Moving on Up

Parshat Miketz
Genesis 41:1-44:17

Two years have passed since the events of Parashat Vayeishev and Joseph remains in prison. One night, Pharaoh has two dreams which no one in his court can interpret. The cupbearer recalls from his own time in prison that Joseph interpreted dreams correctly, and tells Pharaoh of this talented Hebrew prisoner. Pharaoh calls upon Joseph and tells him of his dream. Joseph tells Pharaoh that dreams and interpretation come from God as messages, and that both of his dreams - dreams of fat and skinny cows and dreams of full and shriveled ears of corn - carry the same message - there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh places Joseph in charge of food collection during the years of plenty and the subsequent food distribution during the years of famine. Joseph is given an Egyptian name, Tzaf'nat Panayach, and a wife, Asenat.

Meanwhile, back in Canaan, Jacob, who has since had two more sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, is forced to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain during the famine. Jacob keeps Benjamin at home. When they arrive, Joseph recognizes his brothers but the opposite is not true. Hiding his identity, Joseph accuses them of being spies and decides to test them. He tells them to return to Egypt with their youngest brother, Benjamin. They are given grain, and each is secretly given back his money. Joseph keeps Simeon as a hostage until the brothers come back with Benjamin.

When the brothers return to Canaan and tell Jacob of the demand, he initially refuses to send his beloved Benjamin, until he realizes that the severe famine and their need for food might call for undesirable actions. Benjamin accompanies his brothers on their return trip to Egypt, where Joseph continues the test. After placing grain in their sacks, he again secretly returns their money. However, this time, he also places a silver goblet in Benjamin's bag. When his brothers leave to return to Canaan, Joseph sends his men after them, accusing them of theft. The parasha closes with Joseph declaring that Benjamin must remain in Egypt as his slave, but the other brothers are free to go.

Questions for your Shabbat table:

• The stories of Joseph often revolve around dreams - what makes dreams so interesting? They are often found to be important in many cultures around the world - why do you think this might be?
• Pharaoh, who was impressed with Joseph's ability to interpret dreams, calls him "discerning" and "wise" - what do YOU think makes someone wise?
• Joseph correctly interprets Pharaoh's dream as foretelling of years of plenty and years of famine. What causes famines? Is there anything you can do to help those who suffer from famine?
• When his brothers arrive in Egypt, Joseph decides to test them. Do you think he was acting out of revenge or was he trying to find out if he could trust them?
• Have you ever wanted to get even with someone who did something wrong to you? What did you choose to do? How did you feel afterwards?

For your viewing pleasure, the cartoon version of Miketz:

Joseph, the Dreamer

Parshat Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1-40:23

Vayeishev, the ninth parsha in Breishit, the book of Genesis, begins its final extended narrative: the story of Joseph.

Joseph was the beloved son of his father Jacob - in fact, the Torah says that Jacob/Israel loved him best of all his son, and, accordingly, had made for him an ornamented tunic, the better with which to show his affection. When his brothers saw this preference, they hated the boy so much that they could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, which he told to his brothers, after which they hated him even more. In this dream, Joseph and his brothers worked in a field binding sheaves of wheat, when his sheaf stood up and remained upright. His brothers' sheaves gathered around and bowed low to his sheaf. His brothers, quite angered by this image of their younger brother ruling over them, confronted him, asking if Joseph thought he was better than them and that he would one day rule over them.

Unfortunately he dreamed another dream, this time consisting of celestial objects in the sky - the sun, the moon, and eleven stars, all bowing down to our friend, Joseph. He, of course, relayed his dream to his father and brothers, and Jacob berated him, saying "What is this dream you have dreamed? Are we to come, I, your mother, and your brothers, and bow low to you to the ground?" Again, his brothers' hatred grew even more, and this time, even Jacob was keeping an eye on the situation.

Joseph's brothers, by this point, had quite enough of their boastful youngest brother, and they found a way to sell him to a passing caravan heading for Egypt for twenty pieces of silver. They took Joseph's special garment, the evidence of Jacob's favoritism, and smeared it with the blood of a young goat, making it look as if the boy had been horribly mauled by a wild beast. They brought this tunic back to their father, who mourned the death of this favored child, unaffected by their attempts to comfort him. Meanwhile, Jacob was carried away to Egypt by the Midianites, who sold him to Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward.

Even though he was in a strange land, Joseph began to prosper. He became Potiphar's personal assistant, eventually putting him in charge of all his household. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potiphar also appreciated Joseph, trying to lure him into compromising situations. Joseph rebuffed her advances, causing her to accuse him of taking advantage of her. Potiphar, believing his wife, cast Joseph out and had him imprisoned.

While in prison, Joseph met up with two men who had served the Pharaoh - a cupbearer and a baker - but had unfortunately angered him to the point of being imprisoned themselves. Both of these former servants and dreams that confounded them; one morning, Joseph came upon them and asked what was the matter, for they seemed distressed. They shared these troubling dreams, and Joseph, quite a whiz with dreams and interpretation, helped the men find the meaning behind the dreams. Ultimately the dreams foretold of the reinstatement of the cupbearer to Pharaoh's palace and the unfortunate demise of the baker - both of these prophecies came true. And while the poor baker lost his life, the cupbearer was reinstated to his position, and the parasha concludes with the cliffhanger, "Yet the cupbearer did not think of Joseph; he forgot him." What happens to Joseph? Does he stay in prison forever? Does the cupbearer remember his helpful friend? Tune in next week for Parashat Mikeitz, the continuation of the Joseph story.

Questions for your Shabbat table:

• This parasha, we are told, gives us the story of Joseph at the tender age of seventeen, and can be seen as a story of a young, immature teenager, especially in how he treats his brothers. Give an example from the past week/month when you felt or acted very maturely, and one in which you felt or acted immaturely. Describe what was different between these two experiences and why you acted in these ways.
• Based on the events read in this parasha, do you think Joseph's brothers regretted their actions? Why or why not?
• Do you remember your dreams? Do you ever tell them to other people? Do your dreams make sense to you, or are they difficult to understand?

Wrestling with God

Parashat Vayishlach
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

"Jacob sent (vayishlach) messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir..."

Our story continues 20 years after last week's parasha, Vayetze, where Jacob left Canaan for Haran, meeting Rachel and entering into a problematic betrothal agreement with her father, Laban, that ended with his marriage to both Rachel and her older sister, Leah. In Parashat Vayishlach, Jacob decides to return to Canaan with his large family, and begins to nervously prepare for his reunion with his estranged brother Esau, whose land they must pass through during their travels. His messengers return with the report that Esau is bringing 400 men to his meeting with Jacob. Obviously threatened by this news, Jacob divides up his family and flocks into two camps, hoping that one will survive if the other faces what Jacob considers to be an inevitable attack. After sending Esau a lavish gift of animals, Jacob begins the process of moving along his entourage. Once he safely sees the last across a river, Jacob was left alone. That evening, he wrestles with a mysterious "man" who injures Jacob in the thigh, leaving him with a limp, and bestowing upon him a new name, Yisrael, meaning "one who has struggled/wrestled with God." Eventually, Jacob and Esau meet without incident and peacefully go their separate ways.

After a brief detour through Shechem, God tells Jacob to travel on to Bethel and to build an altar there. Once they arrive in the appointed place, God appears to Jacob and confirms upon him this new name of Yisrael and reaffirms with him the covenant made between God and the family of Abraham. Rachel dies in childbirth (with Benjamin) and is buried along the road to Ephrat. Isaac dies at the ripe old age of 180, and both Esau and Jacob do their duty by their father and bury him. The parsha concludes with the recitation of the genealogy of Esau's descendants.

A few questions for your Shabbat table:

• Jacob's new name was Yisrael, or Israel, which means to struggle with God. What does it mean to struggle with God? Have you ever struggled with God?
• A person's name is very important, sometimes telling what the person is like. In the Torah, when someone's name is changed, it means that the person has changed too. How do you think Jacob changed when he became Yisrael? What does your name teach you?
• Part of Parashat Vayishlach shows us the tension Jacob anticipated in his meeting with Esau. Have you ever had a fight with anyone in your family? How did you feel? What feelings did you have to wrestle with in order to make peace with each other?
• Jacob received his new name after he wrestled with a man (ish, in Hebrew), but his new name says that he wrestled with God, not a man. Why do you think this is? Was the mysterious wrestler a man, or perhaps something else?
• Many synagogues are called "Beth El," like the site in this parasha where God tells Jacob to build an altar. Beth El literally means "a house of God" - what do you think makes a synagogue like a house of God?

Dream a Little Dream

Parashat Vayeitzei
Genesis 32:4-36.43

Parashat Vayeitzei, the seventh portion in the book of Genesis (Bereisheet), tells of Jacob leaving (va'yeitzei - and he left) Beer Sheva and headed for Haran. Along the way, he stops for the evening, and goes to sleep, using a stone for a pillow. That night he had dreamt of a ladder than stretched up to the heavens with angels ascending and descending the structure. God stands beside Jacob and tells him that the land on which he stands will one day belong to Jacob and his descendants and they will be blessed. Additionally, God promises that Jacob will return safely to his home.

In Haran, Jacob comes to his Uncle Laban's house, and falls in love with Laban's daughter, Rachel. In exchange for Rachel's hand, Jacob agrees to work for seven years. At the end of the seven years, the wedding feast Jacob prepares to marry Rachel, but finds Leah as his bride instead. Understandably upset by this outcome, Jacob confronts Laban, only to be told that it is not Laban's practice to marry off the younger daughter before the older. The agree that Jacob will be allowed to marry Rachel as well, but must work another seven years.

After his many years of servitude and the arrival of many children, Jacob decides it is time to leave his uncle's home and return to the land of his birth. Jacob and Laban work out an agreement over the payment of Jacob's wages, but Laban's sons are unhappy with the arrangement. With Laban suddenly expressing some doubts as well and the situation becoming increasingly tense, Jacob, Rachel, and Leah decide to leave quickly, not even stopping to say goodbye. On the way, Rachel steals her father's set of idols. When Laban discovers that these important items are missing, he pursues his daughters and son-in-law. Laban catches up with the groups, and he and Jacob discuss the matter, eventually resolving a number of issues that had built up between the two of them over Jacob's twenty years with Laban's household. The two reconcile, and Jacob and his family resume their journey.

Questions for your Shabbat table:

• When Jacob awoke from his dream, he sensed God's presence and was changed. Have you ever had a dream experience that had such an effect on you?
• During his time in Haran, Jacob is the victim of tricks and lies. What do you do when you think someone is not being honest with you?  How does it make you feel?
• Have you ever lied to anyone? How does it make you feel? How do you think the other person feels if they discover the truth?
• Is it ever acceptable to lie? Why or why not?
• At the end of the portion, Jacob and Laban discuss their disagreements and are able to resolve some of their differences. Can you think of someone with whom you disagree with whom you could make peace?

And now your weekly Torah cartoon based on this week's parasha.