Shabbat Shalom and Happy Chanukah.
(You can listen to and watch Rabbi Cat’s musings by clicking on the image above. We apologize for the lack of captions in the above video, there were technical difficulties.)
This week, in parshat Miketz (Genesis 41:1-44:17), we continue with the saga of Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers. Joseph has an uncanny ability to continually be exalted and then disgraced. First, he is the favored son. But this favoritism evokes his brothers’ jealousy. So they respond in a rather extreme way, first plotting to kill him but deciding instead to sell him into slavery.
While enslaved, Joseph becomes so entrusted by his owner that he puts Joseph in charge of everything in his home. The master’s wife seeks Joseph’s attention and wants to have sex with Joseph. Joseph refuses and tells her that he has control over everything in the house and is second in the house only to his master. Perhaps out of anger that he won’t sleep with her or perhaps out of anger that Joseph flaunts his power in the home, or both, she accuses him of raping her. He is thrown into prison.
Yet, even in prison, he is put in charge of all the prisoners. Eventually the Pharaoh seeks Joseph to interpret his disturbing dreams. Joseph does so. The dreams indicate that there are seven years of abundance coming to the land followed by seven years of extreme famine; the land will not produce food. Pharaoh is so awed by Joseph’s interpretation, that he puts Joseph in charge of all the land and people in Egypt. He is second in command only to Pharaoh.
You might think that Joseph’s experiences of being thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery and then being sent to prison after having so much power, might teach Joseph to have some humility or to reflect on his past behavior, but apparently not!
He uses his power to amass great wealth for Pharaoh and power for himself. He controls all the food and resources in Egypt and gathers the grains and stores them during the years of abundance, so they can be distributed during the years of famine. While that sounds like a reasonable strategy, as we will discuss next week, he ends up forcing the Egyptians to sell themselves and their land to get grain and resources during the famine.
In addition, in this week’s parsha, he uses his power to punish, deceive, and torment his brothers. They come to Egypt to get provisions during the famine. Rather than expose who he is and welcome them with open arms (or at least admit who he is and seek to repair the relationship), he deceives them and accuses them of being spies. He imprisons them for 3 days and then keeps Simeon imprisoned until the brothers return with Benjamin, Joseph’s youngest brother and only sibling from Rachel.
While one can certainly have compassion for Joseph given how his brothers treated him; still, unlike others in this story, nowhere in Joseph’s story do we see him reflect upon his own behavior. Jacob wrestles with God and is given the name Israel. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son, who is certainly jealous that Joseph is the favored son and thus might inherit Jacob’s riches, tells his brothers not to kill Joseph but throw him into a pit, intending to return later to free Joseph. Judah convinces the brothers to sell Joseph into slavery.
We also see Judah’s emotional growth. This happens in two different ways. First in his interaction with Tamar, in which she tricks him but ultimately he recognizes that she is more righteous than he is. Then second when the brothers need to return to Egypt to get more provisions and he has to convince Jacob to let them take Benjamin with them. Jacob understandably is very reluctant to let the brothers take Benjamin with them. Judah, who himself, has lost two sons, understands the pain and grief that Jacob feels. Judah steps-up and promises Jacob that he will be responsible for Benjamin’s safety. He tells Jacob that if anything happens to Benjamin, Judah will stand guilty before Jacob. And finally, when Joseph plants his divination cup in Benjamin’s bag and Joseph tells them that Benjamin will now be a slave, it is Judah who begs Joseph to take Judah in Benjamin’s place.
Yet, we do not really see much, if any, psychological growth or humility on the part of Joseph.
What can we learn from this?
When empires and leaders believe they are indestructible and all-powerful, when they claim to be the best, most moral nation in the world, when they neglect to reflect upon or take responsibility for the harm caused in the founding of the nation to the present time, ultimately the nation itself, and even the land, becomes corrupted with evil. When that happens, the nation risks deepened and prolonged corruption, internal strife (often devolving into a civil war), and destruction. Perhaps that is what we are watching unfold right now in both Israel and the United States. They both think and act with impunity, as if they are all powerful and immune from destruction. They respond to threats with more destruction, wars, murders, and loss of lives. But ultimately, just as human beings fall from grace, so too, the Torah warns us, will nations if they do not create a loving and just society.
The collapse of Western empire is going to take some time, but ultimately it will collapse because it is not sustainable in its current form. Something else will arise in its place. May that transformation unfold with as much peace and nonviolence as possible for all peoples and may all nations become societies based on truth, justice, and peace, and that includes recognizing past and present harm, apologizing, and making reparations and repairs.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Cat Zavis
You can still register for our Heartwarming Hybrid Chanukah Celebration!
Open to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation or background.
🕎 When: Saturday, December 28th, 6:00–9:00 PM PT | 9:00 PM–12:00 AM ET
📍 Where: Join us in person in Berkeley, CA, or online via Zoom
We’d love your help! Volunteers are needed for set-up and clean-up. If you’re available, please contact Austin at austin@beyttikkun.org.
You can watch last week’s Torah study on parshat Vayeshev here.
Join us for our next Shabbat service and Torah study: Vayigash
Saturday, January 4th
Emeryville, CA & on Zoom
9:30am Shabbat service // 10:30am Torah study