt. What caused this discord amongst Yaakov�s sons? If we examine,
through the teachings of our Sages, the source of this friction, perhaps we
can glean some lessons applicable to our own lives.
[Note: To properly understand the action of the brothers towards Yosef
please refer to the second shmuess in Vayeitzei, specifically: �The S�forno
(Bereishis 37:18) teaches us that the brothers were completely righteous.
They felt that Yosef, by informing their father of their alleged misdeeds,
was endangering them and the future of the Jewish nation that was to come
from them. Had Yaakov believed Yosef�s account, Yaakov could have withheld
his blessings from the brothers. The brothers convened a beis din � court �
and ruled that action must be taken to stop Yosef. The Gemara (Shabbos 10b)
explains that the brothers took such a drastic step because their vision was
somewhat clouded by a slight feeling of jealousy towards Yosef. The Torah
took an almost negligible error in judgment and enlarged it many times so
that we can learn the power of jealousy; even the twelve tribes were not
entirely beyond its grasp.�]
Chazal (Shabbos 10b) attribute the initial cause of this animosity to Yaakov
Avinu. He favored Yosef by giving him the k�soness pasim � the coat of many
colors. Yaakov appointed Ysef to be the leader among the brothers, and
therefore felt it necessary to grant him this special garment as a symbol of
his leadership (S�forno 37:3). The brothers were slightly jealous of Yosef
because of this favoritism. Our lesson, the Gemara teaches, is to avoid
showing favor to any specific child.
The S�forno (37:2) spotlights another lesson to be learned: �Because of his
[Yosef�s] youthfulness, he sinned.� Yosef informed his father of his
brothers� deeds. Their actions seemed sinful. He had noble intentions; he
hoped their father would reprimand them and help them correct their ways.
Nevertheless, Yosef was incorrect. He should have foreseen that instead of
correcting their faults, he would cause resentment and hatred against
himself. Had he realized this, he would never have informed Yaakov of their
conduct. The S�forno mentions that Yosef, even at that age, was extremely
wise and would later be an advisor to kings, offering astute and perceptive
advice, but �counsel is not found in youth� (Shabbos 89b). Even though
there was no doubt in Yosef�s mind that his course of action was correct, it
was a small error, yet with tragic consequences. B�nei Yisrael were
eventually brought down to Egypt due to his misjudgment.
Yosef, the brilliant son, made this error. He had already mastered all of
Yaakov�s Torah and was well versed in wordly matters as well (S�forno
ibid.), but knowledge alone was not enough to protect him from this error.
His youthful inexperience interfered with his ability to foresee the
ramifications of his actions.
A genius level I.Q. does not guarantee that a person will choose the proper
mode of conduct. While a razor-sharp mind is certainly a valuable asset in
making correct decisions, there is a second component, equal to, if not more
valuable than, the first: mature insight gained from life�s experience.
Yosef was seventeen at the time, and still the Torah considered him
relatively lacking in experience. This lack of developed insight is
applicable at any age. Even an older person can have a narrow,
short-sighted perpective that prevents him from anticipating the
consequences of his actions. If Yosef with all his Torah knowledge and
intellectual brilliance could err, we must assume that we are also subject
to the same type of mistake. To avoid these miscalculations and errors, we
must seek the counsel and advice of others. Even when we are most certain
that we are correct, we must consult and confer with the Torah scholars and
leaders of our generation.
---
Laws of Chanukah
In the days of the Second Beis Hamikdash, the Jewish Nation was under the
rule of the Greeks who issued harsh decrees designed to prevent Jews from
studying Torah and keeping its commandments. The Greeks entered the Holy
Temple and defiled it. They oppressed the Jews greatly in many ways, until
G-d had mercy on them and delivered them from their oppressors. The Priests
from the House of Chasmonaim overpowered the Greeks and reclaimed the Beit
Hamikdash. They purified it and rededicated it with the lighting of the
Menorah on the 25th day of the month of Kislev. The Menorah was lit with a
flask of oil which was found intact with the seal of the High Priest. The
oil miraculously burned for eight days, until the Jews were able to produce
new oil.
The Rabbis declared this day a holiday to be called "Chanukah" (�����) which
means they rested on the 25th day (of Kislev) for eight days.
It is not permitted to fast or to eulogize the dead on Chanukah.
Women (and in some places, men) refrain from doing work while the candles
are burning.
Everyone is obligated in the mitvah of lighting the Chanukah candles; men,
women and boys alike. The husband performs the ceremony on behalf of the
family. The wife fulfills the mitzvah when her husband lights. She may
also light and fulfill the mitzvah for her husband, if he isn't able to
light for himself.
Location: It is a mitzvah to light the candles near the front entrance of
the house to publicize the miracle. In times of oppression or if one lives
among the nations and it is dangerous to do so, he may light indoors.
In the modern state of Israel, people are once again able to fulfill the
mitzvah of Chanukkah lighting in the manner described in the Gemara,
according to which it is preferable to light the candles outside the house
in a chanukkiah in a glass case, at the right side of the entrance to the
garden. If this is impossible, one should light outside the door to the
house, on the left side, across from the mezuzah, within one tefach (8-10
cm) of the entrance. When lighting outside, one must be careful that the
wind not extinguish the candles. The chanukkiah should be placed between 3
and 10 tefachim (i.e. between 24 cm and 1 meter) above the ground. If it is
impossible to light outside, one should light in a window facing the public
domain on the first floor.
A soldier on reserve duty may light outside the entrance to his tent. If
this is impossible, he should light with the rest of the soldiers in the
dining room (Dinei Tzava U'Milhama p. 228) He can, in fact, rely on his
wife's lighting at home and some say that it is preferable that he appoint
his wife as his agent to light on his behalf. In any event, he is allowed
to light at the army base in a place where the wind will not extinguish the
candles (S.A. 677:3, M.B. 15, 16. Yehaveh Da'at 6:44).
Time: Most communities follow the Shulchan Aruch (672:1), which sets
candlelighting time for when stars appear ("tzet ha-kokhavim"). (This
decision is cited by the Yechaveh Da'at 2:77). It is preferable to follow
the Jerusalem custom which goes according to the Vilna Gaon's ruling to
light immediately after sunset (shki'ah) (see M.B. 672:1-1, Tuketchinsky
calendar). It is preferable to daven Minchah before lighting (MB.679:2,
Yabia Omer 5:44). In order that a person not become involved in other
matters and forget to light, it is forbidden to eat or work from half an
hour before the time of lighting. There are even those who prohibit the
study of Torah from the time of lighting onwards until one lights (672,
Shaar Hatzion 14, Aruch HaShulchan).
The candles must burn until half an hour after the appearance of the stars.
Therefore, those who light at sunset must use large candles or enough oil to
burn for 50 minutes. Even if one lights after the stars appear, the candles
must burn for half an hour. On Friday night, the candles must burn for 75
minutes (672:2, M.B. 5).
In the synagogue, the candles are lit at a time when everyone is still
present � between Minchah and Maariv � in order to "publicize the miracle".
One does not fulfill one's individual obligation with this lighting. In the
morning, it is customary to relight the candles in the synagogue, in memory
of the Temple. No blessing is recited. (671:14, M.B. 44-46, Yehaveh Da'at
at 2:77).
If one was not able to light the candles at the prescribed time, one may, as
a de facto measure (bedi'eved), light them any time during the night until
just before dawn. The head of the household should gather his family
together, and if all are asleep, awaken at least one of them to light the
candles with him (671:2, M.B.5,11, Shaar Hatzion 17, A.H.S. 7)
In an emergency, one may light with a blessing as early as "plag
ha-Minchah". In such an instance, one must ensure that the candles will
burn for approximately 2 hours (672:1 M.B. 2-4).
