The Midrash connects Reuven’s rescue of Yosef and the Chanukah miracle of the pure oil

“But Reuven heard, and he saved him from their hand….” (Bereishis 37:21)

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hat exactly did Reuven hear that caused him to save Yosef? When Yosef’s brothers conspired to kill him, they said, “Let’s kill him… and then we’ll see what will come of his dreams.”

Rashi explains that the second half of the pasuk was actually an interjection of a bas kol. In referencing Yosef’s dreams, the Heavenly voice conveyed, “You’ll see whose plans come true, yours or those of Hashem.” Since Reuven was the only one who heard the bas kol, he realized it was incumbent on him to save Yosef (Rabbi Dovid Sochet).

The bank teller was rude to me today. For no reason other than that I’d filled in the wrong date on my deposit slip. She must be having a hard day, I reasoned. Well, so was I. Actually, I was having a hard week.

I’d just landed from a week spent in the States. I was jetlagged and overwhelmed with all the errands, appointments, and tasks I’d pushed off until I’d return from my trip. (Actually, most of these things had been pushed off a lot longer.) Whatever the case, I had too much to do and not enough time, and the combo didn’t allow for calm nerves. And it appeared that everyone around me was just as antsy. Was it my exhaustion that made me feel like the whole population was on edge? Or was it the culture crash? It seemed as soon as we landed in Ben Gurion, the atmosphere on the plane became charged.

I felt tired of it all. Tired of being hassled, first by the bank clerk, then the lady in the parking lot who didn’t like that my car was wider than her Fiat. But I was parked between my two lines. Try explaining that to her. I offered her a big smile (fake!) and then ran to the next errand on my list: the pharmacy.

The Baal Shem Tov says that whatever a person sees or hears is meant to tell him something meaningful regarding his avodas Hashem. This is true for every individual, not just tzaddikim. The problem is that the average person generally hasn’t disciplined himself and his senses to focus on what’s pertinent to his avodas Hashem. Detrimental influences and distractions obscure the significance of these Divine messages. The Master of the Universe converses with us on a regular basis, but one needs to be in sync with the Messenger to perceive His message.

Entering, I nearly groaned out loud. The line snaked almost out the door. Grabbing a number, I resigned myself to waiting, half-sleeping standing up.

My thoughts were churning. And I wasn’t too proud of myself for the direction they were taking.

In Lakewood, my brother has his prescriptions delivered right to his door.

In Baltimore, when I’d gone to open a bank account, the clerk  called me honey and offered me my choice of tea or coffee.

In Florida, where my in-laws now live, there are more parking places than people!

Why was I here?

I tried to silence this internal rant, but as the line inched slowly forward, I was losing the battle.

The Midrash connects Reuven’s rescue of Yosef and the Chanukah miracle of the pure oil. There were those who suggested that the flask of oil be divided into eight, so as to last until new oil could be made. But the Kohanim, who understood that finding that single pristine container of oil was an event of extraordinary import, were confident this meager quantity of oil would miraculously be sufficient. Like Reuven, they reasoned that if Hashem showed them this pure flask, He was sending them a message, instructing them to rely upon His Providence — and that He would perform another miracle and have the oil last continuously for eight days.

A phone rang loudly, singing a popular Israeli song and thankfully disrupting my thoughts. The guy ahead of me in line fumbled with his bags, trying to answer as the ring continued. The words hit hard….

“What’s the secret of Israel? Here’s our home; here’s our heart/shevet achim…”

After dropping a bag, he finally picked up the call, and the singing stopped.

I don’t know who was calling. But I definitely got the message.

 (Originally featured in Family First, Issue 822)