Parashas Miketz Rosh Chodesh Chanukah

Our Parsha this week is Parashas Miketz as well as it being Rosh Chodesh Teves and Chanukah . We read the Parsha of Miketz and for Rosh Chodesh Bamidbar Numbers 28 : 9 - 15 and for Chanukah day 6 Bamidbar Numbers 7 : 42 - 47 and the Haftorah Zechariah 2 : 14 - 4 : 7 and Isaiah 66 : 1 and Isaiah 66 : 23 , 23 - 24 and 1 Samuel 20 : 18 , 42 all related to Rosh Chodesh and Chanukah .

Yosef had to spend another two years in prison for asking the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers to speak to Par'o Pharaoh for him so he could get free. All HaShem Does Is for our own benefit , even though it may not appear so at the time , for even though Yosef had to spend that extra two years in prison , the time had to be right for his sudden rise to power, which would not have happened had he come out earlier .

Yosef had already spent ten years in prison before the extra two years , where that ten years was to atone for each of the ten brothers that he brought reports back to his Father , a year for a brother report , so now , the " Miketz " - " The Happening " which also has within it , the Hebrew word " Keitz " - " The End / Final Point " had arrived and Yosef was to suddenly rise to power , A Beautiful Miracle From HaShem .

It was on The day Rosh HaShanah , When HaShem Judges the World , that Pharaoh had his dreams and so , Did HaShem Judge that the Years of Plenty and then Years of Famine was to occur .

We are told that Pharaoh had minor dreams up to this point to do with this happening , but the day came , " to the day " As The Holy Torah States , that the History of the Jewish people was to make their prophesied appearance , where it would result in Yaakov's family coming to Mitzrayim Egypt .

Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing over the river , out of which came seven cows of beautiful appearance and robust flesh and they were grazing in the marshland, after which came seven more cows of ugly appearance and gaunt flesh out of the river and they stood next to the other cows and then ate them . Pharoah awoke and then fell asleep again and dreamed of seven ears of grain that were sprouting on a single stalk - healthy and good and then after them grew seven ears thin and scorched by the east wind , that swallowed up the healthy and full ears and then Pharaoh awoke . With these dreams , HaShem Had Given To Pharaoh the interpretation , but hidden deep within Pharaoh's dreams and would only reveal itself for the correct interpreter's interpretation Via HaShem , so Pharaoh would know who is interpreting for him correctly .

Pharaoh called all his advisers and necromancers , but none of them could interpret the dreams for him . One said he would have seven sons and then seven daughters . Another spoke of a wonderful harvest of wheat and still another spoke of seven nations being beaten by Pharaoh and being forced to be under Egyptian rule , but would rebel . None of these interpretations were acceptable or true , for as I mentioned , the true interpretation was hidden subconsciously deep within the dreams so that Pharaoh would know which interpretation would be the true one .

It was then that the Chamberlain of the Cupbearers remembered Yosef and told Pharaoh of what Yosef had done , in interpreting his and the Chamberlain of the Baker's dreams and how they had come true as Yosef had interpreted Only Through HaShem . Suddenly Yosef was rushed from the prison and cleaned and shaved and dressed and brought before Pharaoh , to stand on the bottom of the seventy steps leading up to Pharaoh's throne . Yosef gave credit To HaShem Who Is The True Interpreter Of Dreams , for all things Come From HaShem , Who Makes all things .

Pharaoh tested Yosef , by at first not describing the state of the cows in his dream and Yosef corrected him . Pharaoh asked Yosef how he knew and if he had been standing behind Pharaoh while Pharaoh was dreaming , but Yosef again gave Correct Credit To HaShem . From HaShem , Yosef related to Pharaoh that there would be seven years of plenty followed suddenly by seven years of terrible famine and that Pharaoh should appoint someone to organize grain for the years of famine , during the years of plenty . The fact that there were two dreams similar , showed That HaShem Would Hasten It's Happening , for it stood ready to take place . Pharaoh knew that this was the true interpretation , for as I mentioned , HaShem Had Implanted Within Pharaoh's dream , it's interpretation , To Reveal itself only For Yosef . From one moment being a prisoner , to suddenly be brought before Pharaoh and win his favour By HaShem , happened not a moment too late or too soon , from when it was supposed to . Yosef's sudden rise to fame , happened in it's time , with not a single moment more to wait , thus the suddenness with which Yosef was brought before Pharaoh . This will be just like the coming of Moshiach , though he tarry , At The Time Of HaShem Sending him , it will happen very quickly in its time , like a flood , when the time of The " Keitz " - " The Final Moment " Comes By HaShem - thus the Word " Miketz , " - " The Happening in its time . "

Pharaoh wanted to appoint Yosef Viceroy of Egypt , but Pharaoh's advisers objected , saying he is a Hebrew and a slave . Pharaoh answered them that Yosef does not appear to be a slave , but is of obvious cultured and well mannered stock . The advisers to Pharaoh still objected that a viceroy must know all seventy languages of the nations . HaShem that night Sent the Malach Angel Gavriel to teach Yosef all the languages of the nations . To aid and assist Yosef , A ' Hey ' Letter From HaShem's Name , HaShem Added To Yosef's name , so it could also be ' Yehoseif ' and so , did Yosef learn all the languages , appearing before Pharaoh and the advisors the next morning . Yosef , starting on the bottom step , had Pharaoh talk to him in each language and as Yosef answered in that language , Yosef would climb a step per language that Yosef answered in , until Yosef had climbed all seventy steps and stood directly before Pharaoh , who Through HaShem , made him Viceroy of Egypt and gave him a name " Tzafnas Pa'neach , " - " He who explains what is hidden / Revealer of hidden things . " According to the Zohar , This Was Ordained By HaShem , so that when Yosef's brother's would come before him , they would not know his name is Yosef . Yosef knew one more language more than Pharaoh , the language of Hebrew , for no matter how Pharaoh tried to learn it , he could not grasp it for it was too holy for him ( for he was filled with Tum'a Impurity ) and Yosef had to assure him that this fact that Yosef knew one more language more than Pharaoh , Yosef would not reveal .

Pharaoh handed Yosef Pharaoh's ring and only outranked Yosef by the throne . He dressed Yosef in fine linen , put a gold chain around his neck and set him on the royal chariot , appointing him over all the land of Egypt . Pharaoh also gave Yosef , Osnas as a wife , who still wore Yaakov's family emblem as a pendant around her neck , for though she was adopted by Potiphar and Zulaicha , she was originally Yaakov and Leah's grand-daughter , daughter of Dinah and Shechem . As Yosef was being taken through the city on royal horseback , the females above tried to get the attention of the new viceroy , but Yosef , only looked up toward Heaven , thanking and blessing HaShem . It was then that Osnas threw down at him her pendant and looking up at her , knew her and who she was . Yosef was thirty years of age when he stood before Pharaoh . Pharaoh had a throne made for Yosef of pure gold and silver , with a picture of the Nile River engraved on it .

As HaShem Had Shown Yosef and so had Yosef related , the years of abundance came swiftly . Yosef had told Pharaoh that the two dreams being two and coming one after the other , showed HaShem's Urgency To Fulfil HaShem's Word To Pharaoh and so , after the years of plenty , in which Yosef had stored one fifth away for the years of famine , while people still had food on their table , as the years of Famine started , instantly , that food rotted and devastation and hunger became the state of the day . People hungered and came to Pharaoh for grain , but Pharaoh told them to go to Yosef . Yosef told them that he would give them grain only if they praise HaShem and if some even circumcise themselves . Yosef's hidden reason for requesting this , was that he prophetically was shown that we would end up in Egypt and he did not want us to lose our keeping of this Law of circumcision , so he thought it would be easier if those around us did too . The people complained at what Yosef asked for and they went to Pharaoh saying that Yosef wants outrageous things . Pharaoh questioned them as to what Yosef asked them to do and when hearing , reminded them that if not For HaShem and Yosef , they would not have any food at all and so they must listen to Yosef and do what he tells them to do .

Yosef had two sons with Osnas , Manasseh and Ephraim , whom Yosef brought up in the Holy Ways Of our Fore - Fathers , in the ways of HaShem's Commandments Given By HaShem To Avraham , Yitzchak and Yosef's Father Yaakov and even though Yosef brought them up in this foreign unholy land of Mitzrayim Egypt , Yosef still ensured that they remained pure and Jewish and so do we on Shabbos Bless our children to be like Yosef's children who , though they were staying in Galus as a lot of us Jews do , they still kept to HaShem And His Commandments and so must we and our children do the same and keep to HaShem And His Torah And HaShem's Commandments .

Yosef knew that his brothers would eventually come to Egypt to buy grain , knowing that even there in Canaan , the famine struck , so Yosef instituted certain laws to ensure that they would be brought before him when they did come . All who came to Mitzrayim Egypt to buy grain had to come themselves and could not send a servant ( ensuring the brothers would have to come personally ). All who came to Mitzrayim Egypt to buy grain , would only be allowed to carry one donkey - carrying amount per person ( ensuring that all his brothers would have to show themselves ) . All who came to Mitzrayim Egypt to buy grain, would have to give details of their name and their Father's name and from where they came ( so that Yosef , who requested every night the list of incomers , would straight away notice his brothers arrival ) . All who bought grain , were not allowed to sell it as a business , but could only buy it straight from Egypt ( to ensure that his brothers would have to come directly ) .

The Parsha says that Yaakov perceived that there were provisions in Egypt . That is a very hidden way to put it . The reason for putting it this way , is that Yaakov never lost hope that he would find Yosef again and so , the word for " Provisions " - " Shever " also means " Hope , " thus pointing to a hope that the brothers might find Yosef , who might have ended up there . So the brothers were sent to Egypt to buy grain , where Yaakov told them to try to look for him there , but to separate and enter through different gates when they go over the border and make a search for him .

Every night after his day's work , Yosef would ask for the list of incomers to be brought to him to peruse . One night , while reading through them , Yosef noticed that through different gates separately , were the names Reuvein ben Yaakov , Levi ben Yaakov , Simeon ben Yaakov and all his brothers names , entering through separate gates and looking around the city in different areas . Yosef knew what they were doing , but decided to accuse them of being spies , as this is what spies do . They were all caught and brought before him . Yosef recognized them , but they did not recognize him , as he was now a grown strong man with a beard and part of his face covered . He accused them of being spies over and over again . He put them in a ward for three days and no matter how they asked to be released , they were not . They remembered what they had done to their little brother Yosef , who cried and begged them to release him and not send him away and now , they knew they were paying for that sin . Yosef did not do any of this out of malice , but wanted to test them to see if they had changed and if they would finally stand up for Rachel's other son Binyamin when he would eventually be brought before Yosef . Yosef had the brothers released and only kept back Simeon and told them to return to their Father and bring back Binyamin , to prove that they were not spies . It was Simeon , who had thrown Yosef in the pit as a boy . Reuvein reminded his brothers that he had warned them not to hurt Yosef and now they were all paying for what they had done . They were forced to return home without Simeon , for Yosef had told them that he would release Simeon when they returned with Binyamin , so as to ' prove that they were not spies . ' Yosef had their money returned to their sacks and it was Levi who first had the worry and heart-ache of being the first one to find the money returned , thinking a charge would be levelled on them , for it was Levi , who had said , when Yosef was a boy at the incident of them selling him , " Ah behold the dreamer comes . " Yosef was actually giving them all a spiritual opportunity to atone for what they did .

When they returned to their Father , Yaakov did not let them go with Binyamin , even when Reuvein offered to have his two sons slain if he let his Father down Chas Ve Shalom , but still Yaakov never let them take Binyamin , reprimanding them for telling this Viceroy so much . They spoke up and said that this Viceroy seemed to know spiritually a lot about them and how should they know not to tell him that there is another brother , that they would be asked to bring him down there too , for Yosef even knew what wood Yaakov and the Mothers had used when they were all babies , for their cradles .

The grain they brought back from Egypt dwindled and Yaakov again asked them to go to Egypt to buy more grain but they refused saying that they would only go if Binyamin would go too . Yehudah assured his Father that he would personally guarantee him and only then did Yaakov allow them to take Binyamin and go . Yaakov told them to take the returned money back to Egypt , a letter to the Viceroy pleading to let Binyamin and their other brother ( meaning Simeon , but also prophetically meaning Yosef ) go and also a tribute of things from Canaan as a gift .

The brothers returned to Egypt and again came before Yosef .This was now the fulfilment of Yosef's dreams with them . When Yosef saw his younger brother Binyamin , the son of both his Mother and Father , he asked that preparations be made to dine with him in his palace which Pharaoh had built for him for three running years . They returned the double money to Yosef's son ( not knowing it was his son ) and were put to wait for Yosef to return home . Yosef had food prepared in the Kosher way and the brothers were amazed . Yosef held up his silver cup and pretended to look into it and so , place set everyone at the table from oldest to youngest .

Yosef said to Binyamin , ' do you have any children ' and Binyamin responded yes and that he had and he had named all his children in a way that had a hidden connotation to the dear beloved brother of his , Yosef , that he had lost . It was then that Yosef could no longer contain himself and he had to leave the room to cry . He returned and asked Binyamin about his Mother and Binyamin told him that she had passed away . Yosef responded , that seeing as he also had no Mother , they would both sit together . Then they ate . The brothers were forced to eat a meal with anxiety , wondering what charges may be put upon them now , as a punishment for the meal they sat down to eat straight after they sold Yosef . Yosef purposefully had Binyamin served a portion five times the other brother' portions , to see whether they had gotten over their weakness of jealousy .

Yosef left the table and returned shortly afterwards with an astrology chart and asked Binyamin if he knew how to read it and Binyamin said yes . Yosef asked him to look into it and work out where his lost brother is . Binyamin was shocked to see that his beloved brother Yosef was sitting right next to him , but Yosef quickly took him aside , Yosef putting his finger on his own mouth as if to motion to Binyamin not to say a word and revealed himself to Binyamin and told Binyamin that he would now test the brothers but not to say anything . They spent the night there . Yosef then instructed his son to have them set out early in the morning ready to leave and to put Yosef's silver goblet ( silver like the silver the brothers had gotten when they sold Yosef - thus allowing the brothers to atone for that sin ) in the sack of the youngest one . They were then followed , caught up with and the search made and the goblet was found in the youngest one's sack and so they had to return to Egypt . Yosef told them that only Binyamin must stay and be a slave and the other brothers could go . Yehudah , now steps forward and speaks to Yosef and so , this Parsha ends .

In this Parsha , we very much see The Hand Of HaShem . HaShem Works In His Own Time - His own " Ketz , " not before . When HaShem Decides That the time is right , it comes like a flood . We are now celebrating the Festival of Chanukah , where the Chashmonayim came and found only a single flask cruise of Kosher uncontaminated olive oil for one day's Lighting and the miracle of Chanukah is that it lasted all eight days . What HaShem Ordains , Is . The story of Chanukah teaches us many lessons , but one of the main ones is that we must be like the pure olive oil ( where a whole olive is used to just be able to squeeze just a single pure drop of olive oil ) , remaining pure and unsullied from other ways that are not Torah . It was the Greeks that tried to contaminate us , but when we stood firm and stayed true to Torah , HaShem Helped us Beat our enemies And Performed A Miracle , thus allowing us to spread our holy Light outside to the World . How interesting that the Hebrew word for Miracle is ' Neis ' and the Hebrew word for Candle ( that we light on Chanukah ) is ' Ner . ' Even when Shlomo Ha Melech built the Temple , he built the windows smaller on the inside and larger on the outside , to show How HaShem's Light Spreads Outwards . We are HaShem's Messengers to shine out That Holy Purity , spreading It outwards to the World and then , if we remain pure , HaShem Will Bring the " Ketz " - " The End Of Days , " that we all await , for when that time actually comes , it will " Mikeitz , " - " Happen " like a sudden flood . But our behaviour and obedience to HaShem , is what can bring it on sooner , for the word " Ketz " is within the word " Miketz . "

HaShem Waits every day and every moment To Bring On The End Of Days , The " Ketz , " but we all hold this time back . If one Jew goes away from Yiddishkeit and Torah , it affects us all and delays the Time of Redemption and if just one Jew shuns a Torah Way of life , The Way of HaShem's Will , that affects us all . One Jew that does not keep Shabbos , can hurt another Jew even far away . Each Jew , as our Tradition Teaches , is responsible one for another . We are all one . We are all HaShem's Creation and so must we all learn to behave like it . Yosef , a very holy man , would not in any way , no matter what test was put his way , stray from HaShem's Will . Even though he was in Galus Exile , he still kept to HaShem's Laws . His sons too . As I mentioned , when we bless our children on Shabbos , we bless them to be like Ephraim and Manasseh who , even though they grew up in a non Jewish environment , never forgot who they were and continued to follow The Tenets Of HaShem for our people , not letting themselves be tempted away from Torah Yiddishkeit Judaism , for our Forefathers kept the Torah instinctively , even before it was given to us on Har Sinai . This was the saving in the Chanukah story , where no matter what comes our way to tempt us away from HaShem's Instructions , we are to stay strong in Torah Yiddishkeit Judaism and so , warrant and deserve the " Mikeitz Ketz " - " The Happening of the Final Days , " at the End of Days .

The World today is not that dissimilar from how it was in Yosef's day , or in the days of the Chashmonayim of Chanukah . Temptations to other beliefs and faiths were plentiful then as they are now . But HaShem Rewards For faithfulness Just As He Did With Yosef and the Chashmonayim And As HaShem Will Do With us .

This Shabbos also being Rosh Chodesh , the New Month of Teves , is a good time to change , as is any . On Rosh Chodesh , we are as a people renewed , as the New Moon and so , is a good time to renew our faithfulness and love of HaShem And His Laws Faithfully kept Al Pi Ha Torah .

So let us all work together as the Chashmonayim did and as Yosef did , to stay faithful and true to Judaism and shun foreign ways and beliefs and so work together to bring on the " Miketz Keitz , " - " The Happening of the End Of Days , " May It Come Soon In Our Days .

I wish Most Beloved HaShem With Very Deep And Everlasting Love , A Very Sweet And Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh , Chodesh Tov and Chag Chanukat Sameach With Everlasting Love and to all my fellow Jews , with love , a Blessed Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh , Chodesh Tov and Chag Chanukat Sameach with love . Shabbat Shalom to all of Creation . May the End Of Days Come Soon In Our Days . Shabbat Shalom with Love .