In this week's parashah, Yosef asks the sar hamashkim to remember him and to tell Pharaoh that he is enslaved for no reason. However (40:23), וישכחהו יוסף את המשקים שר זכר ולא, "The sar hamashkim didn’t remember Yosef and he forgot him." What are the two expressions, זכר ולא, "he didn’t remember Yosef," and וישכחהו "he forgot him"? They both share the same meaning.
The Chidushei HaRim zt’l explains that יוסף את המשקים שר זכר ולא means the sar hamashkim forgot Yosef, וישכחהו means Yosef forgot the sar hamashkim. After Yosef asked the sar hamashkim to help him, he totally forgot about him.
We aren't surprised that the sar hamashkim forgot Yosef, but we should be impressed that Yosef forgot the sar hamashkim. Yosef was in prison for ten years, and this was perhaps his first ray of hope for him to be released. Most people in Yosef's place would be thinking about the sar hamashkim all the time, wondering whether he spoke to Pharaoh on their behalf, but after Yosef did his hishtadlus, he didn't think about the sar hamashkim anymore. Yosef knew that only Hashem could save him, so after he made hishtadlus, he didn’t think about the sar hamashkim anymore.
The Torah tells us that the brothers showed their father Yaakov the blood-stained clothing of Yosef, and he understood that Yosef was killed by wild animals (see 38:31-34). The Rebbe of Radzimin zt'l (Bikurei Aviv) asks, "Why did the brothers need to show Yaakov the blood-stained coat? Wouldn’t Yaakov see that Yosef wasn't coming home and assume, on his own, that Yosef was killed? The answer is that without seeing the blood-stained coat, Yaakov would have bitachon that Yosef was still alive, and that Yosef would return home. Yaakov’s perfect bitachon would have drawn Hashem's aid, and the Mitzrim would have surely sent Yosef home. And then, Yosef would reveal to their father that his brothers sold him, and Yaakov would be angry with them. Therefore, they slaughtered a goat, dipped Yosef's coat in its blood, and sent it to their father." They were protecting themselves from what would occur if Yaakov had bitachon.
From this vort we learn the unbelievable power of bitachon! The Shevatim needed to make certain that Yaakov thought Yosef was killed. Otherwise, he would have bitachon that Yosef was still alive, and his bitachon would have brought Yosef home.
The story of Chanukah also teaches us the power of bitachon since the Chashmonaim won the war against the Yevanim because they trusted in Hashem. There is a remez to the bitachon that the Chashmonaim possessed. The Chashmonaim were kohanim, and כהן is gematriya בטחון.
This can explain the custom of saying יושב עליון בסתר (Tehillim 91) after lighting Chanukah lecht. This chapter discusses bitachon. 'ה אתה כי מחסי, "You Hashem are my shield. תירא לא לילה מפחד, therefore I am not afraid.” It was with bitachon that they won the war against the mighty Greek army.
The Avudraham writes that we don’t find the letter 'ז in this kapitel because when one trusts in Hashem, he doesn’t need זיין כלי, weapons.
The Midrash Chanukah (quoted by the Rokeach) relates that Gaskalgus (others say it was Bagris) was the fierce general of Yavan, and he led an enormous army. When they arrived in Eretz Yisrael, they found twelve Chashmonaim preparing to battle with them. The general scoffed, "Fools! You want to battle with my enormous army!?"
The Chashmonaim prayed to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and Hashem seized seventy malachim in heaven, hit the malachim with a fiery whip, and warned them to protect the Jewish nation. When a Greek soldier shot an arrow at the Jewish people, a malach intercepted the arrow and shot it back at the soldier who shot it, straight in his heart. The Chashmonaim saw these miracles and said, 'ה לנו ילחם, "Hashem is fighting this battle for us!"
When one of the kings of Yavan was killed, the malachim took all his money and threw it into Jewish homes. (The Yidden couldn’t take the money themselves because of all the corpses...)
Eliforni gathered an army of 120,000 mighty warriors, 22,000 archers, and camels carrying endless food supplies. In the past, Eliforni conquered many large, powerful countries. When the Yidden heard he was approaching, they were terrified. They shouted and prayed to Hashem, together with their wives and children, and they fasted and did teshuvah. The Kohanim wore sackcloth, and even the mizbeiach was dressed in sackcloth. They shouted to Hashem, and they fell on their faces. Then the Yidden ran after their enemies and killed many of them." With their tefillos and with their bitachon, they won wars against their enemies again and again. This is a lesson for us, as well. When a person experiences fear and insecurity, he can pass his tests with bitachon in Hashem. This applies to worldly pursuits (such as the pursuit of parnassah), and spiritual pursuits (to overcome the yetzer hara and to serve Hashem). There are fears and insecurities, but with bitachon, we are encouraged and boldened, and with bitachon, Hashem will help us, and we will overcome all challenges.
Chazal tell us that Chanukah lecht must burn השוק מן רגל שתכלה עד החמה משתשקע, "from shekiyah until there aren't people walking in the marketplace." Why did Chazal use this unusual expression? Our Chachamim could have said that the time for Chanukah lecht is from shekiyah until a half-hour passes. This is a more common expression representing the same period (because there is a half-hour from shekiyah until there aren't people in the marketplace).
Reb Moshe Leib Sassover zt'l explains that we learn from the miracles of Chanukah that Hashem does everything. Therefore, businessmen understand that Hashem can support them even if they spend less time in the marketplace. Parnassah is from Hashem, and although we make hishtadlus, מן רגל תכלה השוק, we can spend less time in the workplace, and Hashem will grant us parnassah.
The Yevanim decreed that the Jewish people must write on the oxen's horn that they don't have a portion with the G-d of Yisrael (Bereishis Rabba 2:4). We can explain that oxen were once the prime tool to work the field, to plow, and to bring home parnassah. The Jewish nation attributed everything to Hashem's help, as well as parnassah. The Yevanim said, "Don't mention Hashem's name when it comes to earning a living. Write on the oxen's horn that Hashem isn't part of this pursuit." They didn't want the Jewish people to connect religion to their parnassah. But the Jewish nation knows and believes that success at work is only from Hashem's hashgachah. They can rely on Hashem, and Hashem will help them.
