SEDRA : Miketz Hertz Chumash p. 155 Genesis Chap. 41 verse 1

This week's Sedra is generously sponsored by Professor Leon Maan.

SYNOPSIS:

Two years had elapsed since the chief butler's promise to Joseph, when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had two dreams which greatly perturbed him. In the first, seven lean cows grazing on the banks of the Nile devoured seven well-fed cows and nevertheless remained scrawny. In the second dream, seven thin ears of corn growing on the banks of the Nile swallowed up seven full ears of corn and remained thin. Disturbed by his experience, Pharaoh could find no interpreter among his counsellors or diviners. It was then that the chief butler, recalling his previous offence against the king and his promise to Joseph, told Pharaoh about what had occurred in prison.

Hastily summoned before Pharaoh, Joseph foretold in the name of G-d, that his dreams meant that seven years of plenty would be followed by seven years of famine. Their duplication signified that their fulfilment was imminent. He advised the appointment of an astute and wise person with authority to appropriate land and store produce during the seven years of plenty to provide for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh declared that in view of his interpretation and excellent advice he could find no better choice than Joseph himself who, at the age of thirty, became Viceroy of Egypt. Joseph stored produce in a number of cities during the seven years of plenty and when the famine came the stocks were released and sold to the Egyptians. All the neighbouring countries also suffered from famine and came to Egypt to buy food. Meanwhile, Joseph had married Asenat, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, who bore him two sons, Menasseh and Ephraim before the years of famine.

The severe famine also afflicted Canaan and compelled Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy produce. Benjamin was not sent in case he came to harm. As Joseph personally supervised the sales, all foreign buyers had to appear before him. When his brothers arrived, Joseph recognised them immediately but did not disclose his identity (wishing to assure himself that they had reformed and were truly repentant of their crime against him). He also recalled his dreams about them. Joseph spoke harshly and accused his brothers of being spies which they strongly denied. They explained that they were twelve brothers, the youngest being left at home with their father while another brother had "disappeared". If this were true, answered Joseph, one of them should fetch the young brother while the others were imprisoned and he placed them all in custody. After three days, they were released and Joseph permitted them to take food back for their families. They were then to return to Egypt with Benjamin so that their story could be verified. Simeon was to be retained as a hostage in the interim. The brothers, admonishing each other (in the Hebrew language), confessed their guilt for their heartless brutal treatment of Joseph and were reminded by Reuben how he had tried to save him. Joseph, who understood the conversation, turned aside and wept.

On the way home, one of the brothers opened his sack to give food to his ass and found the money paid for the produce. Not knowing that this had been restored at the command of Joseph, the brothers greatly feared they would be accused of theft. On reaching home they gave a full account to Jacob of all that had happened. On emptying their sacks, they were horrified to discover that each had received back the money he had paid. Jacob still resisted sending Benjamin to Egypt fearing he would suffer the same fate as his brother, Joseph. The famine in Canaan became so severe that Jacob had no alternative but to yield to Judah who undertook to become surety for Benjamin's safety. Taking with them double the money needed to pay for the produce and gifts of the choicest fruits of the land, the brothers, this time accompanied by Benjamin, appeared before Joseph who invited them to dine with him. This compounded their fears and they informed Joseph's steward how their money had been returned. He replied that the money must have been a gift from G-d as the price of the produce had been paid. He released Simeon from custody.

When Joseph arrived for the meal, he was presented with Jacob's gifts. On seeing Benjamin, he was overcome with emotion and shed tears in secret. The brothers were astonished to find that they were placed at the table in order of their seniority and that when gifts of clothing were distributed, Benjamin received a five-fold portion. The next day, Joseph ordered his men to supply the brothers with food, to return their money secretly and to place his silver divining goblet in Benjamin's sack. The brothers set out for home but were soon overtaken by the steward who accused them of ingratitude by stealing the goblet. They protested their innocence and readily agreed to be searched. When the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack they tore their clothes in grief and returned to the city. Judah offered himself and his brothers as servants but Joseph refused to detain any but the offender. Benjamin, he said, would be detained and the rest were free to return to their father.

TELL ME RABBI......THE MENORAH

The seven branched Menorah was a prominent ritual object and sacred symbol of the Sanctuary and the Temple. Light was the first element to be created by G-d (Genesis 1:3), is itself a divine element - "Light dwelleth with Him" (Daniel 2:22) and is a symbol of divinity: "The Lord is my light" (Psalm 27:1).

Light is the kernel of the Kabbalistic conception of Creation. In mysticism the Menorah symbolises divine creativity, and the Menorah's components are explained in that context. The Menorah's oil signifies the dynamic stream or inner creative spirit which nourishes and infuses all existence. The oil was replenished each day, to ensure "an everlasting light" (ner tamid, Exodus 27:20) symbol of G-d's uninterrupted supervision of the world.

The Menorah also symbolizes the Torah: "For the command is a lamp and Torah is the light" (Proverbs 6:23). By radiating its light to Israel, it facilitates the mystic unity of G-d, the Torah, and Israel. The original Menorah, exquisitely wrought in solid gold by the divinely inspired artist and craftsman, Bezalel, was placed in front of the curtain (Parokhet) partitioning off the Holy of Holies. Hence a Menorah is often positioned near the Ark in Synagogues. We assume, that Bezalel's Menorah was destroyed or lost during the siege of Jerusalem for had it reached Babylon, Ezekiel would have described it and anticipated its restoration to its rightful place.

A rabbinic tradition contends that Bezalel's Menorah was hidden away and later retrieved by the returning exiles prompting the belief that it survived until the destruction of the second Temple by Titus in the year 70 C.E., and is depicted on the Arch of Titus of Rome. Thus it may have survived and is possibly in some vault of the Vatican. However, the Book of Maccabees states that Antiochus "..... seized .....the candelabra and all its vessels... and, .... returned (them) to his land." Furthermore the book states "the Maccabees made new sacred objects... the Menorah." A talmudic tradition explains that, due to lack of funds, the first replacement was of iron, then ... silver and during greater prosperity a Menorah of gold. It was probably this Menorah which is depicted on Titus' Arch. The Menorah as depicted on the Arch, has an octagonal pedestal as displayed on the emblem of the State of Israel, which was patterned on that of Titus's Arch conflicting with Jewish sources describing a Menorah with a tripodal base.

"Shabbat Shalom" is generously sponsored by Rosetta and Nathan Baron