It’s no coincidence that we read the Torah portions that relate the story of Joseph, around the time of Chanukah. Joseph is described by the Torah as being handsome and good looking. The wife of Potiphar went to great lengths to try and seduce him. The midrash tells us that he might, in his youth, have even been a bit too concerned with his appearance, always looking in the mirror and fiddling with his hair. When Jacob, on his death bed, blesses him, he refers to him as the handsome one. And yet, Joseph is the only biblical figure...
Making Miracles
According to the Kabbalah, there are two types of miracles. One kind of miracle comes from “above”, with no participation from “below”. An example of this are all the miracles surrounding the exodus from Egypt. The Jews sat passively while God reaked havoc on Egypt. The second kind of miracle is started “below” and is completed or fullfiled from “above”. The primary example of this kind of miracle is Chanukah. The Jews took up arms against their oppressors, and then God granted them victory over overwhelming odds. The Jews lit the Menorah in the Temple with only a tiny...
Chanukah – The Ninth Day
At a shabbat dinner, a couple of Chanukahs ago, someone related that one of her coworkers asked her what occured on the ninth day of Chanukah. Everyone at the table chuckled. I initially did too, but then I realized that there was a deep and important lesson to learn here. When we gaze at the Chanukah lights for eight days, we recognize that miracles can happen, that God is in control. We spread light into our own lives and into the world. But what happens when the holiday is over? Do we still believe in miracles? Do we continue...
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