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Hanukkah begins in a few days! What is the connection between portion Vayeshev and Hannukah?
This portion recounts how Joseph was betrayed by his brothers. Joseph’s brothers threw him into a dry pit that was filled with snakes and scorpions! He was then sold and transported to Egypt by merchants trading spices.
The spices that were carried down to Egypt with Joseph present a portrait of our lives and of Hanukkah. Though it was rough going for Joseph and his life seemed wrecked, the scent of the spices reminded him that God had not forgotten him. So too the Maccabees were reminded of God’s faithfulness by the miracles of oil and the light of the menorah. Sometimes in great trials, the smallest miracles are the greatest testament to God’s faithfulness.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hannukah!