This week's Torah reading falls on Chanukah and tells of the rise of Yosef from an obscure prison to ruling the world in just moments because of dreams, especially those of Pharoah.
What are dreams? Why were they so important in this story? And what is the connection of all this to Chanukah?
To understand this here are two stories.
The Seeker of Truth
Once there was a man that searched for truth. But after obtaining all the formal knowledge money can buy and earning multiple diplomas and degrees, he realized that much was lacking. So, he decided that perhaps truth can be obtained by experience in the real world. He delved into business, politics, music, art, sports, religions and meditations. But he still felt empty.
So he began to walk.
He traveled the world from one country to another seeking truth until he heard of a Great Master who dwelled in the mountains of the orient.
So after months of braving jungles, deserts, cold, heat, danger and deprivation he finally made it.
The Great Master was sitting serenely at the entrance of a cave and looked to be at least two hundred years old. His eyes shone with something far beyond wisdom as he asked our hero, “What do you seek?"
“TRUTH!!! I want TRUTH!!”
The old man answered quietly, “Every human has a lamp; a small cup filled with oil with a flaming wick. When that oil is gone the person leaves this world."
Our hero listened with open mouth.
"All those cups, billions of them, are in this cave" he said as he pointed his bony finger behind him. “Each has a name and your cup is in row six billion etc. ..."
Our hero ran into the dimly lit cave opening and after an hour he found it! There was his name. But when he looked at his cup he almost fainted: there was almost no oil left! He had only days ... perhaps hours to live! What would he do?! A cold sweat covered his forehead.
But, behold! Next to his cup was one filled to the brim. To the brim!!
He slowly picked up the full cup to spill some of the oil, he would just take a little, into his when ..... suddenly someone grabbed his arm!!!
He looked behind him in shock to see the old man smiling and saying: "I thought you were looking for truth?"
The Dream of Boruch
Second story: In the days of Czarist Russia lived a poor Jew who we will call Boruch who dreamt the same dream three times in a row; each time with the exact same details.
He dreamt of a bridge that spanned a certain river and under that bridge he began digging till he uncovered a metal box which he opened to reveal a treasure in gems and golden coins.
The first time he had the dream he woke thinking it was meaningless but after the dream repeated a second and third time he was sure it was true. The next morning, he and his wife agreed that he should check it out.
He took a shovel, a strong sack for the treasure, some money for the train there and back and set off.
The place he saw in the dream was well known to him; it was a five-hour train ride and a half-hour walk from the train station. Five hours later he arrived at his destination but 15 minutes into his walk he got a bitter surprise.
As he saw the bridge in the distance, he noticed from afar there was a garrison of Russian soldiers camped exactly where he was supposed to dig.
He viewed the spot trying to formulate a plan of approach. How could he get that treasure?
But while in deep thought he was startled by a booming voice behind him: “Hands in the air! Don’t move!! Turn around slowly!!!” Boruch did as he was told and turned to see a burly Russian soldier pointing a rifle with fixed bayonet at him. “What are you, a spy??” he roared. “I’m taking you to the commander, he’ll decide what to do with you. Get moving!!”
The soldier picked up the shovel and bag and in moments Boruch was in the commander’s tent standing accused. “Explain yourself Jew!!” The commander ordered.
“Listen your honor!” Stammered Boruch. “You can have half of the treasure!! You can have it all!!! Just please don’t kill me!!! Please let me go!!”
“Treasure?” Repeated the commander. “What treasure? Are you crazy?”
Boruch had no choice but to reveal his dreams and his plans to the officer.
“Dreams? You came here because of dreams?? Hidden treasures?? I thought the Jews were a smart people. Either they aren’t or you are a big exception. Who listens to dreams??
“Why just last night I had a dream that a treasure was hidden under the stove of some poor Jew by the name of Boruch about five hours from here. You think I’ll leave everything and go treasure hunting!? Of course not!! Now get out of here!!! Take your shovel and bag, go home and get a normal job!!! Stop wasting your time and my time!! Understand? I don’t want to see you around here again!!!”
Boruch shook his head in agreement. Grabbed his equipment, took the first train back. Five hours later excitedly entered his home, knocked over the oven and began digging. His wife thought he had gone mad until he hit the metal box, pulled it out and knocked open the lock to reveal the treasure of his dreams.”
The Moral: Truth and Riches Within
The moral of both stories is the same; often the truth and riches we search for is already ours, but only hard work and dreams can reveal it.
That is why in exile we Jews are likened to dreamers (Psalm 126:1).
Because only in this exile, when the Jews are detached from reality the TRUE essence of the soul be revealed. As in a dream.
Just as in a dream an elephant can jump through a needle so too in exile; Even the biggest 'transgressors' suddenly become 'Baali Tshuva'. Jews can be at one moment a complete atheist and in the next; willing to suffer or even die for Judaism. The essence of the Jewish soul is revealed.
This is what happened in our Torah reading. Pharaoh's dreams revealed new opposites in his soul. Suddenly, for the first time in his life he sensed there was something opposing his impurity... and when he saw Yosef and heard his interpretations, he knew what it was; holiness and truth.
Then Yosef transformed not only Pharaoh but all of Egypt, the most licentious country in all history, and made all its males circumcise themselves!! (41:55).
Chanukah: Transforming Darkness to Light
This combining of opposites also happened in Chanukah when, as in a dream, G-d put tens of thousands of powerful Greek soldiers into the hands of 13 weak Jews (see Rashi on Deut.33:11) who were inspired only to make pure Judaism.
The Greeks did not destroy the Temple or the oil for the Menorah, they only touched them thereby rendering them impure according to strict Torah standards.
But the Maccabees (just as Yosef did thousands of years earlier) changed all that and that is why we have Chanukah: to transform the ‘darkness’ of creation into the light of the Creator according to these standards.
This is especially relevant to us today.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that we too must live from the essence of our souls... above logic because the real truth is that Moshiach is here. We only have open our eyes and see that with very small effort we can transform the entire world.
As the saying goes; "If you want your dreams to come true you must first wake up!
And as the Rebbe said repeatedly; this should happen at any moment.
We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish service, hopes, prayers and suffering. Now just one more good deed, word of even thought, if done with JOY can bring ....
MOSHIACH NOW!!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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