Parshat Mikeitz ResourcesGenesis 41:1-44:17 |
Mikeitz Class
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Getting to know one anotherParashat Miketz lies at the heart of the action-packed suspense story of Joseph and his brothers. The hero of the story, the righteous Joseph, is transformed from a downtrodden slave into the all-powerful ruler of Egypt; his brothers, who in the previous episode sold Joseph into slavery, approach him with great submission but Joseph devises a plot against them, accusing them of espionage. Mikeitz: Daily Insight #1Though both types of wisdom are needed to make a kingdom for God (עולם , the 146 verses of creation)—the wisdom of nature brings the world into being, the wisdom of the Divine sustains and rectifies it—these two wisdoms truly come together only in our parshah, when Joseph is able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. The “world” (עולם , the 146 verses) of our parshah, Mikeitz, is a world of concealment (in Hebrew, it comes from a word meaning “concealed,” עלום ), where Pharaoh’s dreams are like a metaphor for nature, where God remains concealed. By correctly interpreting the dreams, Joseph demonstrates his special ability and the task handed down to us from him—to correctly interpret the meaning of nature so that it can be understood as a vessel for the Divine. …..Read More… |
Mikeitz: Daily Insight #2There is a well known question about our parshah regarding Joseph’s conduct before Pharaoh. After interpreting that Pharaoh’s dream is foreshadowing seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, Joseph, with what seems like improper chutzpah, offers Pharaoh unsolicited advice on how to prepare for these events. He says: “And now, Pharaoh should seek a resourceful and wise man and appoint him over the land of Egypt….” Who asked Joseph for his advice? Where did Joseph muster the audacity to speak to Pharaoh in this way?…..Read More… |
Mikeitz: Daily Insight #3But, though there was an initial movement towards transformation, Saul did not have the determination of faith needed to guide the people in completing the process. Instead of encouraging the fear of God, which would have culminated in a state of nullification of being, King Saul preferred to have the people lean on the rituals of war. At that time, the people only attained the level of lower fear of God, which causes nullification of self, although from Samuel’s words it is clear that this was a missed opportunity for Saul to become the Mashiach…..Read More… |
Mikeitz: Daily Insight #4…in the entire Bible, the phrase “will be my…” refers to a person only in one other context. When God promises King David that his son King Solomon will build the Holy Temple, He says: “[I will be his Father] and he will be My son.” This verse appears three times in the Bible, once in the Book of Samuel and twice in Chronicles. In our parshah, the pronouns “he” and “my” refer to Benjamin (he) and Joseph (my), respectively. This is a beautiful example of how all the structures found in Kabbalah originate from a careful reading of the text of the Torah. This verse hints at an ideal relationship between Joseph and his brother Benjamin in which Joseph is the master and Benjamin the servant. What is the nature of this relationship?….Read More… |
