14 Dec BITACHON

Yosef is praised for his bitachon. In fact, the pasuk that discusses bitachon, – אשרי

הגבר†אשר†יבטח†בה†’ , “Fortunate is the person

who trusts in Hashem…” is written about Yosef HaTzaddik (see Rashi 40:23). An aspect of his bitachon is seen in this week’s parashah:

It states (40:23), ולא†≠†זכר†שר†≠†המשקים†את

יוסף†וישכחהו†, “The sar hamashkim didn’t

remember Yosef and he forgot him.”

This pasuk needs commentary, because ולא

זכר†, “he didn’t remember Yosef” and וישכחהו

“he forgot him” mean the same thing. Why does the pasuk write twice that the sar hamashkim didn’t remember Yosef?

The Chidushei HaRim zt’l translates the pasuk like this: , ולא†זכר†שר†≠†המשקים†את†יוסף

the sar hamashkim didn’t remember Yosef, וישכחהו†and Yosef forgot the sar hamashkim.

This demonstrates Yosef Hatzaddik’s incredibly high level of bitachon. Most people in Yosef’s place would repeatedly think about the sar hamashkim.

They would wonder, “Did he tell Pharaoh that I was imprisoned for no reason, as I asked him to? Will he succeed in freeing me from jail?” Yosef was already in prison for ten years, and this might have been his only hope to be released.

But the Torah tells us , וישכחהו†Yosef forgot

about the sar hamashkim. After he made hishtadlus, he didn’t think about the sar hamashkim anymore. He trusted in Hashem and not in human Beings.

The brothers showed Yaakov Avinu Yosef’s blood-stained coat, so Yaakov will assume that Yosef was killed by a wild animal (see 38:31-34). The Rebbe of Radzimin zt’l, (Bikurei Aviv) asks, “Why did they have to do that? When Yaakov would see that Yosef wasn’t coming home, he would assume, on his own, that Yosef was killed!

The answer is that [if Yaakov wouldn’t see the blood-stained coat] Yaakov would have bitachon that Yosef will yet return home and when one trusts in Hashem with all his heart, this draws Hashem’s help.

Yaakov Avinu’s bitachon was on a very high level. It would have brought about Hashem’s aid, and the Egyptians [who were holding Yosef as a slave] would have sent him home.

At that point, Yosef would reveal to their father that his brothers sold him, and their father would be very angry. Therefore, they slaughtered a goat, dipped Yosef’s coat in its blood, and sent it to their father.”

Now Yaakov believed that Yosef was no longer alive, and this prevented him from having bitachon.

The Chashmonaim won the war against the Yevanim because they had bitachon. כהן†is

gematriya בטחון†. The Chashmonaim were

kohanim, and bitachon was the catalyst for their Yeshuah.

Many people recite יושב†בסתר†≠†עליון

(Tehillim 91) after lighting Chanukah lecht.

This chapter talks about bitachon. As we say,’ כי†אתה†ה†≠†מחסי†, “You Hashem are my

shield. , לא†תירא†מפחד†≠†לילה†therefore I am not

afraid…” The letter ‘ ז†does not appear in

this chapter. The Avuderham writes that when one trusts in Hashem he doesn’t need כלי†זיין, weapons. Hashem, Himself, will

destroy and subjugate all enemies of Bnei Yisrael.

The Midrash Chanukah (quoted by the Rokeiach) tells that there was a Greek general called Gaskalgus (others say it was Bagris). He had an enormous army.

They arrived in Eretz Yisrael and found twelve Chashmonaim prepared to battle with them. The general scoffed at them, “Fools! You want to battle with my enormous army!?”

The Chashmonaim raised their eyes to heaven and prayed to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hakadosh Baruch Hu seized the seventy angels†of†heaven¨†hit†them†with†a†fiery†whip¨†and warned them to protect the Jewish nation. When a Greek soldier shot an arrow at the Jewish people, a malach intercepted the arrow and aimed it back at the soldier who shot it. It shot straight into his heart.

The Chashmonaim saw these miracles and said, ‘ ה†ילחם†לנו†¨†“Hashem†is†fighting†this

battle for us!”

When one of the Greek kings was killed the malachei†hashares†confiscated†his†money†and threw it into Jewish homes. (The Yidden weren’t able to access the money themselves because of all the corpses.)

Eliforni gathered an army of 120,000 mighty warriors, 22,000 archers, and camels carrying an endless supply of food.

Eliforni had already conquered many large, powerful countries in the past. When the Yidden heard that he was approaching, they became†terrifiedƆThey†shouted†to†Hashem†together with their wives and children, and they did teshuvah through fasting and prayers. The kohanim wore sackcloth, and even the mizbeiach was dressed in sackcloth. They shouted to Hashem, and they fell on their faces.

Then the Yidden ran after their enemies and killed many of them.”

With†their†tefillos†and†bitachon¨†they†won†their enemies again and again.

Children Talmidei Chachamim

The Gemara (Shabbos 23:) states, ≠†הרגיל

בנר†הויין†≠†ליה†בנים†≠†תלמידי†חכמים†, “A person

who is cautious with lighting the candles [of Shabbos and Chanukah – Rashi] will merit children who are talmidei chachamim, as it states, “. כי†נר†מצוה†≠†ותורה†אור†Rabbeinu

Yitzchak the son of the Raavad asks, “Why don’t we see everyone becoming talmidei chachamim? People are cautious with Chanukah lecht, so why don’t we see their children becoming talmidei chachamim?!”

He answers, “Few people keep this mitzvah with all its details and Halachos.”

Furthermore, the Meiri writes, ≠†הרגיל†בנר

דרך†חיבוב†≠†מצוה†והערה†מפורסמת†≠†הויין†לו†בנים

תלמיד†≠†חכמים†, “Whoever is cautious with the

candles of Chanukah to light them with love for the mitzvah… will be granted children talmidei chachamim.” Thus, lighting the candles†alone¨†may†not†be†sufficientƆOne†must perform the mitzvah with love for the mitzvah.

Reb†Chaim†Ozer†Grodinzki†zt’l†was†in†Krakow one Chanukah. He came to a tailor’s home†and†asked†the†tailor†to†fix†his†jacketƆ“I†didn’t light Chanukah lecht yet” the tailor replied.

“I’ll†wait¨”†Reb†Chaim†Ozer†repliedƆReb†Chaim†Ozer†figured¨†“How†long†can†it take him to light Chanukah lecht? A few moments. I can wait.” It took much longer.

Reb†Chaim†Ozer†sat†mesmerized¨†as†the†tailor, dressed in Shabbos clothing, sang songs for a half-hour near the lecht, totally enjoying the Mitzvah.

Reb†Chaim†Ozer†said¨†“By†witnessing†the way the tailor lit the candles, I now understand why so many great talmidei chachamim came from Krakow over the generations.” This is because Chanukah lecht is mesugal for children who are talmidei chachamim especially when one performs the mitzvah with love and inspiration.

Chassidim were once discussing the wealth of the legendary Count Pototsky. They were saying that during the summer he pours sugar over mountains so that he could go skiing.

The Berdichover Rav overheard their discussion and asked, “Does he light Chanukah lecht?”

“No.” (Count Pototsky wasn’t Jewish.)

“Then he doesn’t know what true joy is.”

The Rambam (4:12) writes, מצות†נר†חנוכה

מצוה†חביבה†היא†עד†מאוד†, “The mitzvah of

Chanukah†lecht†is†an†extremely†beloved†mitzvah.” And when we perform the mitzvah in this spirit, we will merit children talmidei chachamim.

Gazing at the Chanukah Lecht

” The Chavas Ya’ir ( ’הגהות†מקור†חיים†תרע†ב†ב

) writes, “In my opinion, the primary mitzvah is that the one who lit the lecht should stay near the lecht for a half-hour, and he should look at the lecht and be happy with them.”

The Yeitav Panim writes, “The minhag in Klal Yisrael (which is Torah) is to sit and gaze at the candles.

The reason for that is to bring down the miracles of Chanukah by gazing at the Chanukah lecht.”

The Yismach Yisrael zt’l said that those who have pure eyes can see Hashem’s name הוי†ה†” shining in the Chanukah lecht.

It states (Bamidbar 21:8), עשה†לך†שרף†≠†ושים

אותו†על†נס†≠†והיה†כל†הנשוך†≠†וראה†אותו†וחיƆ8

This pasuk refers to the brachos of Chanukah, and to the importance of gazing at the lecht.

שרף†hints to the brachah, , להדליק†נר†≠†חנוכה

because שרף†means burns, and the candles

burn.

ושים†אותו†≠†על†נס†implies to the brachah .

שעשה†ניסים†≠†לאבותינו†And וחי†hints to . שהחיינו

These words also allude to the custom to look at the Chanukah lecht: Chanukah is implied in this pasuk because if someone was נשוך†, bitten by the yetzer hara, וראה†אותו

, he should gaze at the Chanukah lecht, , וחי

and he will become like a new Person.

We say, אין†≠†לנו†רשות

≠†להשתמש†בהם†≠†אלא

לראותם†, “We don’t

have permission to use them, only to see them…”

The Divrei Chaim zt’l said that it seems from these words that seeing the Chanukah lecht is like using them.

He compares this to a doctor who looks into his patients’ eyes and knows the illness and the cure.

Similarly, by looking at the Chanukah lecht, one can attain a refuah for all ailments of his neshamah.

” The Beis Avraham (‘ נר†ד†ד†ה†רק†) says that

אלא†לראותם†בלבד†implies that looking at

Chanukah†lecht†is†a†refuah†and†rectification†for sins related to guarding the eyes.

What should a person do when he stays near the Lecht?

The Sefer Zechirah (69:1) writes, “A helpful segulah to be protected the entire year is to say seven times chapter (Tehillim יושב†בסתר†עליון†( 91 , each night of Chanukah

after lighting the candles.”

” Some say chapter קי†ט†in Tehillim, because

it has many requests for success in Torah and mitzvos.

The Leket Yoshar (p.43) writes that his Rebbe, the Terumas HaDeshen would say ” chapter קי†ט†in Tehillim every day. Certainly,

it†is†an†excellent†time†to†say†it†while†looking†at the Chanukah lecht, which is mesugal for attaining success in Torah.

This†is†also†a†good†time†for†tefillahƆThe†Tosefta (Maasar Sheni 5:15) writes, “When one performs a mitzvah, it is an ideal time to daven to Hashem.”

The Rabbeinu b’Chaya (19:3) writes, “When a woman lights the Shabbos candles, she should pray that she merit children talmidei chachamim, who shine in Torah because†tefillos†are†more†accepted†after†performing a Mitzvah.

Primarily, as you look at the lecht, it is important to be happy with the lecht.

As the Chavas Yair (that we quoted above in this section) writes, “In my opinion, the primary mitzvah is that the one who lit the lecht should be near the lecht for a halfhour, and he should look at the lecht and be happy with them.”