Why Don't We Walk with Swords on Hanukkah? • The Daily Lesson from Rabbi Eliezer

Presented before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Monday night, the eve of the 19th of Kislev 5786, Parshas Vayeishev:

1. Tomorrow at 8:45 AM, there will be a Hanukkah preparation gathering for the women of the community with the Rebbetzin; all women should attend.
2. We say "Al HaMilchamot" (on the wars), so why don't we commemorate the wars by walking in the street with swords instead of lighting candles? Rather, on Hanukkah, the decree was against the Torah and not against the bodies (physical lives), as the Baal HaTanya explains in "Torah Ohr."
3. It is not understood why they wanted to kill Yosef (Joseph) just because he dreamed dreams?!
4. Furthermore, it is difficult to understand: what was the greatness in the interpretation of the dreams? After all, everyone knows that grain is stalks and cows are meat. Rather, the "Ma'ayana Shel Torah" explains that because it was Rosh Hashanah, and we say in "Unesanneh Tokef" (a central prayer of the High Holidays) "who for hunger and who for plenty," Yosef wanted to remind Pharaoh that he must pray for his country. And it is proper to appoint a wise man who will rise to greatness, as this is judged on that very day.
5. All the nations are now receiving a flood (referring to heavy rains and disasters) because they spoke against the Jews and against the People of Israel.
6. In another 200 years – 28 years before the end of the sixth millennium – they will need to be in the desert for 9 months, and then Mashiach (the Messiah) will come.
7. Rashi writes "oto" (him/with him) – like "oto" with him, meaning "to him." Does Rashi really need to explain such a simple thing to us, the meaning of the word "oto"?
8. Rather, the "Nitzotzos Shimshon" explains that Rabbi Nachman the son of Rabbi Shmuel knocked on Rashi's grave, and finally, he [Rashi] revealed to him that the secret of "oto, with him, to him" is the dispute between Metat (the angel Metatron) and the angels regarding whether to create the world. For it is written in Eruvin that Beis Hillel (the House of Hillel) agreed with Beis Shammai (the House of Shammai) that it would have been better for the world not to have been created. Both of them together [the brothers] acted as a Sanhedrin (supreme court), and he [Yosef] disagreed with them; therefore, the brothers sentenced him to death as a "Zaken Mamre" (a rebellious elder).
9. Until Reuven (Reuben) arrived and saved him; therefore, Reuven merited to cross the Sambatyon (the mythical river).