This week's portion begins the story of Joseph, the longest (and in my opinion the best) story in the Torah, continuing over four weeks of readings. The story opens in the Land of Israel, where Jacob has finally settled with his family.
Joseph, we are told, is Jacob's favored son, and incurs the jealousy of his brothers. They conspire to kill him, but sell him slavery in Egypt instead. He proves his worth as a slave but is jailed on wrongful claims of sexual misconduct.
In prison, Joseph again excels, and is a natural leader of the inmates. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker -- one for freedom, the other for death -- and his interpretations are fulfilled in reality.
There are two insights in the portion that I want to highlight. One is in the beginning of the portion, when "a man" (37:15) finds Joseph lost, looking for his brothers. The unnamed man played a key role in the unfolding drama.
This, according to the late UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, points to the importance of every individual. This anonymous person was destined to play a key role in the history of the world simply by giving Joseph directions.
The second insight is my own, and concerns Joseph's request of the butler that he remember him when he is freed. Joseph refers to the prison as a "pit" (40:15), which is the same word the Torah uses to describe the hole in which his brothers threw him.
The butler does not remember Joseph, and Jewish tradition teaches that Joseph served another two years because he placed his trust in a man, rather than in God.
However, I think Joseph served two additional years because he saw himself as still in a "pit," as if he had made no progress at all beyond the first pit into which his brothers had thrown him. One can understand why, but he did not see his own growth -- and therefore had more growth to do.
This Saturday also coincides with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere -- the shortest day, with the least sunlight. It may seem a "pit" of darkness, but from this point forward, the days lengthen and light increases.
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
