Genesis Cycle Three Miketz 41:1-44:17

MiKetz

The motion of Joseph in Miketz can easily be interpreted as a success story, a rags to riches plot in which our hero, sold by his brothers into slavery and thrown into jail by the husband of the failed-temptress, now finds himself second only to Pharaoh himself. There are many interpretations though for this dream-story, some more concise than others, some more concealed. Even the name given to Joseph by the Pharoah, Zapenath Paneah means (in one of the seventy languages in which Joseph is fluent) that which is hidden (Rashi). Here's more on Joeph. Arthur Green, in his interpretation of the Sfas Emes, calls him the ideal of the tzaddick. And needless to say, his material success is very much sparked by his visionary experience of the Pharoah’s dreams. A simple rags to riches story? I think not.

So let’s look at this parasha on a higher level. Let’s (for the end of my analysis of the four directions) once again return to Genesis 28:14 when God says to Jacob: You shall spread out to the west, the east, the north and to the south. The west, as discussed in the Zohar, represents malchut and the Shechinah. In my opinion, here in Miketz we have ended up in malchut. And this might be the most difficult of the directions for Jacob (or for Joseph carrying the spark of Jacob) to explore. After all, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Before arriving at malchut there is the long journey through all the directions. And once there, according to kabbalists, the work isn’t finished. The object is to attract the sparks on this level and offer them up, thereby freeing the Shechinah. But how? I mean how does Joseph (for example) use the earth plane to satisfy his holy work here and now and be the tzaddick, helping to lift the lower world to the upper?

First (in my opinion) Joseph adapts to the expression of the dimmed God-light in malchut . On the surface level, he seems to become completely embraced by malchut. He acts with wisdom and logical pattern. He acts as if he is like everyone else even if he isn’t. He learns the importance of this lesson early in life when he (without restraint) relates his prophetic dreams. Then he ends up in the pit. Now (for example) he doesn’t say to the Pharoah…wow, I have vivid dreams as well… He plays the role of the man in jail. He follows the cultural and religious mores of those who have earthly power over him. He takes malchut to the very edge. By doing so, he avoids the creation of barriers that could block off the flow of God’s love into his soul. And it’s this same love that causes him to be a magnet for all divine sparks on earth.

Next, Joseph remains receptive and open. In other words, he does not so buy into earthly life that he loses touch with his divine connection. In Genesis Rabbah 89:6 we read an explanation as to why Joseph could interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams when his diviners could not: Knowledge is easy for he who has discernment (Proverbs 14:6). In other words, with the millions of possible symbols for the cows and the ears of grain (according to midrash, one interpretation was that the Pharoah would have seven daughters and they would all die) Joseph allows the vision to enter with exact precision. He has a strong enough merge with the divine so that he can pierce the exact vibration of each symbol. Pharaoh is merely the tool through which the dream is transmitted to Joseph. In fact, Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba in the name of Rabbi Johanon says that God intervened to cause Pharaoh to be angry with the servants in order to fulfill the fate of the tzaddick. God is doing it….with Joseph. The Joseph-experience that follows is the earthly response to the build-up of God-energy within his being.

Next, there must be humility (it is God interpreting the dreams, says Joseph) patience, secrecy, acceptance of the tools presented to him, direction. According to one source from Talmud, Joseph had to wait 22 years for his dream (that his brothers would bow to him) to come true. There certainly needs to be focus…for example, in caring for the grain (and divine sparks) during both abundance and drought. There needs to be compassion. On the heart level, Joseph (in his build up of magnetism) is bringing his brothers to him. When they finally arrive, he jails them for three days not to punish them (their punishment could have been a lot worse) but to apply justice now rather than making them vulnerable to God’s wrath later (Baal HaTurim).

Finally, there is one line in which we really see the mystery of the process of Joseph’s work. It is 42:57. There we read that all the world headed to Egypt to get food to Joseph. The proper pronoun here (one would think) is min…from Joseph. Instead though el is used. The whole world is being propelled to Joseph. His ability to attract so many sparks enables him to raise them as one within the funnel of his sacred and secret dream-connection with God.

How doe he create his secret dream connection? Well, that's in the white space and it's for us each to explore...in our own white space of our own dream-stories.

So, may we all take part in some tiny piece of the Joseph-experience. May we attract sparks and offer them up through our visions. May we adapt easily to the earth plane, have patience and humility, and act with direction and focus. May we remain open to the sacred light. And may we, on our long voyage through the four directions, understand our transient nature and see this world as nothing less than a magnificent opportunity to bring cohesion and oneness to that which remains concealed and radiant.