Parshat Vayeshev
Dreams of
Light
Chanukah
begins on Wednesday evening and continues for eight short, dark winter days. At
the end of the first day, we light one candle in anticipation of long, bright
spring days; second day, two candles for the spring
light that is one day closer. After candlelighting,
we internalize our wish for light, enjoying latkes and sufganiyot
- foods filled with light-generating vegetable oil.
Birthday
candles use similar symbolism. We stand candles in the cake, and light them,
expressing our hope for a bright future. The birthday honoree articulates a
specific wish and blows out the candles. Everyone present eats the cake, making
the birthday wish a part of their lives, too.
We prepare for
Chanukah by reading Parshat Vayeshev,
which begins with Yosef's dream about light. Yosef dreams that sun, moon, and stars bow down to him. He
is a motherless young man hated by his half-brothers, ineffectively protected
by his father. The dream expresses his wish for a better position in the
family. But Yosef's father Ya'akov
doesn't grasp Yosef's cry of anguish, and is only
angered by the arrogance of the dream.
Chanukah
lights, birthday candles, luminaries in a dream: in
each case, light represents hope for renewal. The word "Chanukah"
means rededication, and we use the holiday to celebrate national renewal. On an
inner level, the Chanukah candles remind us to listen carefully in the dark: to
the messages expressed in our nighttime dreams, to our personal lists of what
we will do when spring light returns, to the needs hinted at in stories told by
friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances.
Return to Reb Laura's "Taste of
Torah" list.
Return to "Teachings from Our Rabbis and
Friends" list.
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