Parshas Miketz and Chanukah - I Think Therefore I Am...or Am I?

Parshas Miketz

and

Chanukah

I Think Therefore I Am...or Am I?

By: Daniel Listhaus

וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל הַיְאֹר: וְהִנֵּה מִן הַיְאֹר עֹלֹת שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה וּבְרִיאֹת בָּשָׂר וַתִּרְעֶינָה בָּאָחוּ: וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת עֹלוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן מִן הַיְאֹר רָעוֹת מַרְאֶה וְדַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר וַתַּעֲמֹדְנָה אֵצֶל הַפָּרוֹת עַל שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר: וַתֹּאכַלְנָה הַפָּרוֹת רָעוֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְדַקֹּת הַבָּשָׂר אֵת שֶׁבַע הַפָּרוֹת יְפֹת הַמַּרְאֶה וְהַבְּרִיאֹת וַיִּיקַץ פַּרְעֹה: וַיִּישָׁן וַיַּחֲלֹם שֵׁנִית וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים עֹלוֹת בְּקָנֶה אֶחָד בְּרִיאוֹת וְטֹבוֹת: וְהִנֵּה שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים דַּקּוֹת וּשְׁדוּפֹת קָדִים צֹמְחוֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן: וַתִּבְלַעְנָה הַשִּׁבֳּלִים הַדַּקּוֹת אֵת שֶׁבַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים הַבְּרִיאוֹת וְהַמְּלֵאוֹת וַיִּיקַץ פַּרְעֹה וְהִנֵּה חֲלוֹם

“It happened at the end of two years to the day: Pharoah was dreaming that behold! - he was standing over the canal when behold, out of the canal there emerged seven cows of beautiful appearance and robust flesh, and they were grazing in the swamp. Then behold! - seven other cows emerged after them out of the canal – of poor appearance and gaunt flesh; and they stood next to the cows on the bank of the canal. And the cows of poor appearance and gaunt flesh ate the seven cows of beautiful appearance and robust; and Pharoah awoke. He fell asleep and dreamt a second time, and behold, seven ears of grain were sprouting on one stalk – healthy and good. And behold – seven ears, thin, and beaten by the east wind, were growing after them. Then the seven thin ears swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears; and Pharoah awoke, and behold it was a dream.”

-Miketz 41:1-7

Pharoah found himself next to the familiar Nile river he had visited so many times. This time, however, weird things started happening – fat cows, skinny cows, ears of grain eating each other – he was witnessing a once-in-a-blue-moon event. Amazing! “Where is was my camera when I need it most?” he thought to himself. Suddenly there was a distant beeping sound and Pharoah realized that his alarm was going off. He slammed his hand on the snooze button. He realized he was dreaming and suddenly his dream required interpretation.¹

We have all experienced, at some point in our lives, a dream that felt so real that when we awoke we were actually surprised that the events we went through never occurred. Sometimes there are decisions we make or advice we give in a dream which seems so wise at the time, but when we awake and remember what we said – we often realize that it is complete nonsense. While we are asleep and dreaming, humorless jokes seem so funny, unreal pain hurts so much, fake joyous occasions give us the most elating feeling, and yet when we wake up we realize, like Pharoah, that the whole thing was just been a dream.²

The concept of waking up after a dream and realizing that everything which seemed so real was never material, is something that is worth thinking about. In 1637, a French philosopher by the name of Rene Descarte, famously wrote in his work, The Discourse on the Method, “Je pense donc je suis” - I think, therefore I am. However, this famous philosophical realization is very difficult to understand. How does the fact that one thinks, convince one that he is truly alive in the fullest sense of the word? One could dream that he is responsible for thinking of a brilliant idea which solves an international issue; yet, upon awakening he will realize that what made so much sense while asleep suddenly sounds utterly ridiculous. In the same way, how could someone know that when we he is awake he is truly awake? Perhaps his thoughts when awake are really just as irrational as they are when he is in a dream state, and that really there is an even higher degree he could wake up from?

As Jews we believe exactly this. We believe that although everyone lives in the same world, there are many levels of reality one could live on. The Gemara³ relates a story that took place with the daughter of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. One Friday night, R' Chanina ben Dosa saw that his daughter was upset. He went over to her and asked, “Why are you so sad?” She replied to him, “I mistook a container of vinegar for a container of oil and poured the vinegar into the lamp to light for Shabbos.” Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa responded, “My daughter, what does it matter to you? The One Who commanded oil to burn (i.e – Hashem), could also command this vinegar to burn.” The Gemara concludes and testifies that indeed the vinegar lit and the flame remained until it was time for Havdalah.

Science makes sense to us in this world because we understand the properties of the elements. However, really, if we think about it, it could very well be that science does not make any more sense to us while we are awake than the things that seem to make perfect sense to us while we are asleep. Just like when one wakes up from a dream he experiences a new level of alertness and life, so too within the regular state of living as we know it when we are awake, we could enter a higher form of reality just like waking up from sleep. Although Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and his daughter lived on this planet, they existed on a different plane from everyone else. They had complete trust and faith in Hashem. In their eyes, real science had and always will have one property – G-D’s will. Everything exists within it and nothing could exist outside of it.

The six-paragraph poem of Maoz Tzur⁴ is book-ended by tefillos (prayers) asking Hashem to please return us to Eretz Yisroel (Israel) with the Beis HaMikdash (Temple). The four middle paragraphs capture the main points of our exile. We were slaves in Mitzrayim (Egypt), attacked by Bavel (Babylon), survived the story of Purim, and were victorious during the episode of Chanukah. When the author of Maoz Tzur poetically describes what the Greeks tried to do, he writes, “...They breached the walls of my towers and they defiled all the oils....” The main purpose of the Greeks was not to wipe out the Jews. Rather, it was to make our oil for the Beis HaMikdash - tamei (impure). The Greeks were believers in “I think, therefore I am.” Things which made sense scientifically, fit within their realm of believability. However, the obscure Jewish beliefs about tumah and taharah (purity) were viewed as absolutely ridiculous. The Greeks therefore made the effort to demonstrate that making oil tamei does not effect the oil in the least. Its properties remain in tact – it will still burn and will still refuse to mix with water. What the Greeks failed to realize, however, and refused to admit to, was that Hashem made a halacha (law) in the Torah that we could only use tahor oil in the Beis HaMikdash to light menorah.⁵ If that is Hashem's will, that is the only reality that really matters. The other properties are not as clearly defined. After all, the same Hashem Who commanded oil to burn could command vinegar to burn.

The response we must have to the Greek culture is one of recognizing Hashem's presence in our daily lives. We say in Al Hanissim that the Chochomim instituted the Holiday of Chanukah as a period of time to stop and express thanks and praise to Hashem. Chanukah is the time that we stop and focus on the fact that it is not necessarily greater armies that win wars, or oil that burns, but rather Hashem's will which ultimately prevails. This has always been the ideology of the Jews and is our secret to survival. We do not rely on the scientific properties of the world because according to any statistic or science, our nation should not exist. We are a nation of spirituality – striving to constantly wake up on higher levels of reality.

In Hallel⁶ we say that the other nations of the world believe in idols that are man made. These “gods” have a mouth, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear; they have a nose, but cannot smell. Their hands – they cannot feel; their feet – they cannot walk; they cannot utter a sound from their throat. We then say that those who trust in them should become like them. Besides for the implicit prayer that we are saying that our enemies should be quieted, perhaps there is a deeper meaning in these passukim (verses) of Tehillim. Those who serve other gods think they have these abilities, but because it is without a basic realization of Hashem's existence, it is viewed as if they do not even have these basic human senses. They think that they are living and moving in a reality, when the truth is that they are living within the restrictions of their own beliefs. If they would only wake up to higher realms of understanding of Hashem's will, they would realize that they were sleeping the whole time.

The ideology of “I think therefore I am” does not clarify anything. Those who live by this mantra will never know if the thoughts they are thinking are logical. Science to us seems to make sense because all the properties align beautifully in nature. However, to the one who is really in sync with reality, it makes as much sense as non-sensible things seem reasonable while we are dreaming.

Let us use this Chanukah to take one step closer in recognizing what reality is by accepting the fact that all that exists in this world is ratzon Hashem (G-D's will). With this we will hopefully merit to be part of the group that the author of Maoz Tzur refers to as the true b'nei beenah (men of insight) who instituted the days of Chanukah as a time to thank Hashem and recognize His essential role in this world as the Borei (Creator) and Manhig (Director).

1See Rashi Beraishis 41:7. It sounds like while he was dreaming, everything seemed possible, albeit weird. However, once he awoke and realized it was a dream that made no sense, he demanded an interpretation.

2Of course depending on one's spiritual level or authoritative position, a dream could represent anything from being completely meaningless to what one had been thinking about during the day to a form of prophecy. (See Gemara Berachos 55a-55b).

3Ta'anis 25a

4A small prayer and poem which we recite each night of Chanukah after all the candles on the menorah are lit.

5Even before the story of Chanukah occurred, there was a mitzva to light menorah each day in the Beis HaMikdash.

6A tefillah (prayer) comprised of pieces of Tehillim to sing praises to Hashem. This is recited on Rosh Chodesh, Yomim Tovim (Holidays), and Chanukah after shemoneh esreh in Shacharis (morning prayers).