Page 48 - HaMizrachi #15 2019 Chanuka USA

Rabbi Dov Lipman

Elevating THE DARKNESS

here are conflicting teachings on his heel, fix his hair” – focusing on context of holiness – in the writing of
in our tradition regarding how he looked. a Torah and for communication in the
Tthe nature of Greek culture. The brothers saw Yosef’s focus Land of Israel, the remarkable beauty
The Midrash teaches that the on the physical and determined of Greece takes the spiritual to a whole
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word “darkness” mentioned at the that his leadership would lead the new level. As the Gemara explains,
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beginning of Creation and during the nation astray. When they see Yosef there is beauty to Yefet, the forefather
Brit Bein HaBetarim refers to Greece. approaching them before they of Greece, but that’s only when it
Equating Greece with darkness clearly conspire to get rid of him, they say, “dwells in the tents of Shem,”i.e. when
indicates a negative attitude toward “Behold, the master of the dreams couched in a spiritual context.
Greece and its culture. (Ba’al HaChalomot) is coming.” The This is why ןֹוּֽי ִ צ – Zion, referring
Nevertheless, Rabban Shimon ben Midrash quotes Rabbi Levi explaining to Israel and Yerushalayim, is a
Gamliel teaches that a Torah can Ba’al HaChalomot to mean, “this combination of the letter צ, which
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be written in Hebrew or Greek. The one will lead them to worship ba’al symbolizes the righteous tzadik, and
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Talmud teaches that in the Land of (idolatry).” Rashi teaches that Shimon the letters ןֹוּֽי – Greece. The merger
Israel one should speak either Hebrew and Levi had the same plot “against of the righteous, spiritual person
or Greek. According to the Zohar, the Shechem and against Yosef,” meaning together with the beautiful culture of
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words “without blemish” in the Torah their acts of violence against both Greece leads to Zion – the physical
refers to Greece “who are close to the were to save the nation. land where every act, including
path of emunah (belief).” The brothers were right that Yosef’s walking, planting, and building, is

So, which is it? Are we to view Greece interest in the physical world had the actually spiritual – thus elevating its
as something holy or as darkness? capacity to destroy their faith if left inhabitants to the highest possible
unharnessed. Yes, Yosef had these spiritual levels.
Rav Matis Weinberg answers this physical tendencies and yes, he cared
question based on the story of Yosef about the physical world. But, when And that’s the message of Chanukah.
and his brothers. the physical is harnessed and used in We use a beautiful chanukiah, and
Is it possible that the sons of Ya’akov the context of holiness, there can be light following the “Mehadrin min
HaMehadrin” approach – beautifying
were so horrific and unspiritual that no higher spiritual level. That is what the mitzvah with the physical, to
they sought to either kill Yosef or Ya’akov saw in Yosef – the son who celebrate the incredible spiritual
completely rid him from their lives? could lead the people in a world where heights we can reach when we engage
one cannot be exclusively spiritual but
The brothers thought they were doing must balance the physical with the with the magnificent physical world
a spiritual act that would save the spiritual. G-d has created for us to use in the
Jewish faith when they sold Yosef. context of spirituality and Avodat
They saw that Ya’akov had crowned Yosef is the only person in the Torah Hashem.
Yosef as the leader of the next who we refer to as a tzadik. It’s easy
generation of their faith. to be righteous when rejecting the
physical world and focusing only on 1 Bereishit Rabbah, Chapters 2 and 44.
Who was Yosef? the spiritual. True righteousness is one 2 Megillah 8b.

The Torah relates that Yosef was who can be engaged in the physical 3 Sotah 49b.
“handsome of form and handsome of world that G-d created and in which 4 Shemot 237a.
appearance.” Rashi relates that “the He placed us, and not only balance,
daughters of Egypt used to climb the but elevate the physical and use it for 5 Bereishit Rabbah 84.
wall to gaze at his beauty.” It wasn’t the spiritual. 6 Megillah 9b.
simply that Yosef was physically That brings us back to Greece and
attractive. He took care of his outward Chanukah. Greek culture alone is Rabbi Dov Lipman is a former MK and the
appearance. The Midrash teaches darkness. It is empty and leads to no author of seven books about Judaism and
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that Yosef would “pat his eyes, turn good. But when it is brought into the Israel
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