Chaburat Taryag: Parshas Miketz

Hello, dear children! It's Saba Kadisha. Oy, oy, oy! Last week, Yosef was in prison, and the butler forgot him. And this week, Pharaoh dreams dreams. But first, we learn! Sunday after school, the four friends came like every week to Saba Kadisha's room. This week we read Parshas Miketz, and it has three things every kid needs to know. Three? Star-counter ready. A star for each one. Easy! Number one: two years passed, and Pharaoh, king of Mitzrayim, dreamed a dream: seven cows, beautiful and fat, came up from the river, and after them came up seven very thin cows. And the thin cows ate the fat ones, and stayed thin like before. And in a second dream: seven ears of grain, full and good, grew on one stalk, and after them, seven thin, dried-out ears. Nobody knew what the dreams meant. And then the butler remembered Yosef. Quick! They took Yosef out of prison and brought him before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to him: I heard about you, that you know how to explain dreams. But Yosef didn't take the honor for himself. He answered: Biladai, it's not from me. Hashem will answer for Pharaoh's welfare. That means: when we succeed, we don't show off. We say: it's from Hashem. One star! Number two: Yosef told Pharaoh: Seven years of plenty will come, with lots of food, and after them, seven years of hunger. And Yosef gave advice: gather food in the good years and save it for the hard years. And Pharaoh said: There is nobody as wise as you! And he made Yosef second to the king, over all of Mitzrayim. For seven years, Yosef gathered a huge amount of grain, like the sand on the seashore. He built storehouses in every city and saved everything. And two sons were born to him, Menashe and Efraim. Children, Hashem gives us everything, and we also need to do our hishtadlus. Like Yosef, we think ahead and prepare. So I'll get my bag ready tonight already! Two stars! Number three: the hunger reached Eretz Canaan too, and Yaakov sent ten of his sons to buy food in Mitzrayim. But Binyamin, the little one, he left at home. The brothers bowed down before the ruler of Mitzrayim. Yosef recognized them, but they didn't recognize him. Yosef kept Shimon and told them: Bring your little brother here. And Yehudah promised his father Yaakov: I will guard Binyamin. And when the brothers came back, Yosef put the silver cup in Binyamin's sack, to test whether the brothers would protect him. The cup was found in Binyamin's sack, and Yosef said: Binyamin will be my servant, and you, go home. But the brothers didn't leave him. They all went back together, and Yehudah stepped forward. So brothers look out for each other. We don't leave anyone alone. Three stars! The counter is full! And just then, Gadi came in with a menorah that he made by himself, out of clay. And everyone said: How beautiful! So here's this week's mission: remember that every success comes from Hashem, plan ahead and prepare, and look after a brother or a friend who needs us. Easy! My gadget says this is the most beautiful menorah in the city! Gadi, you're a real champion! How did you do that, all by yourself? Thanks. But I didn't do it by myself. Hashem helped me. And Gadi didn't show off. He said, like Yosef before Pharaoh: It's not from me. And Tanchum said: Let's bring it to the Chanukah party on Thursday! And everyone will bring something for the party table. My gadget says: one hundred percent, thank You, Hashem! And the friends said together: Thank You, Hashem, for all the talents! And the first star lit up. On Tuesday, the friends sat down and made a list of everything needed for the party: sufganiyot, juice, plates and dreidels. Let's prepare ahead, like Yosef! We'll buy everything today already. You're right! I'll bring the juice and the sufganiyot. And on Thursday, everything was ready on time, without stress and without running around at the last minute. And the second star lit up. At the party, Yisrael looked after Dubi, his little brother. But suddenly, Dubi disappeared. They found him sitting alone on a bench, sad. Dubi, why are you sad? Come play with us! Dubi didn't have a dreidel. So Yisrael gave him his own dreidel, and he didn't leave him until the end of the party, just like Yehudah, who looked after Binyamin. And the third star lit up. My gadget says: brothers, always together! And at the end of the party, Gadi lit his menorah, and the little light lit up the whole yard. Friends, this week we did just like in the parsha: we said thank You to Hashem, we planned ahead, and we looked after a little brother. Three stars! The mission is complete! On Shabbos Chanukah night, by the candles, the friends told the whole family about Yosef and about the Chanukah party. And Abba said: Fortunate are you! Dear children, this week you gave the honor to Hashem, you planned ahead like Yosef, and you looked after a little brother, like Yehudah. And that's a very big message. And now, thank you for watching with us, and Shabbat shalom! And next week, in Parshas Vayigash, Yehudah approaches Yosef. What will he say? And what will Yosef do? A big surprise is waiting for you. We'll find out next week!