In Parshat Miketz, the chain of events which would eventually bring Yaakov and his family down to Egypt begins to unfold. Yosef becomes viceroy and saves Egypt and the surrounding countries from famine.

The end of the prophecy that God gave Avraham in Parshat Lech-Lecha, Breisheet 15:12-14 is about to be fulfilled: “As the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and behold, a dread of deep darkness fell upon him (eima chashecha gedola nofelet alav). And God said to Avram: ‘Know for sure that your descendents will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs. They will enslave them and oppress them for four hundred years. Also, that nation that they will serve I will judge; afterwards they will leave with great wealth’.”

Ramban explains that the words “eima chashecha nofelet alav” allude to the servitude of the four exiles. Eima, a dread refers to Babylon, Chashecha, darkness refers to Media (Persia), Gedola, Great refers to the Kingdom of Antiochus (Greeks) and Nofelet Alav, Fell upon him refers to Edom (Rome). This experience came to Avraham because when God made a covenant with him to give the Land to his children as an everlasting possession, He said to him, by way of a residuary of His gift, that during the four exiles the nations will subjugate his children and rule their land, subject to the condition that they sin before Him. God then specifically informed him of the first exile, the Egyptian exile.

Ma’oz Tzur, which we sing after lighting the Chanukah candles was written by a liturgical poet named Mordechai during the mid 13^th century. In the different stanzas of the song, Mordechai recalls the various exiles that the Jewish people endured, praises God for redeeming us and prays for the restoration of the Beit HaMikdash.

As we sing Ma’oz Tzur, Let’s hope and pray that the current exile, the exile of Edom (Rome) will swiftly come to an end.

Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom from Yerushalayim!