Shabbat Shalom - 2 Tevet

This evening, beginning th last day of Chanukah, we will light all eight candles on our Chanukiahs. This evening’s Erev Shabbat Service, conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus, beginning at 6:15 PM.

Tomorrow’s Shabbat Morning service will be conducted by Rabbi Dreyfus, beginning at 10:00 AM. Barry Bayer will be the Cantorial Soloist. The Parasha, Mikeitz, Genesis 41:1 - 44:17 continues the Joseph story.

Two years pass and Joseph continues his jail sentence. Pharaoh has two dreams which must mean something, but no one can interpret the proper meaning. At last, the Chief Cup Bearer remembers Joseph and his dream interpretation talents, and Joseph is brought to Pharaoh who tells him about the dreams — seven fats cows, seven fat corn stalks, then scrawny cows and stalks eat the fat ones. No problem for Joseph, who tells Pharaoh there will be 7 years of very abundant crops and 7 years of famine, and suggests that Pharaoh appoint someone to collect the abundance in the first seven years so food would be available for the famine period. Pharaoh appoints Joseph to the job, and Joseph turns very Egyptian with a new, Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife. It happens that the dream, interpreted by Joseph, with the help of G-d, predicted.

The famine was world wide, and everyone came to Joseph for food. There is famine back in Canaan, too, and Jacob sends some of his sons, but not Benjamin, Joseph’s only full brother. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don’t recognize him, allowing Joseph to play with them a bit, and to demand that Benjamin be brought down to Egypt, before he will give them more food. Jacob refuses to approve Benjamin’s going, but the food situation gets really bad, and Jacob changes his mind. Joseph continues to play games, loads the boys up with food, but slips a golden goblet into Benjamin’s packs, then have them picked up and returned to him, accusing them of theft. He states that the packs will be searched and if the goblet is found, the person who has it will become Joseph’s slave and remain in Egypt. When Benjamin is found with the cup, the brothers are very upset because they know that it will kill Jacob, having lost Joseph, to lose Benjamin in addition.

The Haftarah is, once again, a special one from Kings I, for the last day of Chanukah.