Words of Wisdom – Miketz

This week’s Torah Portion, Miketz, continues the saga of Joseph. There are more dreams, more familial distress, and a hefty dose of deception. Joseph is released from prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Based on the dream imagery, Joseph predicts that Egypt will have seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He advises Pharaoh to store food during the good years, so that there will be food during the lean years. Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his land and its resources.

Famine strikes the land of Canaan where Jacob and his remaining sons live. Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to seek food. Benjamin, the youngest son, remains behind.

In Egypt, the brothers request food from a powerful Egyptian whom they fail to recognize as their brother, Joseph. Joseph chooses not to reveal his identity and manipulates the situation so that Simeon is jailed as a “spy.” Joseph will only free Simeon when the brothers return with Benjamin.

Despite Jacob’s pleas to leave Benjamin at home, the brothers return with Benjamin to Egypt where – Joseph makes it appear that Benjamin has stolen a wine cup. Joseph, whom the brothers still believe to be a powerful Egyptian, tells them that he intends to keep Benjamin as a – gasp!- slave, while the other brothers return to Jacob in Canaan.

In The Torah – A Women’s Commentary, Suzanne Singer’s reflections on Miketz suggest:
“This parashah ends mid-action, leaving us to wonder: Will Joseph really enslave Benjamin? How will the brothers respond? Will Joseph reveal his true identity? The answers are not clear – because neither Joseph’s motivation for putting his brothers through this ordeal, nor their commitment to ethical behavior, are fully actualized until the next parashah. Perhaps the Rabbis broke off the story here to suggest that our choices are moment-to-moment decisions, the path never certain until the time comes to act. This cliff-hanger ending is also a signal of hope, because *t’shuvah is always open to us.”

*T’shuvah, according to Singer means “‘return’ – to the right path.”

Shabbat Shalom – Rest and Renew

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Ronni Sims

Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.

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