Parsha Mikeitz/Shabbos Chanukah 5767: A Message of Yosef: Never Assume That The Nations Accept an Obligation to the Jews
By, Moshe Burt
Three years ago, this author spoke at the Shul’s Shabbos Chanukah Oneg saying a vort about Yosef based on Jay Shapiro’s book “Almost Midrash.” The story of Yosef was encorporated into a fictional story entitled “Duaf of Memphis” from Shapiro’s book and this author dealt with the contrast of Yosef in Mitzrayim and the dialogue of Page 13 A & B of Gemora Megillah Esther (the dialogue between Achashveirosh and Haman resulting in the evil decree against the Jews). The point of the Torah Vort at that time was that with longevity in Shushan and throughout Achashveirosh’s Empire, as with Mitzrayim, the Jews were disparaged as either useless or too powerful. In both cases, the antagonists conveniently forgot about Yosef. The point was made as a lesson to the secular which sadly has been unlearned and the error repeated again and again throughout history in different ways whenever Jews got comfortable, complacent in where they were at the time and forgot who and what they are. In forgetting, they assimilate and, in our time, Chanukah evolves into “spin the dreidel”, cutsie, yet shallow assemblies in Conservative Synagogues to make it seem like they are doing something for Jewish youth, yet totally miss the meaning and message of what Chanukah is really all about. That was the focus of the Rav Kahane article circulated last Chanukah. read more
