From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Bialaרבי דוד מתתיהו רבינוביץ מביאלאProfile ›
The Final Redemption by Hashem Himself
The Midrash reads “He set an end to darkness” twice: of the world, whose darkness lasts as long as the yetzer hara, and of Yosef in prison. What does the future uprooting of the yetzer hara have to do with Yosef’s release from the pit?
Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer
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 …” The Midrash comments: “‘He set an end to darkness.’ He gave the world a set time, how many years it would spend in darkness … For as long as the yetzer hara is in the world, there is gloom and the shadow of death in the world; once the yetzer hara is uprooted from the world, there is no gloom or shadow of death in the world. Another interpretation: ‘He set an end to darkness.’ He gave Yosef a set time, how many years he would spend in darkness in prison. Once the end came, Pharaoh dreamed a dream.”1 We have explained this in several ways before, but “there is yet more to say on God's behalf.”2 What does the first part of the Midrash have to do with Yosef HaTzaddik's release from the pit? That part speaks of the future redemption, when the yetzer hara will be uprooted3 and there will be only good in the world.
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים וְגוֹ׳ (מא, א). אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה פט, א) ״קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ״ (איוב כח, ג) זְמַן נָתַן לְעוֹלָם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵילָה וְכוּ׳, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּצֶר הָרַע בָּעוֹלָם אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם, נֶעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרַע מִן הָעוֹלָם אֵין אוֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, ״קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ״ זְמַן נָתַן לְיוֹסֵף כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵילָה בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ, חָלַם פַּרְעֹה חֲלוֹם, ע״כ. וּכְבָר בֵּיאַרְנוּ בָּזֶה בְּכַמָּה דְּרָכִים, אַךְ עוֹד לֶאֱלוֹהַּ מִילִּין בָּזֶה, לְבָאֵר מַה עִנְיַן תְּחִילַּת דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ דְּמַיְירֵי בַּגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה, שֶׁאָז יֵעָקֵר יֵצֶר הָרַע (סוכה נב, א) וְאַךְ טוֹב יִהְיֶה בָּעוֹלָם, לְעִנְיַן יְצִיאַת יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק מִן הַבּוֹר.
- Bereishis Rabbah 89:1; Iyov 28:3. ↩
- Iyov 36:2; that is, there is still more to say. ↩
- Sukkah 52a (the sefer has 52b), where Chazal say that in the future Hashem will bring the yetzer hara and slaughter it. ↩
In shortThe Midrash reads “He set an end to darkness” of both the future redemption and Yosef's release: how are the two connected?
2Let us also cite the words of the Baal HaTurim on the verse “And I will put a redemption between My people and your people.”4 He brings a masorah, a note listing where else a word appears in Tanach: “He sent redemption to His people”5 and “With Him is abundant redemption.”6 What connection do these verses have with each other?
וְנַקְדִּים עוֹד אֶת דִּבְרֵי בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים ז״ל עַל הַפָּסוּק (שמות ח, יט) ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת״, שֶׁהֵבִיא בָּזֶה מְסוּרָה ״פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ״ (תהלים קיא, ט), ״וְהַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת״ (שם קל, ז). וְנָבוֹא לְבָאֵר מַה שַׁיָּיכוּת מִקְרָאוֹת אֵלּוּ לַהֲדָדֵי.
In shortThe Baal HaTurim links “I will put a redemption” with two other verses of redemption; what ties them together?
3aIt seems that the answer is this. As is well known, there are two kinds of redemption.7 One comes through a messenger sent by Hashem. So it was with every redemption until now. The redemption from Egypt came through Moshe and Aharon; the First and Second Beis HaMikdash were built through Shlomo and through Ezra; and on Chanukah and Purim, too, the salvation came through messengers. That is why all these redemptions lasted only for their time and did not stand Israel in good stead as an everlasting salvation. After a time the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, and Israel was again subjugated under the nations. This is because these redemptions came through a messenger, and a messenger does not have the power to bring about an everlasting redemption.
וְנִרְאֶה, דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ (זוהר ח״ג רכא, א) שֶׁיֵּשׁ שְׁנֵי אוֹפַנֵּי גְּאוּלָּה, יֶשְׁנָהּ גְּאוּלָּה הַנַּעֲשֵׂית עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ מֵאֵת ה׳, וְכֵן הָיָה בְּכָל הַגְּאוּלּוֹת עַד הֵנָּה, גְּאוּלַּת מִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהַשֵּׁנִי נַעֲשָׂה עַל יְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה וְעַל יְדֵי עֶזְרָא, וְכֵן בַּחֲנוּכָּה וּבְפוּרִים הָיוּ הַגְּאוּלּוֹת עַל יְדֵי שְׁלִיחִים. וְעַל כֵּן כָּל אֵלּוּ הַגְּאוּלּוֹת הָיוּ רַק גְּאוּלָּה לִזְמַנָּם וְלֹא עָמְדוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לִישׁוּעָה עוֹלָמִית, שֶׁהֲרֵי לְאַחַר זְמַן נֶחֱרַב הַבַּיִת, וְחָזְרוּ וְנִשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ תַּחַת הָאוּמּוֹת, וְזֶהוּ מֵאַחַר שֶׁהָיוּ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, וְהוּא אֵין בְּכוֹחוֹ לִהְיוֹת עַל יָדוֹ גְּאוּלָּה עוֹלָמִית.
- Zohar III 221a. ↩
In shortEvery redemption so far came through a messenger, Moshe and Aharon, Shlomo and Ezra, the heroes of Chanukah and Purim, and so none lasted forever.
3bThe future redemption, may it come speedily in our days, will be different: it will come through the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself. He Himself will gather in all the scattered of Israel,8 and so the salvation will endure forever. The Third Beis HaMikdash, too, will be built by Hashem, as writes: “But the future Mikdash that we await will be revealed and will come from Heaven, built and perfected, as it says, ‘The Mikdash, O Hashem, that Your hands established.’”9 So far his words. This is because Hashem does not want there to be another destruction, Heaven forbid. That is why the Beis HaMikdash must be built by Hashem alone, without any touch of human hands, so that no destruction will ever again have power over it, Heaven forbid, and it will stand forever.
אַךְ שׁוֹנֶה מֵהֶם תִּהְיֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עַל יְדֵי הקב״ה, שֶׁהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ יְקַבֵּץ כָּל נְפוּצוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל כֵּן תִּתְקַיֵּים הַיְּשׁוּעָה לְעוֹלָם. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי גַּם הוּא יִבָּנֶה עַל יְדֵי הקב״ה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב רש״י ז״ל (סוכה מא, א ועיין ראש השנה ל, א) וז״ל: אֲבָל מִקְדָּשׁ הֶעָתִיד שֶׁאָנוּ מְצַפִּין בָּנוּי וּמְשׁוּכְלָל הוּא יִגָּלֶה וְיָבוֹא מִשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו, יז) ״מִקְּדָשׁ ה׳ כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ״, עכ״ל. וְהַיְינוּ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵין הקב״ה רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה חוּרְבָּן עוֹד ח״ו, וְלָזֶה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת בִּנְיַן הַבַּיִת עַל יְדֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַדּוֹ בְּלִי שׁוּם מַגַּע יְדֵי אָדָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁלוֹט בּוֹ עוֹד שׁוּם חוּרְבָּן ח״ו, אֶלָּא יִתְקַיֵּים לְעוֹלָם.
In shortThe future redemption, and the Third Beis HaMikdash that will come down from Heaven, will come from Hashem Himself, untouched by human hands, and so will stand forever.
4In the two miracles of Chanukah, however, the miracle did not come purely from Heaven without any help from nature, as the future building will; it was mixed with natural means. The victory in battle came through the Chashmona'im, the Hasmoneans, who fought against the Greeks, and so that redemption lasted only for its time; later Israel went into exile. The miracle of the cruse of oil, too, had something natural mixed into it, since the miracle worked on the little oil that was in the cruse. So it too did not last for all generations: the lighting of the Menorah ceased when the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed.
וְהִנֵּה בִּשְׁנֵי הַנִּיסִּים שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה לֹא הָיָה הַנֵּס רַק מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם בְּלִי שׁוּם סִיּוּעַ כְּבִנְיַן הֶעָתִיד, אֶלָּא הָיָה מְעוֹרָב טִבְעִיּוֹת. דְּנֵס הַנִּצָּחוֹן בַּמִּלְחָמָה הָיָה עַל יְדֵי הַחַשְׁמוֹנָאִים שֶׁנִּלְחֲמוּ עִמָּם, וּלְפִיכָךְ לֹא נִתְקַיְּימָה זֹאת הַגְּאוּלָּה אֶלָּא לִזְמַנָּהּ, וּלְאַחַר זְמַן הָלְכוּ בַּגָּלוּת. וְכֵן גַּם נֵס פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן גַּם בּוֹ הָיָה מְעוֹרָב בְּחִינַת טִבְעִיּוּת, שֶׁכֵּן הַנֵּס חָל עַל הַשֶּׁמֶן הַמּוּעָט שֶׁהָיָה בַּפַּךְ, וְלָכֵן גַּם הוּא לֹא הִתְקַיֵּים לְדוֹרוֹת, שֶׁפָּסְקָה הַדְלָקַת הַמְּנוֹרָה בְּחוּרְבַּן הַבַּיִת.
In shortBoth Chanukah miracles, the victory and the oil, were clothed in natural means, so neither lasted for all generations.
5Along these lines we can give a fine reason for the name Zos Chanukah, “This is Chanukah,” given to its eighth day. Because nature was mixed into the miracle, it was not truly recognizable as a miracle. So even after the Chashmona'im saw that they had lit from the small cruse all night, they still did not know for certain that it was a miracle. Perhaps that oil was of such choice quality that a little of it could burn for a long time. But on the eighth day they saw that their oil was used up and would not burn for them on the ninth night as well. From this they saw plainly that what had burned for them until then had been a miracle. This is the reason for the name Zos Chanukah: on this day the miracle of Chanukah was confirmed for them, for until then it had not been recognizable.
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לִיתֵּן טַעַם לְשֶׁבַח עַל קְרִיאַת הַשֵּׁם ׳זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה׳, דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁבַּנֵּס הָיָה מְעוֹרָב גַּם טִבְעִיּוֹת וְלֹא הָיָה נִיכָּר מַמָּשׁ שֶׁהוּא נֵס, לְכָךְ אַף לְאַחַר שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁהִדְלִיקוּ מִן הַפַּךְ הַקָּטָן כָּל הַלַּיְלָה, עֲדַיִין לֹא יָדְעוּ בְּבֵירוּר שֶׁהוּא נֵס, שֶׁכֵּן אוּלַי אוֹתוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶן הָיָה כָּל כָּךְ מִן הַמּוּבְחָר עַד שֶׁמְּעַט מִמֶּנּוּ הָיָה רָאוּי לִדְלוֹק זְמַן הַרְבֵּה. אָמְנָם כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שֶׁכָּלָה לָהֶם הַשֶּׁמֶן וְלֹא יִדְלוֹק לָהֶם גַּם עַל לֵיל תְּשִׁיעִי, מִזֶּה רָאוּ בַּעֲלִיל שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁדָּלַק לָהֶם עַד עַתָּה הָיָה בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס. וְזֶהוּ טַעַם קְרִיאַת הַשֵּׁם ׳זֹאת חֲנוּכָּה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבָּזֶה הַיּוֹם נִתְאַמֵּת אֶצְלָם הַנֵּס שֶׁל חֲנוּכָּה, כִּי קוֹדֶם לָזֶה לֹא הָיָה הַנֵּס מִינְכַּר.
In shortClothed in nature, the oil miracle became certain only on the eighth day, when the oil ran out; so that day is called Zos Chanukah.
6This lets us explain the masorah the Baal HaTurim brings on “And I will put a redemption.” In Egypt the redemption was only for a time, because “He sent redemption to His people”: “sent,” that is, through a messenger. But in the time to come, when the redemption will come through the Holy One, blessed be He, it will last forever, for “with Him is abundant redemption” when He Himself brings it about.
וּבָזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר הַמְּסוּרָה שֶׁהֵבִיא בַּעַל הַטּוּרִים ז״ל, ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבְּמִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה הַגְּאוּלָּה רַק לִזְמַן, כִּי ״פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ״, ׳שָׁלַח׳ דַּיְיקָא עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה עַל יְדֵי הקב״ה, תִּהְיֶה הַגְּאוּלָּה לְעוֹלָם, כִּי הקב״ה ״הַרְבֵּה עִמּוֹ פְדוּת״, כְּשֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בְּעַצְמוֹ הַגְּאוּלָּה.
In short“He sent redemption” describes the passing redemption from Egypt; “with Him is abundant redemption,” the lasting one Hashem Himself will bring.
7My holy father and teacher, zt"l, explained this verse, “And I will put a redemption between My people and your people; tomorrow this sign will be,”10 through Chazal's teaching that our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt in the merit of three things: they did not change their names, their language or their dress.11 With this he explained “And I will put a redemption.” Hashem promised to redeem Bnei Yisrael from Egypt because of “between My people and your people”: because they set themselves apart from the ways of the nations. “Tomorrow this sign will be” means that the future redemption, too, will come in this merit, measure for measure. Just as Israel sets itself apart from the nations to belong to the Holy One, blessed be He, so He will set it apart and redeem it completely from the domain of the nations of the world. Those are his holy words.
וְהִנֵּה כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה פֵּירֵשׁ הַפָּסוּק הַנִּזְכָּר ״וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה״, עַל פִּי מַאֲמַר חז״ל (פסיקתא זוטרתא שמות ו, ו) שֶׁבִּזְכוּת שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים נִגְאֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁלֹּא שִׁינּוּ שְׁמָם לְשׁוֹנָם וּלְבוּשָׁם. וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ ׳וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדוּת׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהִבְטִיחַ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לִגְאוֹל אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם, מֵחֲמַת ׳בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ׳, מַה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הִפְרִישׁוּ עַצְמָם לִהְיוֹת מוּבְדָּלִים לְבַדָּם מִדַּרְכֵי הָאוּמּוֹת, ׳לְמָחָר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹת הַזֶּה׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה תִּהְיֶה מֵחֲמַת הַזְּכוּת הַזֹּאת, כִּי הוּא מִידָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִידָּה, שֶׁכְּשֵׁם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מַפְרִישִׁין עַצְמָם מִן הָאוּמּוֹת לִהְיוֹת מְיוּחָדִים להקב״ה, כֵּן הקב״ה יַפְרִישֵׁם וְיִגְאָלֵם לְגַמְרֵי מֵרְשׁוּת אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, עכד״ק.
In shortIsrael was redeemed for staying apart from the nations, the Rebbe's father taught, and measure for measure the future redemption will come the same way.
8This lets us explain the Midrash on the verse “And Yaakov was left alone”: “Just as of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, ‘And Hashem alone will be exalted,’ so too of Yaakov: ‘And Yaakov was left alone.’”12 That is, when Israel, “Yaakov, the portion of His inheritance,”13 sets itself apart from the nations, in the spirit of “And Yaakov was left alone,” the redemption will come, and “Hashem alone will be exalted” will be fulfilled. Yet the future redemption has this advantage: then Hashem Himself will redeem us, as we have seen. It will not be like the redemption from Egypt, where Hashem put a redemption for His people only through a messenger. This is “And Hashem alone will be exalted on that day”: He alone, without any help from natural means.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה עז, א) עַל הַפָּסוּק (בראשית לב, כה) ״וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ״, מַה הקב״ה כָּתוּב בּוֹ (ישעיהו ב, יא) ״וְנִשְׂגַּב ה׳ לְבַדּוֹ״, אַף יַעֲקֹב ״וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ יַפְרִישׁוּ עַצְמָם מִן הָאוּמּוֹת בְּחִינַת ״וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ״, תָּבוֹא הַגְּאוּלָּה וְיִתְקַיֵּים ״וְנִשְׂגַּב ה׳ לְבַדּוֹ״. אָמְנָם זֹאת יְתֵירָה הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה, שֶׁאָז הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ יִגְאָלֵינוּ כַּנִּזְכָּר, וְלֹא כְּמוֹ בִּגְאוּלַּת מִצְרַיִם שהקב״ה שָׂם פְּדוּת לְעַמּוֹ רַק עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, וְזֶהוּ ״וְנִשְׂגַּב ה׳ לְבַדּוֹ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא״, הוּא לְבַדּוֹ בְּלִי שׁוּם סִיּוּעַ עַל יְדֵי הַטִּבְעִיּוֹת.
In shortWhen Israel stands “alone,” apart from the nations, Hashem “alone” will be exalted, redeeming us Himself, without messengers or natural means.
9This also explains the Midrash we cited at the beginning: “‘He set an end to darkness.’ He gave the world a set time, how many years it would spend in darkness.” In the future redemption the Holy One, blessed be He, will Himself set an end to the darkness, and so it will be an everlasting redemption; therefore the yetzer hara will be completely uprooted from the world. The Midrash comes to show the difference between the future redemption and Yosef's redemption. In Yosef's redemption, Hashem set an end to his darkness through a messenger: the chief butler mentioned him to Pharaoh at the end of two years of days. So Yosef's redemption was not an everlasting one, and his descendants went captive into exile. But the future redemption, which comes through Hashem Himself, is not so: it will be an everlasting salvation.14
וְזֶה גַּם הַבֵּיאוּר בְּדִבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁהֵבֵאנוּ בְּרֵישׁ דְּבָרֵינוּ, ״קֵץ שָׂם לַחוֹשֶׁךְ״ זְמַן נָתַן לְעוֹלָם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵילָה, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה אֲשֶׁר יָשִׂים הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ קֵץ לְחוֹשֶׁךְ, תִּהְיֶה גְּאוּלָּה עוֹלָמִית, וּלְכָךְ יֵיעָקֵר לְגַמְרֵי הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע מִן הָעוֹלָם. וּבָא כָּאן הַמִּדְרָשׁ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת הַהֶבְדֵּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה לִגְאוּלָּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף, שֶׁכֵּן בִּגְאוּלַּת יוֹסֵף שָׂם הקב״ה קֵץ לְחָשְׁכּוֹ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, שֶׁהִזְכִּירוֹ שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים לְפַרְעֹה לְסוֹף שְׁנָתַיִים יָמִים, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא הָיְתָה גְּאוּלָּתוֹ גְּאוּלַּת עוֹלָם, וּבָנָיו הָלְכוּ שְׁבִי בַּגָּלוּת, אַךְ הַגְּאוּלָּה הָעֲתִידָה הַבָּאָה עַל יְדֵי הקב״ה בְּעַצְמוֹ אֵינָהּ כֵּן, אֶלָּא הִיא תִּהְיֶה יְשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים.
- See Yeshayahu 45:17. ↩
In shortYosef's release came through a messenger, the butler, and did not last; Hashem's own redemption will uproot the yetzer hara forever.
10May Hashem grant that we soon be privileged to see the everlasting salvation. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בְּקָרוֹב לִתְשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we soon be privileged to see the everlasting salvation.
The Rebbe asks why the Midrash ties the end of the world’s darkness, when the yetzer hara is uprooted, to Yosef’s release, and what links the Baal HaTurim’s three pedus verses. Every redemption so far came through a messenger: Moshe and Aharon, Shlomo and Ezra, the heroes of Chanukah and Purim. Even Chanukah’s two miracles were clothed in nature, so they lasted only for their time; and only on the eighth day, when the oil ran out, was the miracle certain, so it is called Zos Chanukah. Hashem “sent” redemption from Egypt; the “abundant” one He will bring Himself, and it will last. The Rebbe’s father, R’ Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala, taught that Israel is redeemed for keeping apart from the nations; when Yaakov stands “alone,” Hashem “alone” will be exalted. So the Midrash contrasts Yosef’s release through the butler, which did not last, with the everlasting redemption.
Takeaway
Every salvation that comes through human messengers and natural means, even a true miracle like Chanukah, is real but passing; only the redemption Hashem brings Himself lasts forever. The merit that brings it is our readiness to stand apart, like “Yaakov alone,” keeping our names, language and dress and not blending into the ways of the nations. When we set ourselves apart for Hashem, He answers measure for measure and sets us apart for Himself.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz of Biala. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.