Every year, the reading of Parashat Vayeshev coincides with the festival of Chanukah, and the connection between them is far more than a calendrical coincidence. Together, they tell a story of darkness pierced by unexpected light—of individuals who refuse to surrender to despair, and of miracles that begin quietly, almost imperceptibly, until they illuminate the world.
Parashat Vayeshev opens with Joseph descending into the darkest chapter of his life. Beloved by his father but hated by his brothers, he is thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, carried to a foreign land, and later imprisoned on false charges. If anyone had reason to feel swallowed by darkness, it was Joseph.
Yet the Torah repeatedly emphasizes that “God was with Joseph.” Even when no miracle was visible, divine light was quietly guiding the story.
Joseph teaches us that light doesn’t always arrive as a sudden blaze. Sometimes it begins as a faint glimmer—an inexplicable gift of resilience, a stroke of unexpected kindness, a moment of inner clarity that reminds us: We are not alone!
Like the single cruset of oil that survived desecration, Joseph’s faith remained pure. And from that small spark, a great salvation would someday emerge—not just for himself, but for the entire nation.
The story of Chanukah is similarly rooted in overwhelming darkness: oppression, cultural erasure, and the desecration of everything sacred. The Maccabees had every reason to believe that their small group could not stand against the mighty Hellenistic empire. But they lit one flame.
Jewish tradition teaches that the miracle of Chanukah began when the people ACTED, before the miracle was guaranteed. The Maccabees cleaned the Temple. They searched for oil. They lit the menorah with what they had, not with what they lacked. Their courage transformed a small beginning into eight days of enduring light.
Like Joseph, they demonstrated that redemption often begins in hidden places, through quiet acts of faith and stubborn hope. What connects Vayeshev and Chanukah is the idea that the holiest light comes from people who keep shining in darkness.
Joseph brings light to a prison cell by interpreting dreams with empathy and the Maccabees bring light to a devastated Temple by insisting on purity. Both stories remind us that we are not responsible for completing the light – only for beginning it.
There are moments when our lives echo Joseph’s descent: periods of confusion, fear, betrayal, or uncertainty. It is precisely then that Chanukah calls to us: Light a candle anyway!
Not because the darkness disappears instantly, but because every spark reveals a path forward.
A candle does not erase the night—but it changes our experience of it.
A single mitzvah does not repair the world—but it begins the process.
A single act of faith does not guarantee success—but it invites miracles.
The miracle of Chanukah is not only that the oil burned for eight days – but that someone believed it was worth lighting in the first place.
May we all find the strength to kindle our own small flames to illuminate the dark corners of our lives and the world, and to trust that God is with us in every step – quietly guiding us toward redemption.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen