Parashat Miketz 5782 – Rosh Chodesh Tevet – Hanukkah

by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

The haftarah that is B’yachad with Parashat Miketz when it is Shabbat Hanukkah is from Zechariah 2:14-4:7. Most Ashkenazic congregations do not add verses from other haftarot. Sephardic congregations add the first and last verse of the Shabbat Rosh Chodesh haftarah. In the haftarah, Zechariah sees in his vision a menorah with seven lamps. God is the source of our light, warmth, understanding, and enlightenment. The menorah gives off God’s light to illuminate our world. May this Hanukkah bring light into our lives. Zechariah states that God dwells amongst us. (Zechariah 2:14). Let us pray that God dwells amongst us, and that we treat each other as we are each God. Zechariah’s name means “God remembered.” The haftarah commences by telling Israel to shout loudly to be saved from exile among its enemies. May God remember us all for good. The haftarah also commences by declaring “Shout for joy/gladness.” May each day of Hanukkah bring us much joy and gladness. In addition to the obvious connection to Hanukkah, with the discussion of the menorah, another connection to Hanukkah is the last verse of the haftarah and the victory of the Maccabees. Zerubbabel will not build the Temple with his own might and power, but rather by the virtue of the spirit of God. Similarly, the Maccabees did not win their battle due to their own might and power, but because God fought their battles. In the haftarah, there is a miracle that the olives pressed themselves and automatically refilled the menorah. Sound familiar? The legend associated with the Maccabees involved miracles and olives. The Maccabees cleaned the Temple and discovered that they had enough oil to last one day, but miraculously the oil lasted for eight days. May we have much joy and gladness each day of Hanukkah and appreciate the miracles in our daily lives.