December 23/24 2011

Drash on Parashat Mikeitz
Rabbi Kim Ettlinger
Temple Beth Israel, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

"Igniting the Jewish Soul"

The Gemarrah (Commentary on the Mishnah in the Talmud) in Berakhot teaches that God too puts on tefilin.  But God’s tefilin are not the same as ours.  The question is asked “These tefilin of the Ruler of the Universe, what is written in them?”  The answer is given: “Who is like your people Israel, a unique nation on the earth?”  Just as our tefillin contain the Shema and verses which praise God, God’s tefilin contain verses that praise Israel.

Using this line of reasoning, we may say that if God puts on tefillin, God also lights candles on Chanukah.  Furthermore, since God’s tefillin are different to ours, we might assume, God’s candles are different too.  The Book of Misheli (Proverbs) says that “The candle of God is the soul of a human being.”  When God lights candles God seeks to ignite Jewish souls.

Recently, at Temple Beth Israel, we celebrated the Adult B’nai Mitzvah of eight individuals who sought to reconnect their lives with Judaism.  The class was made up of people of different ages and experiences.  Some were born Jewish and some chose Judaism as their spiritual path.

Each person read from Torah, led part of the service and gave a drash.  While their stories were vastly different, they shared one commonality: their rekindling of their connection to Judaism and to the congregation.  One person, an atheist, felt the connection with her family and specifically with Shabbat, is no longer an atheist.  Another sought healing and spirituality in Buddhism, but returned to Judaism and the power of Jewish prayer.  One felt a deep connection with Shabbat and is seeking to find new ways of making Shabbat even more holy.  And another recognising the importance of the generations and her role as a grandmother.

In our Parashah this week, Miketz, we have  the reunion of Joseph to his family.  Joseph moved up the ranks of Pharoah’s court.  Did his dreams come true?  It seems like it.  While Joseph’s family battled famine, they were forced to go to Egypt for help, for food.  They met with Joseph.  Joseph’s brother’s didn’t recognise him or maybe their eyes were not open to the possibility of seeing their brother in a position of authority, or success.  Joseph needed to make a decision.  He could reveal himself or maintain his anonymity.

While Joseph was in Egypt it seems he didn’t contact his family while he was in Egypt.  His family ultimately came to him.  Seeing his family, his heart was stirred.  He saw his brothers, he enquired about his father.  Someone who doesn’t care doesn’t ask these questions.  It took Joseph years to reconnect.  But in the end he reclaimed, he revealed himself to his family and also publicly proclaimed his origins to Pharaoh and Egypt.

I like to think that at that moment, the light of Joseph’s soul burned brightly and that all parts of his life merged.

Every Jewish soul stood at Sinai, there is a light in every person.  A Jewish soul reconnecting to its source.  Sometimes, that light needs kindling needs oxygen to burn brightly. Rabbi Joyce Newmark wrote “And so on Chanukah we must recognise that God doesn’t light candles alone.  Just as we light the candles in our Chanukiah with the Shamash, God too uses Shammashim to light the candles of Jewish souls.  We are the Shammashim – those who take Judaism serious, who are dedicated to the service of God, Torah and Israel.