Renewal

What happened right after the sale of Yosef?  The midrash says Yosef was brought down to Egypt, Reuven was doing teshuvah, the brothers were still discussing the sale, Yehudah was getting married and Hashem was preparing mashiach.  What is the point of this midrash and what lesson is it teaching us, is it just giving us a historical record of what was happening?  Rav Simcha Bunim (and the teaching is explained by the Gerrer Rebbeim) explains that the lesson is that when all seems lost one must not give up but rebuild.  Yosef was lost, Yaakov was upset, it seems things were going for a downward spin.  However, Yehuda (whether knowingly or not) was starting anew.  Even if all seemed lost, he was prepared to fulfill the first mitzvah, peru u’rvu and continue giving over the mesorah of the Avos to his children.  He was picking up the broken pieces and trying to start again.  It is this rebuilding of Yehuda that leads to the light of Moshiach being formed as the midrash says Hashem was preparing the light of Moshiach.  The lesson is that one must not bemoan his/her faith but be willing to move forward.  This idea is found as well in Likutay Moharan #261 in a general sense, but he adds that the whole reason why one was distanced from Hashem in the first place is in order to have the opportunity to restart a fresh, stronger and more vibrant connection to Hashem.   

This theme of course is one of the lessons in the fast approaching holiday of Chanukah.  Most would think of spring as the time of renewal, when plants and trees come to life again, hibernation is over etc. And of course, that is true.  However, Chanukah teaches us that even in the cold, dark, bleak days of the winter there can be of feelings of energy and renewed fervor.  The Sfas Emes explains that haragil be’nar means one who lights up his regilus with hischadshus.  עד שתכלה רגל מן השוק, Chanukah is the time to remove the regilus that so often overtakes us.