Weekly Message 12.19.2025 Parashat Miketz
- jccwestpasco
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Parashat Miketz (at the end) Genesis 41:1 -44:17
2nd Torah Chanukah 6 Rosh Chodesh Numbers 28:9-15
3rd Torah Chanukah 6 Rosh Chodesh Numbers 7:42-47
HafTorah Zech 2:14-4:7;
Dear friends,
What a wonderful week to be celebrating the ongoing holiday of Hanukkah! We had record attendance at our pre-Hanukkah Shabbat dinner last Friday and a beautiful and emotional experience bringing Hanukkah ritual and joy to the residents of the Trinity Place assisted living center on Sunday while lighting the first candle. And I have just returned from our volunteer shift at Metropolitan Ministries where we distributed food, toys, and hope to hundreds of our neighbors in need. We had a record number of volunteers joining Chris and me including Ana, Calidad, Danielle, Debbi, and Gladys and both her sons representing our synagogue.
Now we have come to the Shabbat of Hanukkah which this year happens to coincide with Rosh Chodesh for the month of Tevet. Thus, we will have the rare experience of reading from three Torahs! The first Torah to be read will have us continuing the "Joseph story" as presented in Chapter 41 in the Book of Genesis (Bereshit). We learn of Joseph's service to the Pharoh of Egypt as he interprets the leader's dreams leading to his appointment to oversee food production and distribution to prepare for potential years of famine. As a result, he is transformed from a lowly slave with no leadership credentials to a prince reminding us that we all have the potential to rise above our station in life and contribute to the wellbeing of our families and our communities. Also included in Chapter 41 are Joseph's wedding and the births of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh of which it is said that they are the first male siblings among our patriarchs who loved and supported one another.
The second Torah reading is from the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar) 28:9-15 which details the sacrifices that were made in honor of Rosh Chodesh. Each new month in the Hebrew lunar calendar begins with the new moon and is celebrating as a minor holiday in which we celebrate not only the moon but "new beginnings" and renewal of body and spirit.
The third Torah reading is from the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar) 7:42-47 which details the gifts that were given during the dedication of the altar. As this will be the 6th day of Hanukkah, we read about the gifts that were given on the 6th day. We read the Torah every day during the 8 days of Hanukkah and each day we read the portion that deals with the gifts for those days. Although Hanukkah is a post-biblical holiday, its significance rises to the level of the giving of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the wilderness as the children of Israel made their way to the Promised Land.
We also read a special Haftorah for the Shabbat of Hanukkah from the Prophet Zacharia 2:14-4:7 who celebrates the rededication of the Temple after its defilement by a foreign power relating directly to the story of Hanukkah. It concludes with the powerful oft quoted:
"Not by might nor by power, but by My spirit, says the Lord of Hosts"
וַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֚ה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֤א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
My family's joy during this festive season is tempered by the memories of the Holocaust when on the 5th day of Hanukkah 29 Kislev in the year 1942), my brother, grandmother, father's first wife, aunts, uncles, and cousins were killed while my father was spared only to spend the next 2+ years suffering unspeakable things as a prisoner in Auschwitz. He somehow had the strength to survive and begin a new life first in a displaced persons camp in Italy and then in the United States raising a whole new family. Survivors speak about the courage of all who made that dreadful trip from Belarus to the death camp and how Hanukkah paraphernalia were smuggled into the cattle cars that took them there and how they sang "Rock of My Salvation" מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי (Ma'oz tzur yeshu'ati)
when night fell on the 5th day of the holiday. It is a sad but inspirational memory which we recall every year as we celebrate Hanukkah.
Please join me this evening at 7 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:30 am as we celebrate both Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh.
!חודש טוב Chodesh Tov! ! חג חנוכה שמח Chag Hanukkah Sameach!
!שבת שלום Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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