The beloved holiday of Hanukkah, the ‘Festival of Lights,’ always coincides with the reading of the weekly Torah portions that focus on Yosef, the ‘Master of Dreams,’ favorite son of the patriarch Jacob.
This week’s Torah portion of Va’yeshev introduces the young Yosef and we witness the treachery inflicted upon him by his own brothers, and his descent into the idolatrous, licentious darkness of Egypt.
Yet throughout his ordeals, Yosef never for an instant lost sight of G-d’s constant, intimate providence. What is the connection between Yosef and Hanukkah? How did this handsome young man, in the fullness of his youth, withstand the temptation of his master’s wife's attempts to seduce him? Why is Yosef identified with a messianic force of redemption?
Tune in this week’s Jerusalem Lights podcast for a pre-Hanukkah Yosef special.
Plus: Archeological Discoveries in the Land of Israel: The Eternal Truth of Hanukkah.