It would look bad

 Vayigash

Gen. 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. 45:1 “Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all of the retainers that stood before him, and he cried, ‘Cause every man to go out from me.’ And there stood no retainer with him, while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.’”         

            The ending of the Joseph saga approaches, as he identifies himself to his brothers, after sending out the Egyptian attendants from the room. Was this merely an insistence on family privacy? As I have mentioned, Rashi suggests that Joseph did not want to reveal to the Egyptians the brothers’ sins against him, and Rashi deduces from that an obligation to resist public shame of others.  

            In these days of increased anti-Semitism, I might suggest another rationale for Joseph’s actions: he did not want to Egyptians to know of the wrongs committed by his family because, as my grandfather would day, “It would look bad for the Jews.” We, as a People who have survived millennia of persecution, remain fearful (perhaps justifiably so) that a wrong committed by any Jew reflects adversely on all of us. This is today seen most commonly in the conflation between those who criticize Israeli policies and Jews I general. Contrary to Joseph’s decision to hide the facts, we need to actively display our belief in Israeli democracy, warts and all, and our support for the State. We may disagree with particular actions of particular Israeli governments, but is that not the mark of true freedom? Is that not the great gift of the Jewish People to the world?

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.”