Chanukah: Yosef Against Yavon

AI summary (may contain mistakes)

Why does the kedusha of Yosef stand against Malchus Yavan? One remez: Yosef equals Melech Yavan in gematria, and so does Antiochus. Yavan fought kedushas Yisrael with Chochmas Yavan against Chochmas HaTorah, aiming at the mind rather than at killing. A real melech goes from moach to lev to kaved, and Yavan tried to put its chochma into the mind so the heart and body would follow.

Key points

• In the Midrash, Yavan made Yisrael write on an ox's horn that they had no portion in Hashem.
• Tosfos says Bilaam's word was kaleim, and Hashem switched its letters into melech.
• With Rashi calling yud machshava, the letters of Yavan draw thought down to lev and kaved.

In this shiur

1. 0:00Yosef between the Avos and Shvatim
2. 1:26Gematria of Yosef and Melech Yavan
3. 3:34Yavan against kedushas Yisrael
4. 4:43The Midrash on choshech and Yavan
5. 9:01Bilaam and the moment of anger
6. 10:55Moach, lev, kaved and melech
7. 13:39Yavan's battle plan for the mind
8. 15:54The letters of Yavan

Topics

• Chanukah
• Yosef HaTzaddik
• Chochmas Yavan
• Tefillin