From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
Zos Chanukah: Placing Nature Under the Torah's Rule
When Pharaoh’s dream at last brings Yosef out of prison, the verse opens with vayehi, a word Chazal say signals distress. Why distress at the very moment Yosef’s redemption begins? And why is the last day of Chanukah called Zos Chanukah?
Bereishis 41:1
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל־הַיְאֹר
And it came to pass at the end of two years of days, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he was standing by the river.
1“And it came to pass at the end of two years of days.” Why does the verse say vayehi, “and it came to pass,” a word that expresses distress?1 At this point Yosef's redemption was beginning, and that is a cause for joy.
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים (מא, א). צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר אוֹמְרוֹ ׳וַיְהִי׳ בִּלְשׁוֹן צַעַר, הֲלֹא כָּעֵת כְּבָר הִתְחִיל גְּאוּלָּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, וְהוּא עִנְיַן שִׂמְחָה.
- Megillah 10b: wherever the Torah says vayehi, it signals trouble. ↩
In shortYosef's release was beginning, a time of joy; why, then, does the verse open with vayehi, a word of distress?
2We may explain it as follows. As is well known, the Holy One, blessed be He, guides His world in two ways: through nature and through miracles. But with great tzaddikim, who sanctify Hashem's Name with mesirus nefesh, the readiness to give one's life, Hashem's way of guiding the world is only the way of miracles, above the way of nature. This is measure for measure, just as they conduct themselves with mesirus nefesh above the way of nature.
וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר בְּאוֹפֶן זֶה. דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שהקב״ה מַנְהִיג עוֹלָמוֹ בִּשְׁנֵי דְּרָכִים, בְּדֶרֶךְ טִבְעִית וּבְדֶרֶךְ נִיסִּית. וְאוּלָם אֵצֶל צַדִּיקִים גְּדוֹלִים אֲשֶׁר מוֹסְרִים נַפְשָׁם עַל קְדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, אֶצְלָם יֵשׁ רַק הַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית לְמַעְלָה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע, מִידָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִידָּה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהֵם מִתְנַהֲגִים בִּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לְמַעְלָה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע.
In shortHashem runs the world through nature and miracles, but tzaddikim whose mesirus nefesh goes beyond nature receive, measure for measure, only miracles.
3Yosef HaTzaddik was surely privileged to have Hashem guide him entirely by the way of miracles, since he had mesirus nefesh for the Creator's honor, as we find in the episode with Potiphar's wife.2 If so, Yosef did not need to make any effort of his own; he could have relied on the miraculous guidance with which Hashem was dealing with him. But he feared that some sin of his might cause it to be lost. For that is the way of tzaddikim: they live in fear lest sin stand in their way, as we find with Yaakov Avinu.3 So Yosef asked the chief butler, “But remember me …”4 For Yosef, though, this counted as a subtle flaw. At his level, with Hashem dealing with him through miracles, he should have trusted in Hashem to perform a miracle for him. Since at that level his turning to the chief butler counted as such a flaw, he was punished: two years were added to his time in prison.5 That is why the verse uses an expression of distress. Yosef had distressed himself, thinking that he was not yet worthy of Hashem's salvation, and so he had to remain in the dungeon for two years of days.
וְהִנֵּה יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק וַדַּאי זָכָה שֶׁכָּל הַהַנְהָגָה עִמּוֹ הָיְתָה הַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לִכְבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא, וְכַאֲשֶׁר מָצִינוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה פּוֹטִיפַר. וְאִם כֵּן יוֹסֵף לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת שׁוּם הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת, וְיָכֹל לִסְמוֹךְ עַל הַהַנְהָגָה הַנִּיסִּית שֶׁנּוֹהֵג עִמּוֹ ה׳. אֲבָל הוּא חָשַׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִגְרוֹם לוֹ הַחֵטְא, שֶׁכֵּן כָּךְ הוּא דַּרְכָּם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לִהְיוֹת בְּפַחַד פֶּן יִגְרוֹם לָהֶם הַחֵטְא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ (סנהדרין צח, ב), וְלָכֵן בִּיקֵּשׁ מִשַּׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים ״כִּי אִם זְכַרְתַּנִי״, אַךְ לְגַבֵּי יוֹסֵף הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב זֶה פְּגָם דַּק, כִּי לְפִי מַעֲלָתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה ה׳ מִתְנַהֵג עִמּוֹ בְּהַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית, הָיָה לוֹ לִבְטוֹחַ בַּה׳ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לוֹ נֵס. וְעַל כֵּן בָּזֶה שֶׁפִּנָּה לְשַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לְפִי מַדְרֵגָתוֹ זֹאת לִפְגָם דַּק כַּנִּזְכָּר, וְלָכֵן נֶעֱנַשׁ שֶׁנִּתּוֹסַף לוֹ שְׁנָתַיִים. וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן צַעַר עַל שֶׁיּוֹסֵף צִיעֵר עַצְמוֹ וְחָשַׁב שֶׁעֲדַיִין אֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִישׁוּעַת ה׳ וְלָכֵן הוּצְרַךְ לִהְיוֹת בַּבּוֹר שְׁנָתַיִים יָמִים.
- Bereishis 39:7–12. Yosef refused Potiphar's wife at great cost to himself. ↩
- Sanhedrin 98b (the sefer has 98a); see Berachos 4a. Though Hashem had promised to protect him, “Yaakov was very afraid” (Bereishis 32:8), fearing that some sin might cause the promise to be lost. ↩
- Bereishis 40:14. ↩
- See Rashi on Bereishis 40:23; Bereishis Rabbah 89:3. ↩
In shortAt Yosef's miraculous level, asking the butler for help was a subtle flaw; doubting he deserved salvation, he distressed himself and stayed two more years.
4We find the same in the miracle of Chanukah. The Jews of that time showed mesirus nefesh for the sanctification of Hashem's Name, as we find with Chanah and her seven sons, who gave their lives.6 Because they conducted themselves with mesirus nefesh, Hashem dealt with them entirely through miracles. That is why they were permitted to divide the oil [that was enough for one night] over all eight days: the rule that “one does not rely on a miracle”7 did not apply to them.
וּכְמוֹ כֵּן מָצִינוּ בְּנֵס חֲנוּכָּה שֶׁמָּסְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַפְשָׁם עַל קְדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ אֵצֶל חַנָּה וְשִׁבְעַת בָּנֶיהָ שֶׁמָּסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם, כִּי עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהִתְנַהֲגוּ בִּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ כָּל הַהַנְהָגָה עִמָּם הָיְתָה נִיסִּית, וּלְפִיכָךְ הָיָה מוּתָּר לָהֶם לְחַלֵּק הַשֶּׁמֶן לְכָל שְׁמוֹנַת הַיָּמִים, דְּלָא הָיָה שַׁיָּיךְ אֶצְלָם הַכְּלָל דְּאֵין סוֹמְכִין עַל הַנֵּס.
- See Gittin 57b. Chanah's seven sons gave their lives rather than bow to an idol. ↩
- See Pesachim 64b. ↩
In shortThe Chanukah generation's mesirus nefesh brought them Hashem's miraculous guidance, so they could rely on a miracle and divide the oil over eight days.
5aWe may say that this is also why the last day of Chanukah is called Zos Chanukah.8 The holy sefer Tzemach David comments on the verse “And to his father he sent like this, kezos”:9 what does the word kezos mean? He explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world with two ways of guiding it. The way of nature runs through the seven planets and the heavenly spheres; the way of miracles runs through the holy Torah. Both are hinted in the word zos, זאת. The zayin, whose numerical value is seven, stands for the seven planets and alludes to the way of nature. The alef and tav allude to the holy Torah, made up of the twenty-two letters from alef to tav, and to the way of miracles. That is “And to his father he sent like this.” Since Bnei Yisrael were then beginning the exile, Yosef sent word to his father not to be afraid to go down to Egypt, for he had reached the level of zos: he could make the ways of nature yield to the ways of the Torah. Those are his holy words.
וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁזֶּהוּ גַּם הַטַּעַם שֶׁקּוֹרְאִים לְיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה בְּשֵׁם ׳זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה׳, דְּהִנֵּה בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ צֶמַח דָּוִד (ויגש ד״ה א״י) כָּתַב עַל הַכָּתוּב (בראשית מה, כג) ״לְאָבִיו שָׁלַח כְּזֹאת״, מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳כְּזֹאת׳, וּבֵיאֵר כִּי הקב״ה בָּרָא עוֹלָמוֹ בְּב׳ הַנְהָגוֹת, הַנְהָגָה טִבְעִית שֶׁהִיא עַל פִּי ז׳ כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת וְהַגַּלְגַּלִּים, וְהַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית שֶׁהִיא עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. וּב׳ הַנְהָגוֹת אֵלּוּ מְרוּמָּזִים בְּתֵיבַת ׳זֹאת׳, כִּי הַז׳ מוֹרֶה עַל ז׳ כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת, וּמְרוּמָּז לַהַנְהָגָה הַטִּבְעִית, א׳ ת׳ מְרוּמָּז לַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה הַכְּלוּלָה מכ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁמָּא׳ עַד ת׳, וּמְרַמֵּז לְהַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית. וְזֶהוּ ״וּלְאָבִיו שָׁלַח כְּזֹאת״, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְחִילוּ אָז אֶת הַגָּלוּת, לְכָךְ שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לוֹמַר לְאָבִיו, שֶׁאַל יִירָא מֵרֶדֶת מִצְרַיְמָה, כִּי הוּא הִשִּׂיג בְּחִינַת ׳זֹאת׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַכְנִיעַ הַנְהָגוֹת הַטֶּבַע תַּחַת הַנְהָגוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, עכד״ק.
- From the Torah reading of that day: “Zos chanukas hamizbe'ach, This was the dedication of the altar” (Bamidbar 7:84). ↩
- Tzemach David, Vayigash, s.v. Alef-Yud; Bereishis 45:23. ↩
In shortZos hints at both ways Hashem guides the world: zayin, seven, is nature and its seven planets; alef to tav is the Torah and its miracles, to which Yosef could make nature yield.
5bThis fits what we have said. Yosef's level was that Hashem guided him entirely by the way of miracles, which is the Torah's way of guidance that the Tzemach David describes. That is what Yosef sent to his father before Yaakov went down to Egypt: in the bitter exile of Egypt the way of nature would not be enough. Bnei Yisrael would need the Torah's way of guidance too, so that Hashem's dealings with them would be entirely miraculous.
וְהוּא כִּדְבָרֵינוּ, שֶׁמַּדְרֵגַת יוֹסֵף הָיְתָה שֶׁכָּל הַנְהָגַת הקב״ה עִמּוֹ הָיְתָה הַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת הַנְהָגַת הַתּוֹרָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁשָּׁלַח לְאָבִיו קוֹדֶם יְרִידָתוֹ לְמִצְרַיִם, כִּי בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר בְּמִצְרַיִם לֹא הָיָה דַּי בְּהַנְהָגַת הַטֶּבַע אֶלָּא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים גַּם לְהַנְהָגוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל הַהַנְהָגָה עִמָּם תִּהְיֶה נִיסִּית.
In shortYosef was guided wholly by miracles, the Torah’s way; he sent word to his father that in Egypt’s bitter exile nature alone would not be enough.
6We have seen that the word zos means bringing nature's guidance through the seven planets under the rule of the Torah's twenty-two letters. Along these lines we may say that this is also the meaning of Zos Chanukah. Once we have gone through the days of Chanukah and been privileged to awaken Hashem's miraculous guidance over us, we ask the Holy One, blessed be He, that it remain so always. We ask Him to keep drawing down upon us the level of zos, bringing the way of nature under the way of miracles.
וְהִנֵּה עַל דֶּרֶךְ מַה שֶּׁנִּתְבָּאֵר שֶׁתֵּיבַת ׳זֹאת׳ מוֹרֶה עַל הַכְנָסַת הַנְהָגַת הַטִּבְעִיּוֹת שֶׁל ז׳ כּוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת שֶׁיִּהְיוּ תַּחַת הַנְהָגַת כ״ב אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה, יֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁזֶּהוּ גַּם עִנְיַן ׳זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה׳, כִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁעָבְרוּ יְמֵי חֲנוּכָּה וְזָכִינוּ לְעוֹרֵר עָלֵינוּ הַנְהָגָה נִיסִּית, אָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים מהקב״ה שֶׁיִּשָּׁאֵר כֵּן לְתָמִיד, שֶׁיַּמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ תָּמִיד בְּחִינַת ׳זֹאת׳ הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת, לְהַכְנִיס הַהַנְהָגָה הַטִּבְעִית תַּחַת הַהַנְהָגָה הַנִּיסִּית.
In shortOn Zos Chanukah we ask that the miraculous guidance awakened during Chanukah stay with us, keeping nature under the Torah's rule.
7May Hashem grant that we be privileged to have Him show us wonders as in the days when we went out of Egypt.10 Amen, may it be His will.
יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה שֶׁיִּרְאֶנּוּ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ נִיסִּים כִּימֵי צֵאתֵנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
- See Michah 7:15. ↩
In shortMay Hashem show us wonders as in the days when we went out of Egypt.
The Rebbe asks why Yosef’s release opens with vayehi, a word of distress. Hashem guides the world through nature and through miracles, but tzaddikim who give themselves with mesirus nefesh, beyond nature, are answered measure for measure with miracles alone. Yosef had reached that level; his plea to the chief butler, born of the tzaddik’s fear that sin might cost him the miracle, was at his height a subtle flaw. He distressed himself, thinking he was not yet worthy, and stayed two more years. The Chanukah generation also gave their lives, like Chanah and her seven sons, and so could rely on a miracle and divide the oil over eight days. Through the Tzemach David’s reading of zos, nature’s seven under the Torah’s alef to tav, he explains Zos Chanukah: we ask that the miraculous guidance awakened on Chanukah stay with us always.
Takeaway
Hashem deals with a person as that person deals with Him: one who serves with mesirus nefesh beyond nature is answered with guidance beyond nature. Even Yosef was held to account for a moment of looking to human help, and his own doubt that he deserved salvation lengthened his stay in the dungeon. On Zos Chanukah we ask that the light of these days not fade, and that nature stay under the Torah's rule in our lives all year.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.