Finding Our Courage

Vayigash

Genesis 44:18 - 48:27

Précis: We approach the end of the Joseph saga. Benjamin is being held by Joseph as the alleged thief of a gold cup. Judah comes near (vayigash) Joseph, and begs for his brother’s life, offering himself as a substitute. Joseph is overcome and reveals himself to his brothers, forgiving them for selling him into slavery, stating that it was all part of God’s plan. Joseph sends them back home to bring Jacob and their families down to Egypt in order to survive the upcoming famine. They comply, and Joseph arranges for them to reside in the land of Goshen, living off “the fat of the land” at Pharaoh’s insistence. During the remainder of the famine, Joseph purchases land and cattle for Pharaoh, making serfs of the Egyptian people, in exchange for the grain stored during the seven years of plenty. The Israelites prosper and multiply.

Gen. 46:33-34 “And it will happen that when you see Pharaoh, he will ask ‘What is your occupation?’ And you will say, ‘Your servants are keepers of cattle from our youth until the present, as have been our fathers’…for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

                We reach the dramatic apogee of the story of Joseph and his brothers with this week’s reading. All at last seems well between Joseph and his family and for the future of the clan in Egypt. And then, Joseph tells his brothers not to tell Pharaoh what their true profession is (shepherds, because, allegedly, shepherds are detested by Egyptians).  Nevertheless, when the brothers actually encounter the Ruler of Egypt, they explain that they are indeed shepherds.  Pharaoh not only fails to reject them, but actually offers to hire them to look after his own flocks.

               Why first did Joseph suggest that his brothers withhold the truth from Pharaoh about the source of their livelihood? Was he afraid of the embarrassment that a “noble Egyptian” would face when it became known that his brothers were simple shepherds? Was he a bit less secure in his position than we might have assumed? Whatever motivated Joseph’s suggestion, the brothers ignored it. They tell Pharaoh that they are shepherds and are assigned the best pastures in the land. Joseph’s potential concerns are revealed to be without merit.

               This lack of certainty about one’s status has been a common feature of Jewish identity in the Diaspora. Jews have almost always felt insecure; at those times when they felt most secure, the results were often horrendous. Even in the enlightened United States of the 21st century, we remain acutely sensitive to indications of anti-Semitism. Joseph dealt with his fears by securing land and opportunity for his family. We can deal with our own doubts by supporting the State of Israel and those organizations which remain vigilant against the curse of anti-Semitism. We can never be really safe, but we can be secure in our ability to fight the lies and injustice levelled against us.

Happy Thanksgivukah and Shabbat Shalom

Mikketz

Gen. 41:1-44:17

Précis: At the end (mikketz) of two years of Joseph’s imprisonment, Pharaoh dreams of cows and ears of corn. The butler who had shared Joseph’s cell now remembers him and calls him from prison. Joseph predicts seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh is so impressed that he appoints Joseph as his chief vizier and Joseph goes about storing grain during the times of plenty.

            Joseph marries Asenath and they have two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. When the famine comes, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to purchase food. Joseph has them brought in while he remains in cognito. Joseph accuses the brothers of spying, and sends them home after they leave one brother hostage and promise to return with their youngest brother, Benjamin.        Upon their return, the brothers (including Benjamin) meet again with the still-unrevealed Joseph. Joseph has their bags filled not only with grain but also with the money used to purchase the grain, and has a gold cup hidden in Benjamin’s belongings. When they are “caught” by Joseph’s men, they learn that whoever stole the cup would become Joseph’s slave, while the others return to their homeland. On this cliffhanger, the parasha ends.

             

As we all know, this year we have an unprecedented overlap between Chanukah and Thanksgiving, with the first candle being lit on the Wednesday night prior to the national American holiday. (This is giving rise to something called “Thanksgivukah” and I continue to wonder why Adam Sandler has not yet issued a new recording to celebrate this “new holiday!) For many, Chanukah resonates with American traditions of rebellion against the oppressors, of success of the weak against the strong, and the restoration of a nation, based on tolerance and liberty. There’s another side to this story.

            New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote (12/10/09) about the historical facts of Chanukah which are usually overlooked in our annual telling of the story. He suggests that while we usually think of this holiday as primarily one for children, it is in fact a most adult observance. He notes that it is an occasion when we celebrate terrible actions by the “good guys,” (violence by the Maccabees against their fellow Jews) and positive acts by the “bad guys” (the beneficial impact of Hellenist culture on the development of rabbinic Judaism).

            Chanukah is not simply about a revolt against the Greek/Syrian rulers. It is a story of a Jewish civil war between, on the one hand, “reformers” who wanted to incorporate the Greek traditions of logic, reasoned argument, and scholarly debate into the Jewish faith and, on the other hand, what we might call “fundamentalists” who saw any deviation from the existing traditions as a threat to the survival of their faith. It was a fight between those in favor of pluralism and those who abhorred diversity. (Additionally, it was a fight about which family would serve as the High Priests of the Temple.)

            From this point of view, there is an uncanny parallel with the tensions existing today in the Jewish world. Different constituencies of the 21st century Jewish people have distinctly different points of view about Chanukah. The West Bank settlers see the Maccabees as a heroic minority fighting against a corrupt and collaborationist establishment. As Brooks suggests, other see the Maccabees as the first of “a bunch of angry, bearded religious guys [out] to win an insurgency campaign against a great power in the Middle East.” The success of the Maccabees, and their ascendancy to both the civil and the religious leadership of the time, led very quickly to a corrupt regime. The Hasmoneans would soon invite the Romans into Jerusalem to restore the civil order they were unable to maintain in a divided society, and this was the beginning of the end of the Jewish state. 

            From a religious perspective, deep divides remain between traditionalist-fundamentalist Jews on the one hand and those who perceive the need to reconcile tradition with the modern world in which we live. As we bring light into our homes with the chanukiah kindling, it’s my hope we can bring the light of tolerance and understanding to ourselves and all of k’lal Yisrael, the People of Israel. Happy Chanukah, and Happy Thanksgiving.