Chazal tell us that when a person is destined for greatness, he loses it with anger. The Yaavatz says that this is what Yehudah meant when he said to Yosef (44:18) ָאַפְּך יִחַר וְאַל כְּפ ַרְעֹה כָמוֹךָ כִּי ָבְּע ַבְדֶּך, "Let now your servant speak something into my master's ears, and let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh." Rashi writes כמלך בעיני אתה חשוב, "You are honored to me, like a king." The Yaavatz explained that since Yosef was like a king, he should be cautious not to lose this status by becoming angry. Because when one becomes angry, he loses the greatness that was given to him. This can be the meaning of Chazal (Kidushin 41a) רגזנותא אלא בידו עלתה לא רגזן, "When one becomes angry, all he has in his hand is anger." The simple meaning is that anger doesn't accomplish anything, other than the anger itself. There is no other gain. But we can also translate this Chazal that when one becomes angry, he has nothing at all. Whatever quality or greatness he had, he lost it all due to his anger. Now, all he has left with him is his anger.
A similar lesson is written in Agra d'Kalah (from the Bnei Yissaschar zt'l). Yehudah was telling Yosef the following: You were chosen to be the viceroy of Mitzrayim because of your wisdom and your prophecy. As Pharaoh said (Bereishis 41:38-39) כ ָזֶה ה ֲנִמְצָא עֲבָד ָיו אֶל פ ַּרְעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר הוֹדִיעַ אַחֲרֵי יוֹסֵף אֶל פ ַּרְעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר ,בּוֹ א ֱלֹק ִים ַרוּח ֶׁראֲש אִישׁ כָּמוֹךָ וְחָכָם נָבוֹן אֵין זֹאת כָּל אֶת ָאוֹתְך א ֱלֹק ִים, "Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Will we find anyone like this, a man in whom there is the spirit of Hashem?" Then Pharaoh said to Yosef, "Since Hashem has let you know all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you."
So, Yosef was chosen to lead Mitzrayim because of his spirit of nevuah and for his wisdom. However, Chazal (Pesachim 66b) say, הוא חכם ואם ,ממנו מסתלקת נבואותו הוא נביא אם ,הכועס כל ממנו מסתלקת חכמתו, "Whoever becomes angry, if he is a navi, his nevuah leaves him. If he is wise, his chachmah leaves him." So, Yehudah told Yosef ָאַפְּך יִחַר וְאַל, don't become angry. You will lose all your qualities and benefits for which you were chosen. You will have descended to Pharaoh's level, as Yehudah said, כְּפ ַרְעֹה כָמוֹךָ כִּי ָבְּע ַבְדֶּך ָאַפְּך יִחַר וְאַל, "let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for then you will be like Pharaoh," at the same level. And then Pharaoh will demote you from your high-ranking position and rulership.
It states (44:18) נָא יְד ַבֶּר אֲדֹנִי בִּי וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה אֵל ָיו ׁוַיִּגַּש כְּפ ַרְעֹה כָמוֹךָ כִּי ָבְּע ַבְדֶּך ָאַפְּך יִחַר וְאַל אֲדֹנִי בְּא ָזְנֵי דָבָר ָע ַבְדְּך, "Yehudah approached and he said, 'Please, my master. Let now your servant speak something into my master's ears, and let not your wrath be kindled against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh."
Meir Nesivim (Miketz) asks why there are extra letters and words in this pasuk. He discusses the words נָא וְאַל and בִּי, and the 'כ in כְּפ ַרְעֹה. The Meir Nesivim answers, "I received from my teacher, the Baal Shem Tov, a wonderful segulah to annul anger. One should say the pasuk (Tehillim 119:9) בַּמֶּה ָכִּדְבָרֶך לִש ְׁמֹר א ָרְחוֹ אֶת נַּעַר יְזַכֶּה, "In what manner should a youth purify his way? To observe according to Your word." Thinking this pasuk is a segulah to annul anger.
This means contemplating the holy name that comes forth from the roshei teivos of these words. This will save a person from anger. So, although Yehudah wanted to argue with Yosef, he didn't want to become angry. Chazal speak at length about how destructive anger is (see Zohar Bereishis, 27b). Therefore, Yehudah added the words and letters פ ַרְעֹהכְּ בִּי נָא וְאַל, because the letters of these words spell the roshei teivos of the pasuk ִָדְבָרֶךכּ ש ְׁמֹרלִ רְחוֹאָ תאֶ עַרנַּ זַכֶּהיְ מ ֶּהבַּ." (This is printed in Baal Shem Tov al HaTorah, Vayigash, note 6)
The Sfas Emes (Chanukah 5650) writes that since we light Chanukah lecht on rosh chodesh Teves, it is certain that the light of Chanukah shines throughout the entire month of Teves, because the first day of the month has in it the entire month. "It is possible that we light 36 lecht on Chanukah, because there are 36 days from the beginning of Chanukah until the end of Teves [the days the light of Chanukah shines]. I heard from my grandfather [the Chidushei HaRim] that טבת is from the phrase הנרות הטבת." [This means that the light of Chanukah shines throughout טבת.]
