Dream dreams

 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. He 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 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 would return to their homeland. On this cliffhanger, the parasha ends.

 

Gen. 41:15-16 “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it. Now I have heard it said of you that for you to hear a dream is to tell its meaning.’ Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘Not I! God will see to Pharaoh's welfare.’”

 

Rabbi Sacks (z’l) talked about dreams as the keys to Joseph’s incredible rise to power (Covenant and Conversation, 12/17/20).

             He noted that Joseph had three gifts: he dreamed dreams, he interpreted dreams, and he had the ability to implement those dreams. His first dreams (of his brothers and his parents) might have merely been childish imagining; instead, they were harbingers of the future: his brothers would indeed bow down to him.

            His interpretations were not miraculous. The butler and wine bearer were placed in prison shortly before Pharaoh's birthday celebration. Sherlock Holmes might have called such a conclusion "elementary."

            As to Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph may well have been aware of periodic famines that often beset the Nile Valley.

            Sacks suggests that Joseph’s greatest ability, however, was the third gift: the ability to implement solutions to those dreams. Joseph had previously shown administrative ability in Potiphar’s house, and in prison as well. Now, he becomes second only to Pharoah over all of Egypt.

            What do we learn from this saga? We should dream dreams, and let our imaginations soar.  Let our dreams unearth our passions. Sacks notes that Herzl used to say, “If you will it, it is no dream.” The State of Israel was the result of that dream.

            We also learn that great leaders interpret other people’s dreams. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech is but one example.

            Finally, we must find ways to implement those dreams. A true leader selects advisors who are problem-solvers who see ways to alleviate the suffering of those they served.

            As Sacks concludes, “Dream dreams; understand and articulate the dreams of others; and find ways of turning a dream into a reality – these three gifts are leadership, the Joseph way.”

Hineini

Vayeshev

Gen. 37:1 - 40:23

 

Précis: The story of Joseph begins with the words, “And Jacob dwelt (vayeshev) in the land of his father’s travels.” We learn that Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph receives the famous coat of many colors, and dreams strange dreams and relates them to his brothers and father, creating additional concern (jealousy) on their part. The sons conspire to do away with Joseph, but before he dies, they sell him into slavery. Jacob is devastated when the sons present evidence of Joseph’s “death.” 

            We then have an intervening story about Judah. He marries off his first son to Tamar. The son soon dies, and, the next son is married to the widow (“levirate marriage.”) The second son (Onan) dies, and Judah is loath to offer the third son. The widow dresses as a harlot, seduces Judah, becomes pregnant, and reveals herself to Judah as a woman wronged. He acknowledges her as a rightful daughter.

           The scene shifts back to Joseph, who is now a servant in the household of Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce Joseph but he refuses her advances. She accuses him nonetheless of attempted rape, and Joseph is tossed into prison. There, he meets jailed servants of Pharaoh, for whom he interprets dreams successfully. When the chief butler is restored to his post, he promises to “remember” Joseph, but the parasha ends with the words, “but he forgot him.”

 

Gen. 37:13 “Israel said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are pasturing their father’s flock in Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.’ He answered, ‘I am ready.’”

 

In my congregation, we adopt a concept annually which forms the basis for study. This year, we have chosen “Hineini” (usually translated as “I am here”) as the key concept for consideration. As we explain, “Hineini summons us to focus our attention to our journey of t’shuvah, repentance and return. In 5782, let us be abundantly present in our learning, tefillot (prayers), to religious and community life, to ourselves and to one another.”

            I mention this theme because my review of the parasha drew my attention to this verse. What is translated as “I am ready” is another meaning of the Hebrew word hineini.

            As we know from our readings, the word hineini is used more than once: For example, Abraham and Moses both use this word to respond to God, signaling their openness to hearing God’s message, or being prepared to obey God’s command. In this instance, we see Joseph responding to his father as both acknowledgement and obeisance.

           As Rabbi David Cohen has suggested (Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, 2/26/14)

“To say ‘hineni’ is to live simultaneously in the past, present and future: To be aware of our past as a source of our identity and values; to see the future, alert to its possibilities, committed to its betterment; and to experience every day in the present, living according to our values, grateful for every moment.”

            As some commentators have noted, Joseph led a remarkably solitary existence, estranged from his family for most of his life, rising from slavery and prison to the heights of political power. His statement of “hineini” at this beginning of his narrative is a harbinger of the arc of his life, which we can hope to emulate. He was present, he was ready, and he acted when the opportunity to do so arose.

            We are the inheritors of a rich tradition of teaching which forms the foundation of our ethos. We should strive daily to live up to those demands, and we should look in hope to a future where gratitude is common, where love of our fellow human beings and the earth we live on is universal, and where justice is available and provided to all. We should always respond to the challenges we face with "hineini."