We read the Joseph story on Shabbat Hanukkah, because he experienced episodes of darkness and struggle both internal to our family and as part of a world that does not know enough how to feed itself.
Pharoah recognizes that “Ruach Elohiim” a Godly spirit flows through Joseph. None of the founding ancestors receive this description in the Torah. And it was that same spirit that hovered about the chaos during creation, when God set the world in order and provided for a space and environment in which humanity could flourish.
Jews have played an outsized role in helping to conceive of a world filled with goodness and godliness. We hope to contribute sharing ideas, strategies and solutions with our neighbors. We seek to fill the earth with the light of learning and the spirit to savor life.
Whether we live in diaspora like Joseph did or we live in our homeland, Israel, what we fight for like Maccabees is the freedom to curate our own culture, stay true to our pursuit of knowing God and conceiving of how to concretize the goodness we are commanded to seek by the Torah. This is the kind of freedom we celebrate during Hanukkah. And we’ll combine Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh and Hanukkah celebrations this week to affirm that this is our course every week, every week and even in the darkest times.
As we have experienced much darkness, as a People, this week with the terrorist massacre in Sydney and stabbing on a New York subway, let us stand proud and sing out strong and publicly at services this Shabbat. The lights of our candles dispel much darkness, as Maimonides taught: a small flame dispels much darkness. Let’s add that it removes despair, as well. The light we shine when we pray and celebrate together creates such power, hope and spirit!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bolton