This Shabbat, as Chanukah and Parshat Miketz converge, our hearts are heavy and our calling is clear. From the moment the Maccabees discovered a single cruse of oil in the desecrated Temple, Jewish history hinged not on what was found, but on what was done. They could have preserved the oil as a relic. Instead, they used it and ignited a light that has burned for 2,200 years.

In the shadow of the tragic attack at the Chabad Chanukah celebration in Bondi Beach, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath delivers a sermon that explores a timeless Jewish truth: Judaism does not survive through museums or memory alone, but through lived action. Like Joseph in Miketz, who steps forward from darkness with faith and purpose, we are asked to respond to pain not by retreating, but by lighting, loving, and living more Jewishly than ever before.

Key Takeaways

The miracle of Chanukah was not the oil, it was the choice to use it.

Judaism survives not by being preserved, but by being practiced.

Darkness is real, but it never gets the final word.

Every mitzvah, no matter how small, carries generational power.

In moments of pain and fear, our response is not silence, but light.

Honoring tragedy in Jewish history means responding with deeper Jewish life.

Like Joseph in Miketz, we don’t need to know the ending, we just need to show up with what we have.

Help the families of Sydney Attack: https://www.charidy.com/supportsydney

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Available now:

Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638

Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6

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