Shabbat

Portion Vayeshev and Chanuka : Jealousy Dementia Depravity Hatred and - the Technicolor ELEPHANTS?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:35
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Portion Vayeshev and Chanuka : Jealousy Dementia Depravity Hatred and - the Technicolor ELEPHANTS?

Did Joseph have elephants in Egypt? Probably not.
 
But 8-900 years later the Syrian Greeks used elephants in the Chanuka Wars - 
that the Maccabbees eventually won.
 
Those Syrian elephants were probably Asian elephants - 
that Alexander the Great got FOR them in his wars in India-
because th Syrians were still at war with the Egyptians and probably could not get African elephants!
 
What's that got to do with the weekly portion and story of Joseph?
 
His hating jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt.
Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him.
Judah had a tryst with his forMer daughter in law.
Jacob went crazy with sorrow for losing Joseph (he thought).
 
AND THE ELEPHANTS?
 
There's so much to write and study and be THANKFUL FOR THIS CHANUKA-
but in a nutshell
 
In Israel they caught an Arab Knesset member passing cell phones with terrorist links-
to iSRAELI-interred security prisoners this week - and he is now in jail. A MIRACLE
 
The US President Elect called the Egyptian President and got him to pull an anti-Israel motion out of the UN- another MIRACLE
 
 
Joseph and his brothers introduce us to the issues of Chanuka::
 
brothers fighting each other
A hateful crazy Syrian King bent on destroying Judaism
 
And who became the symbol of potential Israel victory? 
 
Decorated elephants
who we thought were going to crash through our people-
who were tamed by the Maccabbees - 
 
5 brothers who OVERCAME JEALOUSY and worked together
 
LIKE THE BROTHERS OF JOSEPH WHO LEARNED OVER TIME 
NOT TO FEAR THEIR DREAMER BROTHER
 
Speaking of miracles:
Purim is the holiday of "upside down" - 
but Chanuka is the holiday of "the light of Redemption"-
the kind that can HEAL THE WORLD-
 
and OUR PART IN SPREADING HOLY LIGHT!
 
Light some Shabbos Candles
Light some Chanuka candles
 
Spread some happiness to the homebound - and to ALL OUR PEOPLE
12 tribes dispersed thoughout the world
Love and Shabbos and Light from Israel
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz