And much as she coaxed Joseph day after day…(Bereishis 39:10)

The Medrash Rabba (87:6) on the above verse equates many of the tests and rewards faced by Yosef in Egypt and Mordechai in the Purim story. The Medrash tells us that the wife of Potiphar tried to approach Yosef Hatzadik every single day. The Medrash also tells us that Mordechai had a similar daily test, facing pressure to bow to Haman. Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi Shlit”a explains that because both Yosef and Mordechai consistently overcame these daily tests by being strong and unwavering, they merited to acquire Kingship. Hence Yosef became the King of Egypt and Mordechai became the viceroy in Persia.

I had an uncle whose business dealings 50 years ago required him to travel deep into Africa. He would spend months at a time in a place where not only was he the only Jew for miles around, but he was also the only white man for miles around! I recall as a young boy, when I would come to his home in the States for a Shabbos, he would sing the zemiros of Shabbos with gusto and joy, bouncing his children on his knee. I originally assumed he was just happy to be home in his natural environment with his wife and children. But then I heard differently from an associate who had to accompany my uncle on one of his trips to Africa. One of the days of the trip was Shabbos, and this associate was astounded to see that my uncle troubled himself to carry with him all the accoutrements of a standard beautiful Shabbos table, plus special Shabbos clothing, all of which made his temporary habitat truly fit for the Shabbos Queen. When questioned, my uncle responded, “My Shabbos is Shabbos, and I love it the same whether I am here in Africa or at home in the States.” And indeed, even though it was a challenge for my uncle to celebrate Shabbos alone in an unfamiliar environment in the depths of Africa, he still rose to the occasion, and even sang Shabbos songs with the same enthusiasm as he sang them at home.

Imagine the time of the Chanukah story, when the Hellenists’ culture took hold and the study of Torah lost its shine. The seemingly cultured and graceful secular education became the “new normal” – the pinnacle of achievement. To counteract this, Hashem had to send an obvious miracle to prove to everyone that the Torah way of life was not only primary in the spiritual realm (as shown by the miracle of the Menorah), but it was primary in the physical realm as well (miracle of the Maccabees in the war). Klal Yisrael had spiritual clarity for a long time after this battle, but decay set in and we became lax again to the point that Hashem once again sent us into exile. Unfortunately, even inspiration such as the miracles of Chanukah can become “normal” after a while, and the inspiration gained from them can be lost.

Our Rabbis teach us that when Aharon Hakohen lit the menorah, he did not deviate at all (lo shina). One explanation is that he always lit the menorah with the same enthusiasm as the first time. I would like to suggest something based on the Ramban, who points out that the Torah is also alluding to the menorah of Chanukah. We, as representatives of Aharon Hakohen, can light our menorahs with the same enthusiasm Aharon had when he lit the menorah in the mishkan for the very first time. We should also become “lo shina” people and defy nature by not taking our daily lives for granted; rather we should continuously live life with vim and vigor every day.

As we stand well into the winter, some of us feel a bit lost, as this year has not had the regular rhythm of years’ past. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year were times of uncertainty, and while I believe many of us rose to the occasion to plead to Hashem that we should be able to serve Him with clarity of mind, daily life has not proceeded in a normal fashion. The kabbalos we took on with gusto on Rosh Hashanah no longer seem to fit with this “new normal” to which we have accustomed ourselves.

We must remind ourselves that real greatness is found in conviction that lasts in all situations, even when the definition of “normal daily life” becomes skewed.

May our kindling of the Chanukah lights this year be with such devotion to Hashem that it brings about the lighting of “Neiros shel Tzion.”