Contradictions are annoying in real life and may be acceptable in the realm of dreams, but there are some contradictions that are entirely implausible to show up even in our wildest imaginations. In this week’s parsha we learn of two dreams that disturbed Pharaoh’s royal slumber. Seven fat cows emerged from the Nile followed by seven scrawny cows and after standing together, the seven thin cows devoured the fat cows without growing in size. In his second dream he saw seven healthy, good looking ears of grain growing on a single stalk. Seven gaunt and parched ears of grain sprouted after them and proceeded to swallow the healthy ears of grain without changing at all. Royally agitated, Pharaoh called for the wise men of Egypt for explanation, rejected their interpretation and became increasingly angry and desperate to discover the truth. Finally, the royal butler informed him of the Hebrew slave languishing in prison who was an accomplished dream interpreter and Pharaoh sent for Yosef at once. Yosef explained that the seven fat cows and good looking ears of grain represent years of plenty and the seven scrawny cows and gaunt ears of grain refer to seven years of famine.The purpose of the vision was so that Pharaoh prepare for the famine years by storing away the enormous surplus of the years of plenty in a responsible manner to provide for the terrible famine years to come. Satisfied, Pharaoh immediately freed Yosef from servitude and appointed him viceroy of Egypt, granting him absolute control over his nation to implement the fourteen year plan for saving Egypt and the rest of civilization. Yosef’s interpretation was so elementary and simple, it is shocking that the wise men of Egypt could not think of it on their own? Did they really need the services of a Hebrew slave? One detail of the dreams confounded the Egyptian wise men: the fact that the seven healthy cows stood together with the seven scrawny cows. They initially understood that the groups of cows refer to years of plenty and famine respectively, but failed to comprehend how they could stand together. Years of plenty and years of famine happening together at the same time is an impossibility even in the most wildest of imaginations! Yosef explained that Pharaoh’s dream was not merely a product of his imagination, but a divine message. During the years of plenty Egypt must prepare intensively for the upcoming famine by storing the surplus instead of indulging in it so that the extra food will save them during the years of famine. In this way, the years of famine are the national focus during the years of plenty and the years of plenty continue to impact the seven year famine. Whereas contradictions may confound conventional minds and even our imaginations, G-d teaches us how two opposites can thrive in tandem. While logic dictates that Torah and Mitzvos cannot survive, let alone thrive outside the metaphorical ghetto, the opposite is true. In the spirit of Chanukah, just as light is not intimidated by darkness, the truth of Torah need not be compromised to impact the entire world.