~
Thoughts on the Parsha ~
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: Pharaoh 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 Pharaoh 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 Pharaoh awoke, and behold it was a dream.”
-Miketz 41:1-7
Pharaoh
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 my camera when I need it most?” he thought to
himself. Suddenly there was a distant beeping sound and Pharaoh 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 seem 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 Pharaoh, that the whole thing was just 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 Gemara[3]
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. Science is only one layer that the world functions on; if there is
a higher level which calls for it to bend its rules, it must comply.
The
six-paragraph poem of Maoz Tzur[4]
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 to them scientifically fit within their realm of believability.
However, the obscure Jewish beliefs about tumah (impurity) and taharah
(purity) were viewed as absolutely ridiculous. The Greeks therefore made
the effort to demonstrate that making oil tamei does not affect the oil
in the least. Its properties remain intact – 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. Hashem’s
laws are primary. Scientific properties, although clearly defined, are not first
priority. Although it is true that as a general rule Hashem masks Himself
behind teva (nature), we must never forget that that is only true
because it is His will to do so. If however His will would be to override
scientific properties, it would happen effortlessly. After all, the same Hashem
Who commanded oil to burn could command vinegar to burn, or even water for that
matter.
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
science and nature of the world because according to any statistic or philosophy,
our nation should not exist. We are a nation of spirituality – striving to
constantly wake up on higher levels of reality.
In
Hallel[6]
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 themselves 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).
[1] See 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.
[2] Of 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).
[3] Ta'anis 25a
[4] A small prayer and poem which we recite each
night of Chanukah after all the candles on the menorah are lit.
[5] Even before the story of Chanukah occurred,
there was a mitzva to light menorah each day in the Beis
HaMikdash.
[6] A 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).
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