The stories of Joseph are like an alpine mountain range. A developing collection, unparalleled in the Bible in terms of length, depth, and plot twists. The complex relationship between Joseph and his brothers and father, between him and his surroundings, and between him and himself provides exciting and breathtaking moments that are moving every time you read them.

In the parashah Miketz, the brothers return to Egypt for the second time to break bread in order to save their family from famine in the land of Canaan. This time they go down to Egypt with Benjamin. Jacob is persuaded by Judah to send Benjamin to Egypt with the rest of the brothers at Joseph's request, even though he is afraid of what might happen to him and even says so explicitly:

"And he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he alone is left; and if disaster should befall him on the journey you are taking, thenyou will bring down my gray head with sorrow" (Genesis 42:38).

Enough! says Jacob. I have experienced enough grief and cannot bear the possibility of another disaster befalling Benjamin. And then Judah stands up and makes a promise to Jacob: "I will guarantee it myself. You may ask for it, and if I do not bring it to you and present it before you, I will be guilty before you all the days.." ; (Genesis 43:9). He continues to press Jacob, arguing that time is short and the discussion is long, and that if they had refrained from doing so, they would already have returned home with food in their hands: "For if we had not delayed, we would have returned twice by now."  (Genesis 33:10)

Jacob reluctantly agrees, and Benjamin goes down with his brothers. They meet Joseph, who is now the governor of Egypt, and they return home well-provided for and satisfied. But then, at the end of the story, to the brothers' horror, a cup that Joseph's men had planted in Benjamin's sack is discovered.

"And he searched the great and the small, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. They tore their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city." (Genesis 44:10, 11)

Joseph rebukes his brothers and wonders aloud how they could have failed to realize that a seer like him would immediately know about the stolen cup. He brings his brothers to a difficult point, to a shock in which they will be forced to recognize his power as a dreamer. But then, with all due respect to dreams, something unforeseeable happens, a moment that all of Joseph's actions have been leading up to: a moment of freedom in which the brothers' judgment is tested. What will they do when it is revealed that their little brother Benjamin has sinned and stolen? (Of course, according to their understanding of the situation, without knowing that it is Joseph's plot). Then Judah speaks on behalf of everyone: "And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we say to my lord?"
Let us speak, and what shall we justify? God has found the iniquity of your servants; we are servants of the Lord, both we and those whofound the cup in his hand.".(Genesis 34:16)

Without knowing that he is speaking to Joseph, several things happen in this sentence:

A. It seems that Judah is confessing here, even before God, the sin of his brothers, the great sin of selling Joseph. This confession simmers in Judah's subconscious.

B. What happens openly on the surface is something else, which may also be what later arouses Joseph's compassion. Judah declares: We are all servants of my lord, both we and the one in whose hand the cup was found. At this dramatic moment, the brothers' solidarity with their brother breaks out, even though, according to what is known to them, he has sinned and committed a crime. It is hard to believe, but at no point do the brothers accuse Benjamin of having the cup in his hand; rather, they declare that their fate will be the same as his!

Once the cup is found in Benjamin's possession, they will all become slaves to the Egyptian ruler who exposed their shame. This is the moment when a sense of brotherhood, which had been absent in the past, emerges in the relationship between the brothers. There were good reasons for the estrangement between them, but it led them to disintegration, loss, and brokenness.

The ascent begins at the point where, even though Benjamin could be blamed for the situation that has arisen, his brothers stand behind him and with him, taking upon themselves a shared fate – as guarantors for one another. This is where the turning point in the story begins, and it is no coincidence that the Torah pauses at this moment, at the height of the drama, and leaves us waiting a whole week until the parashah of Vayigash.

It may not be coincidental that this is the passage that is always read on Shabbat Chanukah, reflecting the same awareness that was later expressed in the well-known Zionist song: "Each of us is a small light, and together we are a powerful light."

There is still no redemption here, and this is not simple unity. It is based on much evil that existed between the brothers, and there is still no release. Many stages of distress will still pass before Joseph confesses to his brothers and the story comes to a peaceful conclusion.

But this is the small light, the first from which a greater light of correction will later emerge.

It seems that this week there is no need to elaborate on the power of a small light and the hope inherent in a moment of solidarity to bring about a connection that may ultimately lead to a better reality.

Happy Hanukkah

Shabbat Shalom!