Rabbi Brazil
The
Torah describes Yosef as a בן
זקנים .
In the simple pshat it means that he was born to Yaakov’s at his
old age. The Baal Haturim however sees a deeper message in these
letters. He explains like the Targum that Yosef was a בר
חכים a
very smart young man because his father taught him the Torah Shebe’al
Peh in the form of Mishnayos. זקנים
is
the acronym of the Sedarim in Mishnayos. The letter ז
represents
the first Seder of זרעים.
The letter ק
represents
Seder קדשים.
The letter נ
symbolizes
the Seder of נשים.
The letter י
represents
ישועות
which
is another name given to Seder Nezikim (see Shabbos 31). The last
letter מ
represents
Seder מועד.
If one examines this explanation he will quickly realize that one Seder of the six is omitted and that is Seder טהרות. Why didn’t Yaakov transmit also this Seder to Yosef? The Imrei Emes ztl answered that purity and טהרות is not something you can just give over. It has to be earned and attained through experience and committed avodas Hashem. As Chazal say בא לטהר מסייעין אותו that if one does his utmost to become tahor then Hashem will help him attain his objective.
טהרות is the gematriah כתר a crown. In order to achieve טהרות one must be a king over himself. The sefarim explain this concept by elaborating on the letters of מלך, king. The letter מ represents the מח the mind and thought processes of a person, the ל represents the לב the heart, the seat of the middos, and last the letter כ symbolizes theכבד , the liver in which the yetzer hara resides. To be a king over oneself one ,must always adhere to the desired order of first the neshama delivering its wish to the middos and together they harness the yetzer hara which dwells in the liver to do their bidding. When this process is repeated over and over again with discipline not allowing the reverse to happen, to start in the liver then the heart and ending with the mind, one can and will attain טהרות which is a personal malchus.
Yosef reached that level in Mitzrayim when he overcame his test with the wife of Potifhar. As the Medrash points out that specifically because he was a ruler over every one of his limbs by overcoming his temptation, he merited to actualize his personal royalty into becoming king over Mitzrayim (Bereishis Rabba 90,3). Not only did his self control over licentious desires gain him the title of Melech, but he was able to transmit this Taharah into all Klal Yisrael during the period when they were slaves in Mitzrayim.
Yaakov taught Yosef five out of the six Sedarim of Mishnayos. The sixth one טהרות Yosef had to learn with his own bechirah. He acquired it through יראת שמים. Yosef demonstrated his middah of yirah many times in Mitzrayim. Bereishis (42,18( את האלהים אני ירא , (Bereishis 39,8) ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדלה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים. (Bereishis 39,3) שם שמים שגור בפיו Rashi. Through the middah of יראה he was able to complete all six Sedarim of Mishnayos. That is why we find that the gematriah of זקנים- ט which is the acronym of the six Sedarim to beיראה 216.
On a deeper level the six Sedarim symbolize the sixth middah of yesod, the preservation of the sanctity of one’s organ of reproduction which is the foundation of kedushah and taharah. Our Chazal explain that the word קשת which means bow and rainbow also means the Bris reproductive organ. The reason why Hashem used the rainbow as a bris with Noach promising not to bring again a flood in the world is because it represents the unbridled licentiousness for which the generation of the Flood perished. It should be a constant reminder of one’s obligation to control his urges and instincts that promote animal behavior. The Torah used the same word to describe Yosef’s almost super natural discipline of his passion and said (Bereishis 50,24) ותשב באיתן קשתו . It is through this episode of his mastering self control that Yosef acquired his Taharah, his malchus.
Yosef received the beracha of being compared to fish וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ. The habitat of fish is in water. Water is מטהר from טומאה. המקוה the Mikveh which contains the body of water that purifies is gematriah 156 the same as יוסף. Yosef is like a mikveh to Yisrael for he brought to them the power of Taharah to withstand the immorality of Mitzrayim. The signs of Tahara for a fish is סנפיר קשקשת fins and scales. The gematriah in this is just incredible. סנפיר is gematriah 400. קשקשת is three times 400, קש, קש, ת . The two simanim of Taharah in a fish all relate to 400. Part of the קשקשת is also the word קשת. Yosef who is compared to the קשת that is under his full control and steadfastness, unwilling to surrender to the host culture of Mitzrayim with the cry of what else can we do about it, was able to protect Am Yisrael in Mitzrayim with taharah for the 400 decreed years of Galus.
Now let us talk about Galus Yavon. From many derivations, it becomes obvious that Yavan relates directly to Yosef. Here are just a few examples. The Megaleh Amukos writes that מלך יון and Antiyochus who was the king at the Chanukah, period both equal יוסף. Yosef ordered that they should prepare food for his guests in the words טבוח טבח והכן (Breishis 43.16). The Shilti Giborim brings down that by taking the last letter of טבח which is a ח and the following word והכן we spell the word חנוכה. If one then takes the remaining letters of טבוח טב we have the gematriah of 36 corresponding to the 36 lights during the eight days of Chanukah. The Greeks decreed that every Jew must write on the horn of an ox that he has no portion with Hashem the G-d of Yisrael. Yosef was called a שור in the passuk בכור שורו הדר לו (Devarim 33,17). In essence the Greeks were saying that the Jewish Nation should eradicate from within their midst the power of Yosef which would create the situation that we have no portion with Hashem. After seeing all this let us try to understand what is this deep connection between Yosef and Chanukah?
Yosef was able to control his קשת which granted him malchus. The Greeks also were the opposite for they possessed the קשת of tumah. The passuk says (Shmuel,1,2,2)קשת גבורים חתים the bow of the strong ones are broken. The Targum Yonasan writes that this is referring to the Greeks during their battle with the Chashmonaeem. Another reference to the קשת of Galus Yavon is Yitzchak’s command to Aisav (Bereishis 27,3) to take his כליך תליך וקשתך וצא השדה upon which the Medrash writes that here is hinted the four galuyos. If so the third galus Yavon is alluded to in the word קשת. Both sources indicate that Yavon desired to remove from Yisrael the character and input of Yosef which is the קשת of Taharah from immoral behavior, promiscuity, and licentiousness and to replace it with their קשת of tumah.
By succeeding to do so, they would accomplish two factors which would distant Yisrael from their relationship with Hashem. For our relationship with Hashem is based on two values, Taharah and learning Torah. The gemarah in Sanhedrin 106 states that Hashem hates זימה licentiousness. Therefore the Greek’s promotion of זימה (the gematria of זימה including its four letters equals יון) was counterproductive to Yosef’s Taharah and resulted in שאין לכם חלק באלקי ישראל a condition of distancing ourselves from Hashem in a big way. Secondly, the Greeks also strove to eradicate our second element, the learning of Torah, which also creates our strong bond with Hashem. They strove toלהשכיחם תורתיך to make us forget our Torah by the same means of זימה since many of the Torah levels of understanding have a prerequisite of Taharha in order to acquire them. Rav Chaim Kineyevsky Shilta has written in his sefer Orchos Chaim and others before him, that any sefer that was received and accepted in Klal Yisrael attests to the fact that the author was strict concerning Tevilas Ezra.
Our Chazal say that the Greeks are compared to a נמר a leopard. The characteristic of a leopard is his עזות brazenness as Rabbe Yehudah Ben Taimah says הוי עז כנמר (Avos 5,20). In the sefer Taam Hatzavi the author writes that an עזות פנים is the opposite of Taharah. For it states in Meseches Kallah, that if one sees an act of azus then he should know for certain that the person is a mamzer the product of adultery. Rabbe Yehoshuah says he is a result from relations with a Niddah. Rabbe Akiva says this azus panim is born from having relations both with a woman who at the time was a Niddah and married. All three opinions are in agreement that the middah of chutzpah and brazenness are derived from illicit and prohibited relations. The Greeks whose character trait was azus propagandized the beauty (יפת) of these decadent conducts.
The Kedushas Levi makes a parallel between Shimon and Levi’s overtaking the city of Shechem, and Mattisyahu together with his children against the Greeks. By Shechem, the entire city fell before two people Levi and Shimon just like by Chanukah the entire Greek Army fell before the very few Chashmonaeem. Similarly, Levi’s descendent was Mattisyahu and his children, who fought against the Greek Army. Shimon was also one Mattisyahu’s children. Even more striking is the fact that Shimon the son of Mattisyahu was a gilgul of Shimon the son of Yaakov (Gilgul Neshamos Rama from Panu).
A parallel between the two which is even more fascinating is that both wars began because of an out of control קשת and licentiousness. The battle against Shechem was because Shechem took Dina captive and raped her. Likewise in Megillah Taanis 6 that is was the decree of the Greeks that any virgin woman who was to be married must have her first relations with the Greek officer of that province. When the daughter of Mattisyahu’s wedding night arrived, and with it came the Greek general, her relatives killed him thereby igniting the Chanukah rebellion.
The Greek nation had the middah of azus. The opposite of azus is בושה embarrassment. One of the three inherited traits of a Yid is that he is a ביישן. We are not naturallyעז פנים . The middah of busha is an outgrowth of the middah יראה as the passuk says בעבור תהיה יראתו על פניכם (Shmos 20,17) upon which the gemarah in Nedarim 20 comments that the fear that is reflected on one’s face is busha - embarrassment. Yosef, as we mentioned above publicized his middah of Yiras Shamayim thereby revealing that he has busha, the opposite of עזות , and consequently he therefore also possessed the middah of Taharah.
The Chashmonaeem fought against the Greeks with the power of Yosef, the power of Taharah. This could be the explanation why the gemarah (Shabbos 21b) in the story of Chanukah, calls the Chashmonaeem mishpacha מלכות בית חשמונאי as it says וכשגברה מלכות חשמונאי? It is because the Chashmonaeem went to war with Yosef’s middah of Tahara for which he himself merited malchus. Their unbending yield to follow the azus and immorality of the Greeks gave them also the title of malchus.
Subsequent their victory over the Greek Army, our Chachamim instituted to recite in the Al Hanisim וטיהרו את מקדשיך they purified the Mikdash. Their battle against the Greeks was the battle of Tahor versus Tameh, of azus versus busha, and of yirah versus “Just do it” (The 'Just do it' slogan first appeared at the end of a TV advertisement in 1988. It has been described as one of the best taglines of the 20th century. Ad executive Dan Wieden admitted it's based on last words of a murderer. He borrowed the phrase from condemned Utah killer Gary Gilmore who reportedly said 'let's do it' as he faced a firing squad in 1977. The moral of the story is that without the discipline built on yiras shamayim, by “Just do it” as your lifestyle of the Greeks you can end up as a spiritual murderer.
That is why the Chasmonaeem strived to find a flask of oil which remained in Taharah condition even though they were permitted to light from oil that was tameh because of the din of טומאה הותרה בצבור. However, the battle against the Greeks was about Yosef’s infusion of Taharah into the fabric of Klal Yisrael so they went out of their way to light specifically with oil that was Tahar which was in line with the lofty level of Yosef.
From this comes the tikkun Chachameinu that there are three levels of Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin in this mitzvah of Hadlakas Menorah. The Greeks flaunted יופי beauty as an inheritance from יפת. They were however interested in the external beauty of buildings and the flesh. The beauty of Yosef and Am Yisrael is their commitment to a life of Taharah. Yosef was the antagonist to the Greek culture which supported immorality. He was the melech over his 248 limbs. Because of his control of not looking at someone else’s wife he was granted עלי עין (Bereishis 49,22) a loftier vision above everyone else. Even though one cannot eat Kodshim meat outside the walls of Yerushalayim, when the Mishkan was in Shiloh which was the land given to the Shevet of Yosef, one was allowed to eat Kodshimבכל הרואה from wherever he was able to see the courtyard. This is direct reward for Yosef’s control over his eyes.
Secular eyes can make even nakedness beautiful if need be to gratify one’s lusts. Holy eyes share the eyes of Hashem as the passuk says עין ה' אל יראיו the eye of Hashem is to those who fear Him. Without eyesight one cannot appreciate beauty. Without holy eyes one will appreciate only the true beauty of Hashem’s creation.
The establishment of lighting the menorah for Chanukah comes from the power of Yosef’s eyes. The mitzvah of Ner Chanukah is to see the light and appreciate its special ohr. Yosef is called by Moshe Rabbeinu בכור שורו הדר לו (Devarim 33,17). The wordבכר Rashi translates as melech. The word שורו can be translated as “his seeing” (Bamidbar 23,9). Yosef’s eyes were rooted in his malchus of controlling his eyes from bodily lusts. The Greeks did everything possible to eradicate this spiritual DNA that Yosef infused in Am Yisrael. Chanukah has everything to do with Yosef as we explained in this mamar. Even the Thiry Six candles of Mehadrin min Hamahadrin are directly related to Yosef. To this the passuk alludes to by writing that בכור שורו הדר לו that Yosef’s eyes of his self attained malchus became the victory point over Yavon to the point that through Yosef was instituted by our Chachamim that theהדר the Hiddur mitzvah of lighting the Menorah should be לו the gematriah of 36 lights.
Yosef was the בן זקנים. The gematriah of זקנים is 207 which is אור . The word זקנים consists of two words ז - קנים the seven branches of the Menorah in the Bais Hamikdash. The word בן means בינה understanding. Yosef clearly understood that one can only receive the light of Chanukah, of Tahara, of the Menorah, only if he acquires the sixth Seder of Taharos. Chanukah is also a time to understand the character of our victory. בני בינה ימי שמונה Eight days with the hiddur of adding one more candle every night comes out to 36 the Haddar of לו , Yosef’s victory over himself. We beseech Hashemוטהר לבנו לעבדך the acronym is 66 the gematriah of יון. Chanukah is the time to seek the טהרה of Yosef which nullifies the “Just do it” promoted and encouraged by our cultures.
The Bais Yosef asks why do we celebrate Chanukah eight days when they had enough for one day and therefore the miracle only lasted seven days? The Birkas Yosef (670) brings in the name of Kadmonim that our Chachamim established Chanukah to be eight days parallel to the mitzvah of Milah which is on the eight day from birth. Milah is the bris between us and Hashem. Part of that bris is to be shomer the bris and direct our lives with modesty, and with safeguards, so we won’t fall into the Just do it lifestyle of our culture.
This is why we find Yosef directly related to the victory of Chanukah. It was the tikkun of the קשת which is the high moral standard of the Jewish Nation, of tzeneus dress, purity, shemiras ainayim and machshavos, busha and Yiras Shamayim. The Greeks made a decree to remove the doors from the Jewish houses. Their intention was to remove any obstacles that would block the entrance of their decadent culture into Jewish homes and hearts. The Chasmoaneem had the invisible protective doors of Yosef at their entrances that didn’t allow any of the shmutz and distortion to penetrate. Chanukah is the time when we can strengthen our lives with the infusion of Yosef and his sixth Seder of Mishnayos into our heads and hearts together with the mesiras nefesh of the Chashmonaeem for the same destiny.
If one examines this explanation he will quickly realize that one Seder of the six is omitted and that is Seder טהרות. Why didn’t Yaakov transmit also this Seder to Yosef? The Imrei Emes ztl answered that purity and טהרות is not something you can just give over. It has to be earned and attained through experience and committed avodas Hashem. As Chazal say בא לטהר מסייעין אותו that if one does his utmost to become tahor then Hashem will help him attain his objective.
טהרות is the gematriah כתר a crown. In order to achieve טהרות one must be a king over himself. The sefarim explain this concept by elaborating on the letters of מלך, king. The letter מ represents the מח the mind and thought processes of a person, the ל represents the לב the heart, the seat of the middos, and last the letter כ symbolizes theכבד , the liver in which the yetzer hara resides. To be a king over oneself one ,must always adhere to the desired order of first the neshama delivering its wish to the middos and together they harness the yetzer hara which dwells in the liver to do their bidding. When this process is repeated over and over again with discipline not allowing the reverse to happen, to start in the liver then the heart and ending with the mind, one can and will attain טהרות which is a personal malchus.
Yosef reached that level in Mitzrayim when he overcame his test with the wife of Potifhar. As the Medrash points out that specifically because he was a ruler over every one of his limbs by overcoming his temptation, he merited to actualize his personal royalty into becoming king over Mitzrayim (Bereishis Rabba 90,3). Not only did his self control over licentious desires gain him the title of Melech, but he was able to transmit this Taharah into all Klal Yisrael during the period when they were slaves in Mitzrayim.
Yaakov taught Yosef five out of the six Sedarim of Mishnayos. The sixth one טהרות Yosef had to learn with his own bechirah. He acquired it through יראת שמים. Yosef demonstrated his middah of yirah many times in Mitzrayim. Bereishis (42,18( את האלהים אני ירא , (Bereishis 39,8) ואיך אעשה הרעה הגדלה הזאת וחטאתי לאלקים. (Bereishis 39,3) שם שמים שגור בפיו Rashi. Through the middah of יראה he was able to complete all six Sedarim of Mishnayos. That is why we find that the gematriah of זקנים- ט which is the acronym of the six Sedarim to beיראה 216.
On a deeper level the six Sedarim symbolize the sixth middah of yesod, the preservation of the sanctity of one’s organ of reproduction which is the foundation of kedushah and taharah. Our Chazal explain that the word קשת which means bow and rainbow also means the Bris reproductive organ. The reason why Hashem used the rainbow as a bris with Noach promising not to bring again a flood in the world is because it represents the unbridled licentiousness for which the generation of the Flood perished. It should be a constant reminder of one’s obligation to control his urges and instincts that promote animal behavior. The Torah used the same word to describe Yosef’s almost super natural discipline of his passion and said (Bereishis 50,24) ותשב באיתן קשתו . It is through this episode of his mastering self control that Yosef acquired his Taharah, his malchus.
Yosef received the beracha of being compared to fish וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ. The habitat of fish is in water. Water is מטהר from טומאה. המקוה the Mikveh which contains the body of water that purifies is gematriah 156 the same as יוסף. Yosef is like a mikveh to Yisrael for he brought to them the power of Taharah to withstand the immorality of Mitzrayim. The signs of Tahara for a fish is סנפיר קשקשת fins and scales. The gematriah in this is just incredible. סנפיר is gematriah 400. קשקשת is three times 400, קש, קש, ת . The two simanim of Taharah in a fish all relate to 400. Part of the קשקשת is also the word קשת. Yosef who is compared to the קשת that is under his full control and steadfastness, unwilling to surrender to the host culture of Mitzrayim with the cry of what else can we do about it, was able to protect Am Yisrael in Mitzrayim with taharah for the 400 decreed years of Galus.
Now let us talk about Galus Yavon. From many derivations, it becomes obvious that Yavan relates directly to Yosef. Here are just a few examples. The Megaleh Amukos writes that מלך יון and Antiyochus who was the king at the Chanukah, period both equal יוסף. Yosef ordered that they should prepare food for his guests in the words טבוח טבח והכן (Breishis 43.16). The Shilti Giborim brings down that by taking the last letter of טבח which is a ח and the following word והכן we spell the word חנוכה. If one then takes the remaining letters of טבוח טב we have the gematriah of 36 corresponding to the 36 lights during the eight days of Chanukah. The Greeks decreed that every Jew must write on the horn of an ox that he has no portion with Hashem the G-d of Yisrael. Yosef was called a שור in the passuk בכור שורו הדר לו (Devarim 33,17). In essence the Greeks were saying that the Jewish Nation should eradicate from within their midst the power of Yosef which would create the situation that we have no portion with Hashem. After seeing all this let us try to understand what is this deep connection between Yosef and Chanukah?
Yosef was able to control his קשת which granted him malchus. The Greeks also were the opposite for they possessed the קשת of tumah. The passuk says (Shmuel,1,2,2)קשת גבורים חתים the bow of the strong ones are broken. The Targum Yonasan writes that this is referring to the Greeks during their battle with the Chashmonaeem. Another reference to the קשת of Galus Yavon is Yitzchak’s command to Aisav (Bereishis 27,3) to take his כליך תליך וקשתך וצא השדה upon which the Medrash writes that here is hinted the four galuyos. If so the third galus Yavon is alluded to in the word קשת. Both sources indicate that Yavon desired to remove from Yisrael the character and input of Yosef which is the קשת of Taharah from immoral behavior, promiscuity, and licentiousness and to replace it with their קשת of tumah.
By succeeding to do so, they would accomplish two factors which would distant Yisrael from their relationship with Hashem. For our relationship with Hashem is based on two values, Taharah and learning Torah. The gemarah in Sanhedrin 106 states that Hashem hates זימה licentiousness. Therefore the Greek’s promotion of זימה (the gematria of זימה including its four letters equals יון) was counterproductive to Yosef’s Taharah and resulted in שאין לכם חלק באלקי ישראל a condition of distancing ourselves from Hashem in a big way. Secondly, the Greeks also strove to eradicate our second element, the learning of Torah, which also creates our strong bond with Hashem. They strove toלהשכיחם תורתיך to make us forget our Torah by the same means of זימה since many of the Torah levels of understanding have a prerequisite of Taharha in order to acquire them. Rav Chaim Kineyevsky Shilta has written in his sefer Orchos Chaim and others before him, that any sefer that was received and accepted in Klal Yisrael attests to the fact that the author was strict concerning Tevilas Ezra.
Our Chazal say that the Greeks are compared to a נמר a leopard. The characteristic of a leopard is his עזות brazenness as Rabbe Yehudah Ben Taimah says הוי עז כנמר (Avos 5,20). In the sefer Taam Hatzavi the author writes that an עזות פנים is the opposite of Taharah. For it states in Meseches Kallah, that if one sees an act of azus then he should know for certain that the person is a mamzer the product of adultery. Rabbe Yehoshuah says he is a result from relations with a Niddah. Rabbe Akiva says this azus panim is born from having relations both with a woman who at the time was a Niddah and married. All three opinions are in agreement that the middah of chutzpah and brazenness are derived from illicit and prohibited relations. The Greeks whose character trait was azus propagandized the beauty (יפת) of these decadent conducts.
The Kedushas Levi makes a parallel between Shimon and Levi’s overtaking the city of Shechem, and Mattisyahu together with his children against the Greeks. By Shechem, the entire city fell before two people Levi and Shimon just like by Chanukah the entire Greek Army fell before the very few Chashmonaeem. Similarly, Levi’s descendent was Mattisyahu and his children, who fought against the Greek Army. Shimon was also one Mattisyahu’s children. Even more striking is the fact that Shimon the son of Mattisyahu was a gilgul of Shimon the son of Yaakov (Gilgul Neshamos Rama from Panu).
A parallel between the two which is even more fascinating is that both wars began because of an out of control קשת and licentiousness. The battle against Shechem was because Shechem took Dina captive and raped her. Likewise in Megillah Taanis 6 that is was the decree of the Greeks that any virgin woman who was to be married must have her first relations with the Greek officer of that province. When the daughter of Mattisyahu’s wedding night arrived, and with it came the Greek general, her relatives killed him thereby igniting the Chanukah rebellion.
The Greek nation had the middah of azus. The opposite of azus is בושה embarrassment. One of the three inherited traits of a Yid is that he is a ביישן. We are not naturallyעז פנים . The middah of busha is an outgrowth of the middah יראה as the passuk says בעבור תהיה יראתו על פניכם (Shmos 20,17) upon which the gemarah in Nedarim 20 comments that the fear that is reflected on one’s face is busha - embarrassment. Yosef, as we mentioned above publicized his middah of Yiras Shamayim thereby revealing that he has busha, the opposite of עזות , and consequently he therefore also possessed the middah of Taharah.
The Chashmonaeem fought against the Greeks with the power of Yosef, the power of Taharah. This could be the explanation why the gemarah (Shabbos 21b) in the story of Chanukah, calls the Chashmonaeem mishpacha מלכות בית חשמונאי as it says וכשגברה מלכות חשמונאי? It is because the Chashmonaeem went to war with Yosef’s middah of Tahara for which he himself merited malchus. Their unbending yield to follow the azus and immorality of the Greeks gave them also the title of malchus.
Subsequent their victory over the Greek Army, our Chachamim instituted to recite in the Al Hanisim וטיהרו את מקדשיך they purified the Mikdash. Their battle against the Greeks was the battle of Tahor versus Tameh, of azus versus busha, and of yirah versus “Just do it” (The 'Just do it' slogan first appeared at the end of a TV advertisement in 1988. It has been described as one of the best taglines of the 20th century. Ad executive Dan Wieden admitted it's based on last words of a murderer. He borrowed the phrase from condemned Utah killer Gary Gilmore who reportedly said 'let's do it' as he faced a firing squad in 1977. The moral of the story is that without the discipline built on yiras shamayim, by “Just do it” as your lifestyle of the Greeks you can end up as a spiritual murderer.
That is why the Chasmonaeem strived to find a flask of oil which remained in Taharah condition even though they were permitted to light from oil that was tameh because of the din of טומאה הותרה בצבור. However, the battle against the Greeks was about Yosef’s infusion of Taharah into the fabric of Klal Yisrael so they went out of their way to light specifically with oil that was Tahar which was in line with the lofty level of Yosef.
From this comes the tikkun Chachameinu that there are three levels of Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin in this mitzvah of Hadlakas Menorah. The Greeks flaunted יופי beauty as an inheritance from יפת. They were however interested in the external beauty of buildings and the flesh. The beauty of Yosef and Am Yisrael is their commitment to a life of Taharah. Yosef was the antagonist to the Greek culture which supported immorality. He was the melech over his 248 limbs. Because of his control of not looking at someone else’s wife he was granted עלי עין (Bereishis 49,22) a loftier vision above everyone else. Even though one cannot eat Kodshim meat outside the walls of Yerushalayim, when the Mishkan was in Shiloh which was the land given to the Shevet of Yosef, one was allowed to eat Kodshimבכל הרואה from wherever he was able to see the courtyard. This is direct reward for Yosef’s control over his eyes.
Secular eyes can make even nakedness beautiful if need be to gratify one’s lusts. Holy eyes share the eyes of Hashem as the passuk says עין ה' אל יראיו the eye of Hashem is to those who fear Him. Without eyesight one cannot appreciate beauty. Without holy eyes one will appreciate only the true beauty of Hashem’s creation.
The establishment of lighting the menorah for Chanukah comes from the power of Yosef’s eyes. The mitzvah of Ner Chanukah is to see the light and appreciate its special ohr. Yosef is called by Moshe Rabbeinu בכור שורו הדר לו (Devarim 33,17). The wordבכר Rashi translates as melech. The word שורו can be translated as “his seeing” (Bamidbar 23,9). Yosef’s eyes were rooted in his malchus of controlling his eyes from bodily lusts. The Greeks did everything possible to eradicate this spiritual DNA that Yosef infused in Am Yisrael. Chanukah has everything to do with Yosef as we explained in this mamar. Even the Thiry Six candles of Mehadrin min Hamahadrin are directly related to Yosef. To this the passuk alludes to by writing that בכור שורו הדר לו that Yosef’s eyes of his self attained malchus became the victory point over Yavon to the point that through Yosef was instituted by our Chachamim that theהדר the Hiddur mitzvah of lighting the Menorah should be לו the gematriah of 36 lights.
Yosef was the בן זקנים. The gematriah of זקנים is 207 which is אור . The word זקנים consists of two words ז - קנים the seven branches of the Menorah in the Bais Hamikdash. The word בן means בינה understanding. Yosef clearly understood that one can only receive the light of Chanukah, of Tahara, of the Menorah, only if he acquires the sixth Seder of Taharos. Chanukah is also a time to understand the character of our victory. בני בינה ימי שמונה Eight days with the hiddur of adding one more candle every night comes out to 36 the Haddar of לו , Yosef’s victory over himself. We beseech Hashemוטהר לבנו לעבדך the acronym is 66 the gematriah of יון. Chanukah is the time to seek the טהרה of Yosef which nullifies the “Just do it” promoted and encouraged by our cultures.
The Bais Yosef asks why do we celebrate Chanukah eight days when they had enough for one day and therefore the miracle only lasted seven days? The Birkas Yosef (670) brings in the name of Kadmonim that our Chachamim established Chanukah to be eight days parallel to the mitzvah of Milah which is on the eight day from birth. Milah is the bris between us and Hashem. Part of that bris is to be shomer the bris and direct our lives with modesty, and with safeguards, so we won’t fall into the Just do it lifestyle of our culture.
This is why we find Yosef directly related to the victory of Chanukah. It was the tikkun of the קשת which is the high moral standard of the Jewish Nation, of tzeneus dress, purity, shemiras ainayim and machshavos, busha and Yiras Shamayim. The Greeks made a decree to remove the doors from the Jewish houses. Their intention was to remove any obstacles that would block the entrance of their decadent culture into Jewish homes and hearts. The Chasmoaneem had the invisible protective doors of Yosef at their entrances that didn’t allow any of the shmutz and distortion to penetrate. Chanukah is the time when we can strengthen our lives with the infusion of Yosef and his sixth Seder of Mishnayos into our heads and hearts together with the mesiras nefesh of the Chashmonaeem for the same destiny.
A Freilichen Chanukah
