This week’s Torah portion, Miketz, (Gen. 41:1 - 44:17) begins
with Pharaoh’s remarkable double dream of sickly cows and ears of corn eating
up whole and healthy ones and looking even sicklier than previously. When Pharaoh relates the dream to his
cupbearer, the cupbearer remembers the remarkable young man in prison who had
correctly interpreted his and the baker’s dreams when they were there. Joseph is removed from his cell, cleaned up
and brought before Pharaoh where he not only interprets the dreams but offers
an administrative solution to the coming seven year famine that they predict. Joseph goes from languishing in jail to
become the second most powerful man in Egypt, dressed in fine linen robes and
wearing gold chains around his neck.
A 19th century Torah commentary, the S’fat Emet,
sees a spiritual connection in Pharaoh’s dreams. He writes, “What can be learned from this
parshah to prepare ourselves in good days, days in which holiness is revealed,
to set the light in our hearts, to be there in times when holiness seems far
off? We must store up resources of faith, even as the Egyptians stored grain,
to nourish us spiritually when events turn against us.”
During this festival of lights, let us also set the light in
our hearts, and store the abundant love, livelihood and good fortune that we
know that we may draw from those ample stores when we need it most.
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