The Profound Word

Parashat Miketz 5770

The Profound Word

Howard S. Joseph

http://TheProfoundWord.com

Joseph Rises

We already know from the last parashah, that as a servant in his master’s home, an important Egyptian official, Joseph is soon put in charge of the entire household. After an attempted seduction by the master’s wife he finds himself in prison. Soon, however, he is running the prison on behalf of the warden.

His wisdom is then sought by two disgraced ministers of Pharaoh’s court; for their dreams need interpretations. Joseph correctly explains the dreams but continues to languish in prison when the king’s butler, now freed, forgets him and his help. That is where we find him as the next parashah, Miketz, opens. There we will learn of his dramatic rise to highest pinnacle of power in ancient Egypt and his struggle to maintain his identity as he waits for his own dreams to unfold. He is still convinced that his youthful dreams are prophetic and not random. He still believes that he will be the leader of the next generation. While his father, Jacob, mourns for him in Canaan, he continues to prepare for that day. How, when and where will it come?

Jacob’s dream is on hold not knowing while waiting for the one who will execute it; will it be Rachel’s second son, Benjamin, born on her deathbed? Or maybe Judah who shows glimpses of leadership and responsibility?

Joseph’s dreams are on hold as well, not knowing exactly how he will inherit the blessing of Abraham while alone in Egypt. Neziv believes, however, that it is Joseph’s dream that is the key to the story. Joseph firmly believes that his dreams were prophetic and he tries to avoid anything that will spoil their fulfillment.

Now into the mix will fall Pharaoh’s dreams. Can Joseph seize that moment to place himself in a position to reconcile with and help his family, to lift up his father’s spirit, and to fulfill his destiny?

Joseph successfully interprets Pharaoh’s dreams after his own interpreters fail. All through the story Neziv points out the expressions of Joseph’s genius that are suggested.

Why did the king’s interpreters fail? Neziv says:

41:8 They could not think that issues of plenty and hunger would affect Pharaoh for he would always have what to eat.

In other words, they couldn’t think out of the ordinary and see a larger picture unfolding. From their position inside the palace they ‘couldn’t see beyond.’

Furthermore, Neziv says:

They were looking too deeply into the dreams for remote meanings while Joseph understood that there was nothing mysterious about the dreams beyond the obvious meaning.

Now Pharaoh appoints Joseph as the second to the king:

41:39-40 Pharaoh said to Joseph, For as much as God has shown you all this, there is none so understanding and wise as you are; You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you.

Neziv understands this as putting Joseph not only in charge of the economic plan to save Egypt but giving him control of the army and Royal Guard as well as the legal system so that he can accomplish the challenging tasks before him.

Joseph himself taught them the ways of war….

During the seven fat years Joseph begins to stockpile.

41:48-49 He gathered up all the food of the seven years, which was in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was around every city, laid he up in the same.

Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left counting; for it was without number.

What is the meaning of the ‘sand of the sea’ in this context?

Neziv explains:

If the intention was to show only the plenty it would not be necessary to add ‘very much’ for there is no more plentiful a symbol than the sand of the sea. This is rather a symbol of survival. For it is unusual for wheat to last seven years without spoiling through the climatic changes… But Joseph studied this issue or there was heavenly assistance – and the wheat became as strong as the sand of the sea in that it resisted all climatological threats as the sand resists the sea.

Joseph had to overcome technological issues as well.

Meanwhile, Joseph marries and has two children prior to the onset of the famine. He names the first, Menashe, meaning that ‘God, said he, has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.’

The second son he calls Ephraim, ‘For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’

We see Joseph’s connection to God and his belief that God is still guiding the unfolding of his life.

In the name of the first son, Menashe, Neziv sees here Joseph’s dedication to his work and to the dreams that guide him:

‘ all my toil’ -for I labored until now in a lowly and despised manner.

‘and all my father’s house’. He also was grateful that he was not preoccupied with thinking about his father’s house for if he had thought about that too much he would have become confused and prevented from doing his great work. The fact that he did not attempt to contact his father was due to his belief that his dreams were prophetic . It was therefore incumbent upon him not to in anyway cause their failure and make him look like a denier of his prophecy….

Maybe we are also seeing some crisis affecting Joseph as well. We may wonder what Joseph’s personal attitude was towards Egypt. Joseph lived in the pre-bondage period and rose to be second in command. He rescued the Egyptian economy during seven years of drought, enriched the Crown and fed the populace, winning honor and glory for himself. By all accounts, Joseph “made it” in Egypt. There was no place higher to go for him except the seat of Pharaoh himself, which was certainly beyond the reach of a foreign “Hebrew lad”. How then did Joseph view Egypt, based on the position of power and leadership he had reached?

A survey of Joseph’s career reveals an interesting trajectory. Initially, he seems totally absorbed in the realm of his responsibility and office. He names his first son Menashe, meaning, God has made me forget completely my hardship and my parental home. Gone are the troubles of his youth, the fights with his brothers, the sibling rivalries caused by his dreams of glory. Maybe, gone, too, are the dreams of Abraham and the special covenant established by God with the family. Joseph is an Egyptian, with an Egyptian name, wife and family. He sits among the mighty in one of the mightiest nations of the ancient world.

However, the name he chooses for his second son is Ephraim, meaning, God has made me fertile in the land of my affliction. Why is Egypt the land of his affliction? Does it refer to his earlier servitude and imprisonment, or has his view of Egypt begun to change? Is Joseph really a free man or is he beginning to feel some sense of bondage in this foreign land in which his star has risen?

Although there is some ambiguity here, the smoke begins to clear as his life-story develops. When his brothers arrive to purchase grain, intrigue sets in. Did he act harshly with them in order to remain beyond potential suspicion concerning his own Hebrew origins? Was he worried about accusations of disloyalty if he gave them special treatment? How did he regard Egyptian treatment of Hebrews, specifically the prohibition of Egyptians to eat with Hebrews?

When Jacob dies, Joseph accompanies the body back to Israel for burial. Pharaoh sends a detachment of royal guards with him. Why: to protect him? Or to ensure Joseph’s return to Egypt?

And when Joseph is on his deathbed, he makes a shocking request of his brothers: when God brings you out of this land, you will carry my bones from here with you. This request was duly fulfilled by Moses himself as our ancestors departed. Why? What did Joseph know? All was peaceful and prosperous in Egypt for his family! What did he see differently from his royal perspective? Why would God have to take them out of Egypt, a land in which they were now living in comfort and security?

The answer is clear: Joseph realized that he too was a slave. Despite the trappings of wealth and power, ultimately this was not his land. The more he rose in prominence, the more pronounced his sense of alienation. The very prominence, position and power made him more of a slave: the “trappings” were actually a “trap.”

While the rest of the family lived in security and tranquility, Joseph again had a vision of the future. The Bible does not record the brothers’ reaction to his request for transfer of his remains to Israel. They had never really understood his demands and visions. Was this another crazy dream? “Why should we ever want to leave this land that has welcomed us and in which we are prospering?” Or, had they learned by now to respect Joseph’s uncanny insight, causing them to wonder about their prospects for the future? A few sentences later the Bible begins the description of the bondage. Joseph knew something.

Severe famine eventually strikes Canaan. Jacob hears that in Egypt the economy is doing well. Someone there has wisdom and great administrative skills to keep the country prosperous. Eventually he sends the sons to Egypt to bring food. They encounter the mysterious ruler and various intrigues result. The hour of reconciliation is at hand. It too has its profound drama.

Shabbat Shalom

Hayyim Shemuel Yosef