Miketz 5784 ~ December 15, 2023

The story that we are reading this week in Parashat Miketz provides us with a hope that dreams interpreted have the possibility of coming true. Joseph’s brothers will stand before their brother and bow down to him, without recognizing both that the viceroy of Egypt is their brother Joseph, and that they are fulfilling the dream that he shared with them when he was a child.

As a child, Joseph was despised by his brothers. They  taunted him and spoke ill about him, not only behind his back, but right to his face. They are so outraged by his dreams that on one occasion, when he was sent by his father Jacob to find out where they had been, they throw him into a nearby pit and he somehow is taken down to Egypt to be sold into slavery.  

The story itself is not simply about  dreams coming true. It also has some insight into how people interpret what others say to them -- what is truth, and what might be said simply to embarrass another purposefully.  Unfortunately, in our Jewish world today, we are experiencing this reality in a most painful way as we watch the stories in Israel, Gaza and America unfold.

As the Biblical story continues, we find Joseph holding court in the middle of the town. Court was, in both senses, where he would greet people and where he would serve as a magistrate. Why the middle of the town and not in some protected building? After all, as the second in command of Egypt, would it not make more sense for only the highest ranking of people be presented to him in his court? And, in a similar fashion, would it not be only the most high-profile crimes that would be presented to him and shouldn’t that have taken place in a court fit for a king?!

If Joseph had held court within a building, he would not have been able to see his brothers coming into town. He understood that, based on dreams interpreted, if the images were to come true, he needed to be in a public area where visitors from other lands might arrive to acquire provisions or be brought for crimes committed.

Joseph’s brothers come down to Egypt more than one time to acquire provisions. During their second visit to Egypt, Joseph has his house steward plant one of his palace’s silver cups into the sack of his brother Benjamin. But it wasn’t just any silver goblet; it was the one that Joseph used as his divination tool. But here is where the text becomes troubling. Joseph does not have his officers capture and bring his brothers to a police station where they are accused of theft. That would seem to be the most obvious place to bring such criminals, but that is not what Joseph does. Instead, he orders that his brothers be brought to his palace where inside they would be not only accused of theft, but made to open their sacks where, in this ruse, one of the brothers would be found to be the thief.

The midrash Tanhuma asks why Joseph stayed home on that day and did not hold court in public. And, it answers by stating that the purpose of the scheme was not to embarrass his brothers publicly in front of all of the Egyptians. The goal was to find out if they had changed and now were there to protect one another, to vouch for each other, and to take responsibility for one another. Joseph created this deception specifically to make sure that if he would reveal himself to them, that they would finally comprehend that the events throughout their lives were not just life’s circumstances, but a divine plan that they had to live through to understand. The goal was not to embarrass others, especially his brothers.

Unfortunately, as we listen to stories sitting around tables and living rooms, there are individuals who choose to embarrass others, sometimes with truths and other times with only one side of the story. For some individuals, perhaps, that is their goal in life, to win favor of others through the expense of others. Perhaps, in some instances, some of the tales might be accurate; in other instances, they might be fanciful or half-truths. Then again, in some instances, the other half of the story would be one that would be embarrassing to the individual who is actually sharing the lashon harah, in which they themselves might have misinterpreted or done wrong themselves. Or, perhaps the goal is simply to find a way to destroy another’s reputation or to pull others away from someone who might otherwise be thought of by others in a positive manner. We have all seen this happen, whether to someone who is a celebrity, a sports star, or politician, but also to individuals who live somewhat private lives.

The midrash then asks what the true accusation was, since Joseph has seen that the brothers were as honest as the day was bright. They were not thieves at all. When they originally came to Egypt, he had placed into their sacks the monies that they had used to purchase provisions. And when they returned again, they brought back the monies to return it. So, what did Joseph actually accuse them of? Not of stealing the silver cup as thieves do, but that Benjamin, Joseph’s true full brother, wanted to use the divination cup to find out what had truly happened to his brother Joseph, where was he, and how could he find him and reconnect with him. What was the truth? How can I reconnect?

One story that comes to mind is a report this week in People, Vogue and the Jerusalem Post that Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez and others attended a comedy show where the comedian announced that the proceeds for the night were a fundraiser for Gaza. While the comedian may have made that announcement, the question that remains is whether the celebrities who attended went simply to attend a comedy show or whether they were there to support Gaza. Which report should one believe? And how does that influence our decision about that individual? As I thought about whether to include this event, I wondered, how will my simply relating the story influence the reader? I know that in our family’s discussions, there is debate.

And that message is the lesson for Shabbat. Has someone shared with you a story about another person? If so, did you accept it as truth? Moreover, how did you channel what they said into your own personal thoughts? Did you ever ask the other individual whether the facts told were truthful or what was his or her side of the story? 

As we come closer to the end of another secular year, in a form of teshuvah to oneself, perhaps each of us should take a moment to reflect upon how others have influenced our decisions about perhaps an acquaintance, a business or even a friend. Who knows, you might come to find out that the person, business or friend actually is not what was described to you.

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi K