"Vayeishev Yaakov b'eretz Canaan." Yaakov lived in the land of Canaan. Rashi comments, when Yaakov reached Israel and wanted to live in tranquility, he was faced with the challenging episode of Yosef.  Our Sages expound, "Is it not enough that tzadikim are rewarded in the World To Come, do they also need to sit serenely in this world?" The Shem MiShmuel questions this criticism.  After all, a tzaddik wants tranquility only to perform Torah and mitzvot, not to live the easy life.  

Chassidic writings teach us that when Hashem created olam hazeh, He scattered many sparks of holiness around the world. A Jew's purpose is to search for these sparks and raise them to their ultimate level.  There are four stages of nature: inanimate objects, plants, animals, and man.  The food chain travels through these levels until it reaches man in the food that he eats.  Only man has the unique ability to descend to the lowest level and lift something up to its highest level.  As a physical wilderness can be transformed to civilization, a spiritual wilderness can become a community. The most desolate places that seem completely devoid of kedusha, contain hidden sparks of holiness. Just as one must dig very deep to find gold or diamonds, one must toil to unearth the kedusha in the spiritual world.  

The Torah was given in the barren desert of Sinai. The Gemara was written in Babylon, the bastion of idolatry and sorcery.

Judaism is unique in contrast to other religions in its teaching that all physical aspects of life can be elevated for spirituality. Torah is our tool to clear away the spiritual wilderness and replace it with a spiritual Garden of Eden. The mitzvot are our way of tapping into the holiness of every aspect of this world. What we think is mundane is only a klipa - a covering for the holiness hiding beneath.  

Galut

Elevating holiness can make us haughty. Therefore, Hashem gave us the pains of galut to keep us humble and in check. We are nothing but Hashem's messengers and only He gives us the ability to achieve and carry on.  

Yaakov lived a very difficult life with Lavan. When he returned to Israel, he thought the time of Mashiach had come and that all holiness had already been gathered. He wanted peace so that he could focus on goodness and be in a state of Shabbat and Olam Haba.  But he was mistaken. Hashem's plan was for the twelve tribes - and the masses of simple Jews who would later emerge from them - would find and elevate the scattered sparks. This was not a mission for a few tzaddikim but a goal for an entire nation.

May we merit to sanctify our lives, our country, and our society, as we attempt to complete the mission Hashem designed for us.

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Why does Chanukah always fall out during the parshiot of Vayeishev or Mikeitz?  The midrash in Mikeitz tells us that Hashem had a master plan. He wanted Yosef to be imprisoned for two years.  Therefore, he caused Pharoh to have a dream, so Yosef would be freed in a natural way. This is contrary to what we would think - that Pharoh had a dream, therefore Yosef was released. Hashem governs hashgacha through natural events, but in reality everything is part of a miraculous master plan. This is a central theme of Chanukah.

On this holiday, the prayer of Modim takes on extra meaning as we thank Hashem for all the hidden miracles we experience daily. The Greeks worshipped science, we worship the omniscient Creator behind it all.  This is what the Alter of Kelm meant when he explained why Chanukah is eight days and not seven. True we had seven revealed miraculous days, but the fact that oil burns at all, is a hidden miracle too that calls for celebration. 

Rav Mirsky suggests another connection.  In Al Hanissim we say, "The mighty were given into the hands of the weak, and the many into the hands of the few."  Similarly, in Yosef's dream, the majority deferred to the minority.  In Pharoh's dream too, the seven thin cows swallowed up the heavy ones.  Just as the small band of Maccabees fought bravely against the Greeks, Yosef stood up alone against the idol worshipping people of Egypt to proclaim Hashem's sovereignty. 

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz relates a third explanation.  The midrash Yalkut Shemoni explains that although the Arab caravans would normally transport foul-smelling skins, Hashem made them carry sweet-smelling spices with Yosef so he would not need to endure extra discomfort. Rav Shmuelevitz depicts this as a kiss from Hashem to Yosef.  Yosef understood through this sign that Hashem had not completely abandoned him. On Chanukah too, Hashem gifted us with the miracle of the jug of oil to show His love for us. Pure oil was not necessary because the Jews were ritually impure, but Hashem wanted to give them the joy of performing the mitzva in the best possible way. 

Rav Nebenzhal explores a fourth connection.  The Gemara in Shabbat discusses Chanukah and the law that a menorah that is taller than twenty amot is invalid for the mitzvah of Chanuka menorah. This is because one cannot publicize the miracle this way. The gemara continues with an analysis of the pit into which Yosef was thrown. "V'habor reik ein bo mayim." The well was empty of water - but it contained snakes and scorpions. Yosef spoke lashon hara about his brothers. Therefore, he was punished and thrown into a well with snakes. Yet Hashem saved him in the merit that Yosef would later publicize Hashem's name in Egypt.

As we gaze at the small twinkling Chanukah flames, let us contemplate the secret of our nation's immortality, our commitment to Judaism, our strength to stick to the truth despite being the minority, Hashem's extra special love for us, and the miracle of our very existence.

Chanukah comes from the root word chinuch. It is a time of rediscovery of self and a time to explore what we really yearn to achieve.  There are thirteen parshiot in the Torah that discuss the Mishkan because this pivotal concept teaches us how to bring Hashem into our world. 

Hashem says, "Make for me a sanctuary and I will dwell within you."  The Ramban maintains that the aron, which parallels the mind, was the focal point of the Mishkan. The human mind is the repository of spirituality and, if we sanctify it, Hashem rests there. The Rambam contends that the altar, which parallels the body, was the most essential aspect of the Mishkan, because that was the place where physicality was elevated to spirituality.

Throughout our lives, we experience challenges of the mind and body. Our choices determine who we will become. Greek philosophy, which has left its imprint on Western culture, teaches that overcoming physical obstacles produces nobility.  However, the savagery of the marketplace, the stiff upper lip, hedonism, academia as an end in itself, the mockery of anything that cannot be controlled or described, the survival of the fittest,  are all negative offshoots of Greek culture.

Were we meant to despise life's pleasures, shun achievements, and avoid pursuit of knowledge? Quite the contrary, a Jew's aim is to bring Hashem's presence into the world. If all these areas are infused with spirit they become holy.  We are not afraid of academia, but the process of learning should lead us not to describing reality, but to proclaiming, "What a marvelous world Hashem gave us. What is my responsibility and role here?" The more one knows, the more passionate our love for Hashem should become.

The Jewish vision is to subject the animal soul to the divine soul. How is this accomplished? The Baal HaTanya suggests one approach. Notice how many times the animal soul prevails. Make specific defined times to review your life and to really despise the part of yourself that is limited and despicable. Then appreciate the greatness of your spiritual soul and notice that often it is in exile. Next, recognize that a prisoner cannot free himself, and pray to Hashem for help. Realize that freeing yourself will come through the study of Torah, performance of mitzvot, and fighting the good fight. Do every mitzva with happiness. Your measure of how well you can uplift physicality is how much joy you find in mitzvot.

 Chanukah is about changing our mindset from "Greek think" to "Jew think."  "Greek think" wants you to have achievement but not the joy of it, the ability to use the world but not in a way that will give you spiritual and enduring pleasure, the breadth of knowledge but nothing with real meaning. "Greek think" wants to make you a smaller person; "Jew think" expands your soul. The Greeks didn't just oppose the abstract part of Judaism, but also its concrete aspects. They forbade Shabbat observance, a time when a Jew divorces himself from endless competition and achievement and makes room for Hashem.  They outlawed rosh chodesh, where we redefine time as a spiritual and transcendental thing. They forbade brit milah, which connotes that the body can be holy and that we need to perfect it.

Chanukah rectifies Greek distortion. It teaches us that Hashem is the Master of reality and we can only relate to Him by following His ways. Our achievements and pleasures are measured by our relationship with Hashem.  We see this in the menorah and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.

We often create myths having to do with human control.  We need to ask Hashem to allow us to see something of Him, to show us that He is above anything we imagined. 

Chanukah urges us to uplift ourselves by searching for Hashem in our lives. May we open our minds and hearts to see our Creator by recognizing Hashem's control and believing in a world of miracles.