Often
at this time of year we are so focused on Chanukah and preparing for a hiatus
from school and/or professional life that we get the Andrew Lloyd Weber version
of this week’s Parashah: Pharaoh has a
dream, Joseph interprets it correctly and becomes Vizier. His brothers come to buy some food during the
Egyptian surplus; Joseph frames one of them for stealing, tune in again next
week for more. Insert song and dance.
In
today’s Parashah, Pharaoh is astounded by Joseph’s ability to correctly
interpret his dreams and set forth a plan of action. He declares to his courtiers that Joseph has
within him ruach elohim, “the spirit of God.” Joseph becomes second-in-command in all of
Egypt, with only Pharaoh above him. Part
of Pharaoh’s reasoning for promoting Joseph to such a high post comes in the
form of a question posed to his courtiers: “Could we find another like him, a
man in whom is the spirit of God?”
Such
a strange question to ask. Of course,
the courtiers would not have defied Pharaoh if they knew the truth. They could find another like Joseph. After all, dream interpreting was as natural
to Joseph as shepherding. His family was
skilled in dream interpretation. His
father Jacob dreamt of a ladder with angels going up and down. When he wakes up he immediately understands
his own dream, declaring that God’s very presence was in that place (Genesis
28). When Joseph was younger, he would
relay his dreams to his family, who reacted with anger, claiming that Joseph’s
dreams meant they were to be subservient to him (Genesis 37). Neither of the previous scenes describes
Jacob or any of his children wondering what the dreams mean. They immediately understand the symbolism of
their dreams. They react with anger to
Joseph because he seems arrogant in their eyes.
So
when Pharaoh asks Joseph to interpret his dreams of grain and cattle, for
Joseph there is also no question. He
immediately understands just like he did with the dreams of the baker and the
cupbearer. He interprets correctly, just
like anyone from his family would have.
Further,
the Pharaoh is impressed that Joseph has in him ruach elohim, “the
spirit of God.” He wonders aloud where
another like him could be found. If only
Pharaoh had more contact with Israelites, he would have known the answer. The spirit of God is in many of the
Israelites from Joseph onward. The
seventy elders of the Israelite camp, including Eldad and Medad, have God’s
spirit put upon them, making them speak in ecstasy (Numbers 11). Many of the shoftim from the book of Judges
have the spirit of God in them, including Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. Saul is gripped by the spirit of God, as are
David, Elijah, and Micah. Isaiah likens
the spirit of God to “A spirit of wisdom and insight, A spirit of counsel and
valor, A spirit of devotion and reverence for the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2). Moses, Joshua, Bezalel, and every Israelite
who offered gifts for the building of the tabernacle were endowed with the
spirit of God.
In
fact, it can be argued that every one of the community of Israel has the
ability to be touched by the spirit of God.
It has been taught that any of us can experience God if only we let God
in. God is constantly a part of each of
us. The spirit of God is implanted
within every human being. If we take the
time to open ourselves to the God within, we too can have within us ruach
elohim, the spirit of God.
I
personally believe that the spirit of God is stronger in the children of our
community. When I walk around the
religious school, the ECE, and the day school, I am often greeted with shouts
and high-fives that make my day. Their energy
is contagious, and the joy they bring to our lives is unparalleled.
That
is why this week it is especially difficult for us to focus on the magic and
miracle of our Torah tale and our Chanukah traditions. It is even more difficult to sing and
dance. The news from Connecticut drowns
out the story of Joseph. Pharaoh’s dreams
are overshadowed by the dreams cut off and the lives cut short. The spirit of God was snuffed out by a
gunman’s bullets.
In
the Mishnah, Tractate Niddah says, “A day-old son who dies is to his father and
mother like a full bridegroom.” This is
a reminder that when we lose a child we do not just lose the person we
love. We lose the future with that
child. We lose the joy of celebrating
that young person becoming a part of the Jewish community, becoming a Bar of
Bat Mitzvah, a graduate, a bride or groom, a parent. We are cut off from the spirit of God that
provides us with dreams of our own about the future of our children.
Pharaoh
asks, “Could we find another like him, a man in whom is the spirit of
God?” Yes you could. Anywhere you look. In the people of our community and in the
children all around us. Hold on to your
children today. Thank God for them and
keep them safe.
The
spirit of God within us inspires us to keep moving forward. We pray for the people touched by the tragedy
in Newtown, and we continue with our lives, looking for inspiration, comfort,
and strength in the words of our Torah.
