Parashat Mikeitz records that nobody could provide a satisfactory interpretation of Paroh’s dreams, until the royal butler recalled a talented, young Jew he had met in prison. Perhaps the lad might succeed where all others failed? “So Paroh summoned Yosef, and they rushed him from the dungeon…” (Bereishit 41:14). At this pivotal moment in Yosef’s story, the Torah makes a subtle change in diction. Instead of calling the dungeon “Beit HaSohar,” here the pasuk refers to Yosef’s prison as a “Bor,” a pit. In fact, the only other instance where “Bor” is substituted for “Beit HaSohar,” occurs during Yosef’s earlier conversation with the butler. There, while Yosef explains that he had done nothing to warrant being thrown in jail (Genesis, 40:15), he uses the word “Bor”. Yosef seemingly prefers this word, in contrast to the Torah’s repeated use of the other. What is the difference between a “Bor” and a “Beit HaSohar,” and why does the Torah switch words here?
Rashi explains that the word “Bor” means “hole,” and he suggests that Yosef’s prison was dug as a literal hole in the ground. (Rashi, 41:14) Similarly, Ramban believes that this “Bor” was an underground structure with a small opening at the top to serve as an entry point and light source. He further clarifies that Yosef’s “Bor” and the Torah’s “Beit HaSohar” are actually the same place. (Ramban, Genesis 39:20) However, this insight only strengthens the question. If both terms are interchangeable, how come the Torah only refers to Yosef’s prison as a “Bor” at this particular moment? Up until now, it had always been called the Beit HaSohar!
One could suggest that the Torah’s change in language reflects a change in Yosef’s mindset. Isn’t it peculiar how Yosef’s terrible journey began in a “Bor'' and later on, he chose to describe his prison the same way? True, he was pulled from that specific pit in the desert long ago, but perhaps a part of him stayed behind. Such a traumatic event could certainly leave its imprint on a young teen, and Yosef was deeply affected by it. In a way, he never truly left the Bor. Looking at Paroh’s dungeon with his mind’s eye, Yosef sees a pit in the desert.
A proof to this notion can be found in a Midrash cited by the Ba’al HaTurim. After Yaakov Avinu’s death, the Torah remarks “Yosef’s brothers saw that their father was dead” (Bereishit 50:15). What exactly did they see? Didn’t they just bury Yaakov? As the family returned to Mitzrayim from Me’Arat HaMachpeila, Yosef’s brothers noticed that he recognized landmarks on the road from when he made the same trip to Egypt after they sold him. Much to their chagrin, Yosef pointed out the exact pit they threw him into, and even stopped to recite a Bracha thanking God for the miracle He performed there. They reasoned, if Yosef could still recall those events with such clarity then he might seek revenge now that their father was gone. (Ba’al HaTurim, Bereishit 50:15) Clearly, the “Bor” remained fresh in Yosef’s mind.
In conversation with the butler, Yosef’s reference to the pit reveals that he is still struggling on some level with that initial trauma. Here, the Torah’s change in language is significant as it could indicate a sense of closure. Yosef wasn’t simply leaving the Beit HaSohar, this was more than a change of venue. Yosef’s brothers threw a “Ba’al HaChalomot” down into the pit, and in doing so they buried a critical part of his identity. Now, as Paroh calls him up from the pit, it is precisely to bring back the Master of Dreams. Finally, Yosef recovers the missing piece. Although it lay hidden, he never stopped believing it was there. That belief could be what kept pulling him back to the pit, an urgent sense that something essential was lost and he simply could not go on until he found it. To give up the search for that essence would be to give up on himself. When Paroh calls upon him to fulfill this mission, Yosef hears him speaking to that missing piece. He is ready to answer this call, embrace his mission, and regain what was left behind. This time, when Yosef leaves the dungeon, he also leaves the Bor.
Interestingly, the Ramban points out that the term “Beit HaSohar” might be linked to the Aramaic word for moon, “Sihara,” as they share the same Shoresh. He suggests this connection illustrates the quality of minimal light, whereby the moon provides limited light in a dark night just as there is limited light in a Beit HaSohar. Along these lines, it is noteworthy that Chanukah usually coincides with the Parshi’ot of Yosef’s rise from the pit. As the sun sets earlier and the nights grow longer, our thoughts turn to Yosef trapped in the Beit HaSohar, and maybe we can relate to the notion of a dark place with limited light. Could there be a more appropriate time to light Neirot Chanukah? Despite his challenges, Yosef never gave up searching for the Kedusha that was lost. In the same way, the Chashmonaim were surrounded by the darkness of Yavan and chose to fight for Kedusha. They looked at their Beit HaSohar and saw it as a Bor; refusing to move on until they found what was hidden. Before the oil lasted for eight days, Rav Judah Mischel explains there was another miracle - the Chashmonaim never gave up their search for it! May the light of Chanukah give us the strength to overcome the challenges we face in our own Beit HaSohar, and serve as a reminder to keep searching for the Kedusha in the world and in ourselves.