Previous Commentaries

By Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik,
Kol Shearith Israel Congregation, Panama

Translated by Inés Baum - Proofreading by Ellen Zindler

Water and oil do not mix; that is a law of life. Scientific explanations are rich in concepts such as polarity and density, and everyday language often uses this metaphor to characterize incompatible people or elements.

Jewish tradition, nevertheless, places water and oil together year after year. In another remarkable exercise of precision in our calendar, we find that parashat Miketz, which begins with Pharaoh’s dreams standing on the banks of the Nile (water), is always read on Chanukah, when the miracle of the oil is evoked. In both stories, liquids play a meaningful symbolic role.

In his dreams, Pharaoh is standing at the edge of the Yehor (reference to the Nile). The word Yehor appears four times in the first three verses of the parashah (Gen. 41:1-3). This is not due to chance. The Nile is not only a divinity in Egypt, but it is also the backbone of its economy and source of food. Joseph rightfully interprets the sign, seeing in Pharaoh’s dreams a clear reference to the economic future of Egypt.

In the Chanukah story, on the purification process of the Beit Hamikdash (Temple of Jerusalem) and according to the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), there just was enough oil for one day. But the miracle occurred and it lasted eight days, the time needed to obtain fresh oil. In a certain sense, the “small” miracle of the oil represents the “great” miracles that surround the gest of the Maccabees. Throughout Chanukah, we add the Al Hanisim passage to the Amidah, where we affirm: “You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton into the hands of the diligent students of Your Torah.”

If water and oil do not mix, then it would be logical to ask ourselves, in this Shabbat of Chanukah, what the links joining parashat Miketz with Chanukah are.

I found this answer by Rabbi Shimon Avigal (Parparot B’Shivah She’arim, B’nei Brak 1992): “Miketz is always read on the Shabbos of Chanukah. There are 2025 words in the Parashah. If you take the gematria (numerical equivalent) of ner (light), which is 250, and multiply it by 8 - the number of days that we kindle the lights of Chanukah - and add 25, the date on which Chanukah begins, the result is... 2025 !” (For more clarity, add water! Or oil!)

If you’re not completely convinced after reading the previous commentary, we may look for more connections. The Chumash Etz Hayim editor, from the Conservative (Masorti) Movement (NY, 2001), enunciates two similarities at the beginning of our parashah. On the one hand, Chanukah represents the triumph of the weak over the strong, and in Pharaoh’s dreams, the weak cows and corn ears are the ones that “triumph” over their stronger peers. On the other hand, the parashah begins with Joseph in jail, who ends being viceroy of Egypt, while Chanukah starts with an oppressed Israel and ends with a triumphant nation.

My dear friend, Rabbi Gustavo Suraski, on his commentary on Miketz 5767, establishes another valuable connection between the Torah story and Chanukah. The common denominator between Joseph and the Maccabees was not the dreams nor the ideals but rather their capacity to make them come true; the former, as manager of Egypt’s crisis, and the latter, in the Temple’s liberation. That was their mark in history.

Parashat Miketz and Chanukah. Notwithstanding chemistry, water and oil appear together. Perhaps we may draw another teaching from this “mixture”. As we already said, the water of the Nile represents the feeding basis. The Menorah oil of the Beit Hamikdash represents the spiritual light that nurtures our souls. The challenge consists of finding the appropriate balance to include both: the fulfillment of our material and spiritual needs.

Water and oil together. As Joseph, we must learn how to be good managers of our resources. As the Maccabees, we must be architects of our own miracle.

This Parashah commentary was done by the Union of Jewish Congregations of Latin America and the Caribbean, and may be reproduced quoting its source.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Torah commentary, send an e-mail to: UJCL_parasha@yahoo.com .
If you wish to dedicate the commentary to the memory of a loved one, or in honor of some family event, contact us at: UJCL_parasha@yahoo.com

Forwarded by Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, from Kol Shearith Israel Congregation, Panama.
Translated by Inés Baum and proofread by Ellen Zindler, from B’nei Israel Congregation, Costa Rica.

Copyright © 2001, 2002 UJCL