וידבר שר המשקים את פרעה לאמר את חטאי אני מזכיר היום ... (מא-ט)
Last week we read about the encounter between Yosef Hatzddik and Pharaoh’s two ministers, when he interpreted their respective dreams. Although Yosef gave an accurate and positive prediction for the שר המשקים and asked for a relatively small favor in return (to bring Yosef’s plight to Pharaoh’s attention), the man acted like an ingrate and neglected to do so. The question is, why did Yosef offer a good tiding for the שר המשקים and not the baker?
The Bas Ayin, R’ Avraham Dov Ber Auerbach of Avritch zt”l (whose recent yahrtzeit was reverently remembered worldwide), answered as follows: Yosef, after being sold, realized that his brothers exhibited a sinah, a certain hatred towards him (obviously it is in our limited capacity to understand this.) He knew that he had to work on achdus. In mikvaos, there’s a halacha that rain water in the adjacent pit must touch, every so often, the water in the actual mikvah. This idea is called השקה. The word משקים shares that root. Whereas אופים implies anger, אף. Yosef Hatzddik, homiletically, associated that middah of hashaka - achdus - with life, and the middah of אף - anger and discord - with death. Hence their respective dream interpretations. Once he had internalized that idea, the path was paved for the next step in the master plan and he was freed.
We find a stark contrast between the neiros of Chanukah and the havdala candle. A havdala candle must be comprised of a few wicks resembling an אבוקה, a torch, while the נר חנוכה must be a single wick. The reasoning is that several intertwined wicks, forming one singular but stout wick, teaches us the concept that we, as people, must possess the middah of achdus - unity. But on Chanukah, which is a time of הלל והודאה, we must recognize and appreciate those who have contributed to the whole unit. Hence, it’s just one wick. On this very Chanukah, may Hakadosh Boruch Hu bring us all the many needed yeshuos and nissim to Klal Yisroel the world over, as we gather together, as one, to celebrate נר איש וביתו. A Freilichen Chanuka!