When the ten brothers go down to Egypt and meet Pharaoh’s vizier (Yosef) to buy food, however, they all bow down to him. Where was the brothers’ Jewish pride? Was it even an aveirah for them to have bowed down? What’s more, Rashi’s explanation makes things worse. He explains here that it was a complete, full-body bow, with arms and legs spread out. (Ber. 42:6).

To see if Rashi had any consistent thoughts on Jews bowing down to other people, I checked his commentary on a number other instances where similar situations occur: Yaakov bowing down to Eisav, Avraham bowing down to the Children of Heth, and Moshe bowing down to Yisro.

Where Yaakov and his entire family bow down to Eisav upon their return to Canaan (Ber. 33:3, 33:6-7), Rashi says nothing.

When Avraham bows down to the Children of Heth (Ber. 23:7, 23:12), Rashi also says nothing, despite the fact that there is a Midrash Rabbah which comes to explain that he bowed to thank Hashem for the good news (that a burial ground for Sarah could be purchased), and was not, in fact, bowing to the Children of Heth. This is particularly striking, since Rashi clearly demonstrated his awareness of this very Midrash by quoting it to explain why Eliezer bowed down to Hashem after Lavan and Bethuel allowed Rivka to go with him (Ber. 24:52).

When Yisro comes to meet Moshe, the pasuk is not completely clear who bows to whom.

“וַיֵּצֵא מֹשֶׁה לִקְרַאת חֹתְנוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ וַיִּשַּׁק לוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ לְשָׁלוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ הָאֹהֱלָה ” (Ex. 18:7)

Even though Rashi could have easily opted to have Yisro bow down to Moshe, Rashi admits that he doesn’t know who bowed to whom, and then volunteers his suggestion that it was Moshe who bowed down to Yisro!

Despite my initial surprise, Rashi appears to express no concern about Jews in the Chumash bowing to others in greeting.

If bowing to people per se is not a problem, what was the reason behind Channah’s refusal to bow down to Antiochus? The difference was that Antiochus forced the Jews to bow down to him as part of a policy of establishing idolatry and eradicating the Jewish religion. He set himself up as a god to be worshipped instead of G-d.

In answering the question of why Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman, Rashi explains that Mordechai’s refusal was justified because Haman had set himself up as a god to be worshipped. Given the analogous situation with Antiochus, Rashi could very well have agreed with Channah’s decision in the terrible choice she faced.

“[T]he wicked Greek Kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to force them to transgress the statutes of Your will. It was then that You in Your great compassion stood by them in the time of their distress” (Al HaNissim).

The Eish Kodesh writes that the Greeks attempted “to make them forget Your Torah and to force them to transgress the statutes of Your will” by causing great distress and suffering to the Jews. However, the Jewish nation was aware that all of their physical suffering was an attempt to manipulate them away from their faith –the true “distress” that resulted from this was a fear of succumbing to their oppressors. They therefore strengthened themselves in their belief in Hashem, and it was in the merit of this increased bitachon, trust in Hashem, that they were redeemed from their suffering. “Treat [Hashem’s] will as if it were your own will, so that He will treat your will as if it were His will” (Avos 2:4). When we demonstrate to Hashem that our greatest distress is our inability to perform His will – He will bless us with the opportunities to rededicate ourselves to Him. Good Shabbos, Good Chodesh and a Freilichin Chanukah!

In analyzing this debate, the Gemarrah wants to know the reason for Rav’s prohibition. If the reason is Bizzui Mitzvah (disgracing the Mitzvah) there would be no prohibition against lighting one Chanukkah candle from another, as both candles are being used for a Mitzvah. According to Rav, the only prohibition would be lighting another non-Chanukkah candle from the Chanukkah candles.

If, however, the reason is because of Acchushei Mitzvah (diminishing the Mitzvah), Rav would even prohibit lighting from one Chanukkah candle to another.

Practical experience makes the second understanding of Rav to be quite difficult to understand. We know that lighting one candle from another does not cause the first candle to burn any less bright or for a shorter period of time. If so, how could the Gemarrah suggest that Rav might prohibit lighting another candle from the Chanukkah candles for this reason?

Rashi comes to the rescue with an amazing explanation of what Acchushei Mitzvah means. Rashi says that by lighting one candle from another you “appear as if you are saving the flame and pouring off some of the bad oil.”

Even though you are the one lighting the Chanukkah candles, and you know that you are not intending to pour off any of the extra oil, the Gemarrah is still concerned about how taking one of the lights and tilting it over appears.

If appearances are so important in an area like this, where it seems to be obvious that you aren’t doing anything wrong, then we need to be even more careful in other areas of our life! We need to make sure as we walk down the street and when we conduct our business that we are living our lives impeccably.

May the light of the Chanukkah candles inspire us to live our lives as a true Ohr laGoyim – a light unto the nations.

The Talmud (Yoma 35b) recounts the attempted seduction of Yosef by Potiphar’s wife, with the following conversation between them:

She threatened him, ‘I will have you thrown into prison!’ he replied, ‘Hashem frees those in captivity’ (Tehillim 146). She pushed further, ‘I will cut down your height!’ and he responded, ‘Hashem straightens the bent’ (ibid.). And once more she menaced, ‘I will put out your eyes!’ and he retorted, ‘Hashem gives sight to the blind’ (ibid.).

Yosef’s responses to Potiphar’s wife require clarification. Was he saying that she could do her worst to him because he would be miraculously saved by Hashem? What about the edict that “we do not rely on miracles?” I believe that the answer to this question can be found in another Gemara, in Brachos (28b). We are told that when Rebbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s students came to visit him on his deathbed Rebbi Yochanan began to cry. His students asked him, “Rebbi why are you crying?” He answered them that he would be crying even if he was only going on trial before a king of flesh and blood whose punishments are not eternal – how much more so is he justified in crying in anticipation of his judgment before the King of Kings, Whose verdicts are not bound by this world!

Yosef’s response is not about miracles – it’s about yiras shamayim, the fear of Heaven. He was not saying that if you incarcerate me, mutilate me or blind me you will not be successful because Hashem will save me. He is making a declaration of his belief in Hashem and His will. Hashem is the Master of the World, ‘He is the One Who frees those in captivity’. The threats of any human being are null and void before the will of Hashem! Yosef Ha’Tzaddik earned his title by putting his yiras shamayim, above any concerns of this world – “…how can I commit this great evil and sin before G-d?!” (Bereishis 39:9) We encounter countless opportunities to earn this title for ourselves in the decisions that we make everyday; let us rise to the challenge.

Good Shabbos and a Freilichin Chanukah!