As we know, when an event or holiday occurs during the week, Chazal say it has a connection to the preceding Parsha, and they look for the connection between Chanukah and Parshat Miketz. The Shiltei Giborim writes, our Parsha contains the words וּטְ בֹחַ טֶבַח וְהָכֵן in describing Yosef’s command to prepare a meal for his brothers – and the 'ח of וּטְ בֹחַ together with the letters והכן combine to form the word חנוכה, in support of the festive meals we prepare each year on Chanukah. Additionally, the numerical value of וּטְ בֹחַ טֶבַח is 44, the total number of candles we light (including the shamashim).
Another hint to Chanukah is brought from Pharaoh's dreams, which reference seven gaunt and weak cows swallowing up seven larger and healthier ones; and seven strong and healthy ears of grain devoured by seven thinner and weaker ones. Both are a hint to what we recite in the Al HaNissim of Chanukah: מָ סַרְ תָּ גִּבּוֹרִ ים בְּיַד חַלָּשׁ ִ ים – You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak.
Rav Naftali Zvi Horowitz of Ropshitz says, in our Parsha it is written: וַתֵּרֶב מַשְׂאַת בִּנְיָמִן מִמַּשְׂאֹת כֻּלָּם חָמֵשׁ יָדוֹת – Binyamin’s portions was greater than all of theirs; five times as much. The ח ָ מ ֵ שׁ י ָ ד ו ֹ ת refers to the five instances of בְּיַד in Al HaNissim: מָ סַ רְ תּ ָ גִּ בּ ו ֹרִ ים בְּ יַד חַלָּשׁ ִים וְרַבִּים בְּ יַד מְ עַטִּ ים וּטְ מֵ אִ ים בְּ יַד טְ הו ֹרִ ים ו ּ רְ שׁ ָ ע ִ י ם בְּ יַד צַדִּ יקִ ים וְזֵדִ ים בְּ יַד עוֹסְ קֵ י תּ וֹרָ תֶ ך . You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and sinners into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah.
The Bnei Yissaschar points to the words found in our Parsha: וְחִ מֵּשׁ אֶת אֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם בְּשׁ ֶבַע שׁ ְ נֵי הַשָּׂבָע. He says ש "חמ is an acronym for ח ֹ דֶ שׁ , מִ י ל ָ ה , שׁ ַ ב ּ ָ ת – the three commandments that the Yevanim decreed against and wanted to abolish: Rosh Chodesh, Brit Milah, and Shabbat.
I would like to focus our shiur on the Haftarah we read each year on Shabbat Chanukah. The Gemara (Megillah 31a) says: On Chanukah, we read from the section of the Nesi'im (Naso) followed by וּמַ פְ טִ ירִ ין בְּ נֵרוֹת דִּ זְכַרְ יָה – the Haftarah is the candles of Zechariah. It’s important to note that the entire idea of reading a Haftarah each week was established during the days of the Chashmonaim – a subject we’ll focus on another time, B’ezrat Hashem. Today, I’d like to focus on one point from the Haftarah, and from it, reach a conclusion about what exactly happened during the days of the Chashmonaim and what the war of the Yevanim against Am Yisrael was all about.
Haftarah of Chanukah: Zechariah’s Vision
In our Haftarah we read:
And the angel that talked with me came back, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, I have looked, and behold a Menorah all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and seven lamps to it, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which were upon the top of it; and there are two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side of it. So, I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my Lord?”If we were to read only about these candles of Zechariah, we would naturally conclude that it connects perfectly – it’s Shabbat Chanukah, and the Navi Zechariah speaks about a prophecy involving the Menorah. But the Haftarah doesn’t begin there. It begins a chapter earlier, where the Navi deals with an event that took place during the period of the First Beit Hamikdash. Let’s learn this section together and understand its significance within the Haftarah of Chanukah.
Yehoshua the High Priest and the False Prophets
And he showed me Yehoshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and the accuser standing at his right to accuse him. But G-d said to the accuser, “G-d rebukes you, O accuser; G-d who has chosen Yerushalayim rebukes you! For this man is a brand plucked from the fire.” Yehoshua was clothed in filthy garments, when he stood before the angel. And the angel answered and spoke to those before him, “Take the filthy garments off of him!” And to Yehoshua he said, “Behold, I have removed your guilt from you, and you shall be clothed in priestly robes.”
Chazal tell us about two נְבִ יאֵ י שׁ ֶ קֶ ר – false prophets: Achav ben Kolaiah and Tzidkiyahu ben Maaseiah, whom Yirmiyahu had already warned against. What exactly did they do? Let's see what is said about the two of them. The Midrash says (Tanchuma Vayikra 6):
וְרַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָרָעָה – Feet quick to run to evil, refers to Achav and Tzidkiyahu, who sinned in Yerushalayim. And it was not enough for them to sin in Yerushalayim, but when they were exiled to Bavel, they continued to add sin. And what did they do in Yerushalayim? They were false prophets. (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (33) says they were false healers, and they’d heal the Chaldean women and then engage in relations with them.) And when they left Yerushalayim to Bavel, they didn’t abandon their craft; they would facilitate each other's sins. Achav would enter the homes of the nobles of Bavel and say to them: “G-d has sent me to speak to your wife.” He’d then seclude himself with her and say, “G-d wishes to establish prophets from you.” No less and no more – prophets from a gentile woman! Achav would instruct the woman to go and engage with Tzidkiyahu and to bear children – supposed prophets – from him. The woman would listen to him and send for Tzidkiyahu who would promptly arrive and engage with her. And Tzidkiyahu would do the same in setting up Achav; this was their craft! They made a real name for themselves in Bavel as great prophets!
They did this until they reached the wife of Nevuchadnetzar. Tzidkiyahu said to her, “G-d has sent me to you. Go and engage with Achav and bear prophets.” She didn’t comply though, instead responding: “I cannot do this without my husband's consent.” She went to her husband and informed him, and Nevuchadnetzar promptly sent for the duo. He asked, “Is this really what you told my wife?!” They replied, “Yes, that G-d wishes to establish prophets from her.” Nevuchadnetzar then challenged them, “But I have heard about your G-d that He hates immorality. And because Zimri engaged in immorality, twenty-four thousand died! And yet you offer this to my wife? Perhaps He has changed His mind in terms of immorality. If you are false prophets or true prophets, I do not know. But I have already tested Chanania, Mishael, and Azariah, and I heated the furnace for them for seven days, and they fell into it and came out alive. For you, I’ll heat it for only one day and throw you in. If you’re saved from the furnace, I’ll know for sure that you’re true prophets, and we’ll do everything you say.” Achav and Tzidkiyahu hadn’t expected Nevuchadnetzar to throw a wrench in their plans, but they had an escape plan; they said to him: “Chanania, Mishael, and Azariah were three, and we’re only two, and such a miracle is done only through three.”
This tactic of theirs reminds me of the story told about a Jew in Russia who was sentenced to death and given three requests ahead of his execution. He proposed, "Well, my first request is – I want to eat strawberries," to which the guards replied, "But there aren’t any strawberries now – it's winter!" He was quick to retort, "That’s okay, I have time – I’ll wait until the summer season." They waited for the strawberry season and brought him some berries to enjoy, followed by a demand to know his second request. He responded, "I want to go skiing." The guards were taken aback. "Skiing? Now?! But we’re in the middle of the summer!” "No problem,” he said, “I have time and am willing to wait.” They waited until winter returned and let him go skiing. "Now, what’s your final request?" The man answered, "I want to be buried next to Brezhnev!" This time the guards were truly stunned. "But Brezhnev is still alive!" The man smirked and said, “No problem, I’m willing to wait."
Back to the Midrash, Nevuchadnetzar responded, “There’s a third here just like you!” The duo said in joy, “Yehoshua the High Priest,” and thought in their hearts that they’d now be saved by his merit. Yehoshua the High Priest was thrown into the furnace with Achav and Tzidkiyahu, both of whom were burned while Yehoshua was saved. It is indeed Yehoshua Kohen Gadol referred to in: אוּד מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ – For this is a brand plucked from the fire. Yehoshua was saved but the flames did affect him, burning his clothes.
The Gemara says (Sanhedrin 93a), Nevuchadnetzar said to Yehoshua: “I know that you are righteous, for you were saved from the fire, but why did the fire affect you a little, while Chanania, Mishael, and Azariah were not affected at all?” Yehoshua replied, “They were three righteous men who entered the furnace, and I am only one, and therefore my clothes were burned.” Nevuchadnetzar challenged, “Why do you say this? Avraham was alone when he entered the furnace, and yet his clothes were not burned!” Yehoshua replied, “There were no wicked people with him in the furnace, and therefore the fire was not given permission to affect him at all. But here, there were two wicked people with me, thus the fire was given permission to affect me.” This reflects the adage: יַבִּישׁ ֵי לְרַ טִּיבָאתְּרֵי אוּדֵי יַבִּישׁ ֵי וְחַד רַטִּיבָא אוֹקְדַן – If there are two dry logs and one moist one in a fire, the dry logs burn the moist one. Yehoshua was saying, “If you put two dry people – i.e., empty of Torah and mitzvot – into the furnace, and you put me, wet – i.e., full of mitzvot – into the furnace with them, the wet one also burns.”
This is a fascinating section of Navi to discover and learn, but what does this whole story have to do with Chanukah?! Why do we begin the Haftarah with this story before getting to the section about Zecharia’s candles? Is it not the latter which the Gemara tells us to read? This prelude is more related to Lag Ba’omer than to Chanukah!
Questions on Chanukah Customs and Symbolism
Before we begin explaining the idea, I’d like to pose a few more questions, after which we’ll work our way back towards the explanation. We’ll start with the Gemara that provides guidelines for lighting the Chanukah candles (Shabbat 21b):
Chazal taught: It is a mitzvah to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside.
Rashi comments, we place it on the outside מִ שׁ ּ וּם פִּ רְ סוּמֵ י נִיסָּ א – in order to publicize the miracle. Rabbotai, we also have the goal of פִּ רְ סוּמֵ י נִיסָּ א on Purim, achieved through reading the Megillah. Yet, where do we read the Megillah? We do so inside the shul! We don’t go out to our porches or to the sidewalk to read it. Why is Chanukah unique?
Additionally, when placing the Chanukiah at the entrance of the house, there is a debate recorded in this Gemara as to which side it is placed on – right or left. Rav Acha ben Rava says on the right., and Rav Shmuel of Difti says on the left. The Gemara adds, the halacha is that we place it on the left of the entrance, so that the Chanukah candle is on the left and the mezuzah on the right. The Sheiltot writes (Vayishlach), the halacha is on the left so that the mezuzah is on the right and the Chanukah candle on the left, and the homeowner is wrapped in his tallit between them! What is with this trio of Chanukah candle, mezuzah, and tzitzit? (The Meiri even holds that the one lighting should also be wearing tefillin on his head, and many commentators bring proof from here that the time for lighting the Chanukah candles is during the day!)
Another point I’d like to add to this collection of questions is from the words of Chazal in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 99:2).
לֹהִים דָּבָר כִּי אִם גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִיםכִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה ה' אֱ - – Hakadosh Baruch Hu already revealed His secret to Yaakov Avinu and Moshe Rabbeinu, and told them Bnei Yisrael would have to endure four exiles. Yaakov paired two tribes against two exiles, and Moshe paired two tribes against two exiles. Yehuda was set opposite – i.e., to bring an end to – Malchut Bavel, both of whom are compared to a lion; and Binyamin was opposite Malchut Madai, both compared to a wolf. Levi was next, opposite against Malchut Yavan – but why?
The Midrash says: “One is the third tribe, and one is the third kingdom. One has three letters (לֵוִי), and the other has three letters (יָוָן). The Levi’im sounded the shofar and the Yevanim sounded trumpets of war. One wears the hats of Kohanim and the other wears helmets. One wears trousers (michnasa’im) and the other wears knee breeches. The Yevanim were great in numbers, and the Levi’im were few. And the numerous came and fell into the hands of the few! By what merit did the Chashmonaim prevail over the Yevanim? Through the merit of the bracha of Moshe Rabbeinu, who said: מְ חַ ץ מָ תְ נַיִ ם קָ מָ יו – Shatter his adversaries at the loins.” Rashi explains, Moshe saw that the Chashmonaim, descendants of Levi, would fight with the Yevanim, and he davened for them because they were few – twelve sons of the Chashmonaim and Elazar against many tens of thousands.
This Midrash is filled with a lengthy account of linguistic similarities, and comparisons of action, but what exactly is the true connection between Yavan and the priestly family of Levi? Before we proceed to explain, we need to pose another question.
Chazal say (Tanchuma Tetzaveh 5), Hakadosh Baruch Hu said to Bnei Yisrael, “יוֹנִים עֵינַיִך – Your nature is like that of a dove.” When one wishes to purchase wheat from his peer, he says to him, “Describe it to me first.” Their nature, to first check out the product, is like that of a dove. How so? When Noach was in the ark, we’re told he first sent out the raven, who proceeded to fly out and then immediately returned. Afterwards, Noach sent out the dove, which returned with an olive leaf in its mouth. Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “Just as the dove brought light to the world, so too, you who are compared to a dove, bring olive oil and light the candle before Me (in the Beit Hamikdash).” According to the opinion that the dove brought back the olive leaf from Gan Eden, why did it choose to bring specifically an olive leaf? Why not a fig leaf or some other exotic tree or grain?
The Midrash says (Esther Rabbah Petichta 5), Hakadosh Baruch Hu called Yisrael by four terms of endearment (Shir HaShirim 5:2): אֲ ח ֹתִ י רַ עְ יָתִ י יו ֹנָתִ י תַ מּ ָ תִ י פִּ תְ חִ י־לִ י. The term אֲ חֹתִ י refers to them in Bavel, רַ עְ יָתִ י in Madai, יו ֹנָתִ י in Yavan, and תַּ מּ ָ תִ י in Edom. And why does He call them “My dove” in the Galut of Yavan? It is because throughout the days of Yavan, the Beit Hamikdash stood, and Bnei Yisrael would offer young doves on the altar. From here, we see another connection between Yavan and the dove.
One final question before we proceed to explain our main idea. Chazal say that the Yevanim were called ח שׁ ֶ ך – darkness. Why is this? , זֶה גָּלוּת יָוָן, שׁ ֶהֶחֱשִׁיכָה עֵינֵיהֶם שׁ ֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּגְזֵרוֹתֵיהֶן, שׁ ֶהָיְתָה וְחשׁ ֶך אוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶם, כִּתְבוּ עַל קֶרֶן הַשּׁ וֹר שׁ ֶאֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. Darkness, this is the Greek exile, which darkened the eyes of Israel with their decrees, as they said to them, "Write on the horn of a bull that you have no portion in the G-d of Israel."
And why did the Yevanim specifically ask to write on the horn of a bull and not on the belly of a donkey? What did they want from the horn of the bull? The Yedei Moshe writes, this alludes to the fact that Bnei Yisrael made the image of a golden bull, at Cheit Ha’Eigel, and to this the Yevanim said, “You showed your comfort with idolatry.” Similarly, the Yefeh To’ar writes, this was meant to symbolize their denial of G-d to the extent of inscribing it on their possessions.
Sefer Yareach L’Moadim brings forth a wonderful idea. With regards to Yaakov Avinu’s struggles and hardships, the Midrash says (Bereishit Rabbah 84:3):
“I was not tranquil, was not silent” (Iyov 3:26). “I was not tranquil” – from Eisav; “was not silent” – from Lavan. “And I did not rest” – from Dina. “But turmoil came” – the turmoil of Yoseph came upon me.Another Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 26:1) explains this same Pasuk from Iyov (3:26) to mean: ל ֹ א שׁ ָ ל ַ ו ְ תּ ִ י – I was not tranquil in Bavel; ו ְ ל ֹ א שׁ ָ ק ַ ט ְ תּ ִ י – I was not silent in Madai; וְלֹא נַחְתִּי – I did not rest from Yavan; וַיָבֹא רֹגֶז – the turmoil came in Edom. Yareach L’Moadim explains: This is related to the well-known concept of מַ עֲשֵׂ ה אָ בוֹת סִ ימָ ן לְבָ נִים – what happens to the fathers is a sign for the children. Just as our forefathers are the roots of the nation, their experiences are the roots of events all future generations will experience. The two Midrashim complement each other. When Yaakov Avinu said he was not tranquil from Eisav, it was a sign his children would not be tranquil with Bavel; no silence from Lavan was a sign of no silence in Madai; no rest from Dina was a sign of no rest from Yavan; and the turmoil of Yoseph was a sign of the turmoil of Edom.
According to this, the מַ עֲשֵׂ ה אָ בוֹת that was a סִ ימָ ן לְבָ נִים for Galut Yavan was the story of Dina – and upon both it is said וְלֹא נָחְתִּי – I found no rest.
This is also explained by Seforno at the beginning of Parshat Vayeishev: Ever since Yaakov Avinu left his father’s home, what happened to him is similar to the history of the Jewish people during the era of the First Beit Hamikdash. The words וַיֵשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב – Yaakov settled, remind us of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael until the first exile. The words בְּ אֶ רֶ ץ מְ גוּרֵ י אָ בִ יו – in the land where his father had been a stranger, remind us of the era of the Second Beit Hamikdash. This was followed by the destruction of Jewish statehood and our entering a long period of exile which will terminate only with the final redemption.
Going back to the two Midrashim, and the commentary of the Yareach L’Moadim, we need to understand the meaning of these two events being connected – the story of Dina and Galut Yavan, and how the first was a preview for the children in the days of Mattityahu during Galut Yavan. After the incident with Dina, we are told:
G-d said to Yaakov, “Arise, go up to Beth-el and remain there; and build an altar there to the G-d who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Eisav.”Rashi explains, based on the Midrash (Tanchuma 8), the incident with Dina was a punishment for Yaakov Avinu, for not rushing, according to his level, to fulfill the vow he made when fleeing from Eisav: וְהָאֶבֶן הַזֹּאת אֲשׁ ֶר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵבָה יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱ - ל ֹהִ ים. Since he was negligent in his service and did not fulfill his vow for two years until being instructed by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, he was punished with the incident of Dina.
According to this, it is clear that what happens to the fathers – i.e., the incident of Dina – were a sign for the children during the exile of Yavan. The Bach writes (Hilchot Chanukah 670):
But on Chanukah, the main decree was because they were negligent in their service, and therefore the decree was to abolish the service from them, as it is taught in the Baraita that they decreed to abolish the Tamid offering, etc.Because the children were negligent in their service, as the father Yaakov had been, the exile of Yavan came upon them. Chazal equated וְלֹא נָחְתִּי מִדִּינָה with וְ ל ֹא נָחְ תִּ י מִ יָוָן, as both involved negligence in performing service. The punishment of וְלֹא נָחְתִּי מִדִּינָה led to the punishment of וְ ל ֹא נָחְ תִּ י מִ יָוָן. Yaakov delayed his vow, and they took Dina from him; Am Yisrael delayed their service in the Beit Hamikdash, and it was decreed that every woman who needed to marry would be defiled by the governor first.
In Galut Yavan, there was an incident with the daughter of Mattityahu similar to the incident of Dina, and her brothers were required to be zealous for her like Shimon and Levi, the brothers of Dina. Midrash Ma'aseh Chanukah recounts a harrowing incident involving Chana, the daughter of Mattityahu.
On her wedding day – to Elazar of the Chashmonaim – the party was set, and all invited leaders had arrived to take part. Chana stood up, clapped her hands, tore her clothing, and stood exposed before the entire assembly. When her brothers saw this, they lowered their faces, ripped their clothes, and prepared to kill her for the desecration she had brought. She then rebuked her brothers for not defending her against the Yevanim, who intended to defile her. She invoked the example of Shimon and Levi, who avenged the defilement of Dina by risking their lives for the sanctity of Hashem’s name. She then cried out: ”Ribbono Shel Olam, if You will not have mercy on us, חוּס עַל קְדֻשַּׁת שִׁמְך הַגָּדוֹל – have mercy on the sanctity of Your great name, which is called upon us, and let us take our revenge today!" Her plea inspired her brothers, the Chashmonaim, to take action in confronting the governor. They plotted to go straight to the king and explain that it was unbefitting for the daughter of the Kohen Gadol to lie with the
