QUESTION

When the Torah describes the first of Yosef`s dreams, it says, “and they (the other sheaves), bowed down to my sheaf”. But in the second dream it says “they (the sun moon and other stars) were bowing down to me” Why does Yosef not say to my star like he said in the first dream, to my sheaf?

ANSWER

The first dream was a vision of what would happen when the brothers would bow down, before they knew the man in front of them was Yosef. Therefore they only bowed down to his sheaf, because they were only bowing to him for the food. However the second dream was a vision of what would happen after they knew it was Yoseif, and they came down with their father, represented in the dream by the sun. Then, when they knew who it was, they bowed down to Yosef himself, because of his greatness.
Similarly, the Beis Halevi points out, when you are are talking about possesions it is all external-your sheaves bowed down to my sheaves, but when talking about spiritual qualities, represented by the sun moon and stars, that is what the person himself is, therefore they bowed down to him. One could add, the Greeks worshipped external things, physical beauty, architecture etc. The Chashmonayim worshipped inner qualities, qualities of character subservience to Hashem etc.
SOURCES; Sefer Shiras Dovid.

QUESTION

The Talmud says “Mai Chanukah”-What is Chanukah? And proceeds to describe the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days. The Maharal on that passage says as follows. The festival was also instituted because of the victories over the Greeks. But the miracle of the oil showed undisputably Hashem`s intervention. Otherwise people might have thought, the victory was because of superior military tactics etc. The miracle of the oil was to remind people, that the military victories were also brought about by Hashem. So the Mitzvah of the Menorah and the celebration of the military victory are inextricably bound up with one another. Where else do we see in the mitzvos of Chanukah, a connection between the Mitzvoh of the Menorah and the military victories?

ANSWER

The Gemara says, women have to to light the Chanukah light because they too were in that miracle. Rav Leib Gurwicz, ztsa”l used to point out; women did not light the Menorah in the Beis Hamikdosh , so they they were not really involved in the miracle of the oil, so it must refer to the miracle of the victory. So you see that because of the military victory they light the Menorah.
Furthermore, we say in “Haneiros Hallolu” we kindle these lights because of the ….wars and the salvations.
SOURCES; Sefer Zichron Moshe.