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Parashah Mikeitz Bereshit (Genesis) 41:1-44:17 Dec 22/23, 2006 Pharoah dreamed a dream and no one could interpret it for him although he sought out all the ‘wise men’ in his kingdom to do so. He dreamed about seven robust and healthy cows emerged from the river, but then seven gaunt and ugly cows emerged and they devoured the healthy cows. He then had a similar dream about grain. Seven ears of grain on a single stalk, healthy and vigorous, then seven, thin and scorched ears swallowed up the healthy grain. Pharoah awakened and was very disturbed. He immediately sought for the interpretation and found no one to make the dream clear. Finally the Cupbearer whom Yoseph had given the interpretation of his dream in prison finally remembers him and tells Pharoah about him. It is far too easy to forget someone until you need them. Pharoah sends for Yoseph and he shaves and changes his clothes. In case you do not know the customs (directives from God) of the Hebrews concerning shaving their head or face were far different than those of the men of Mitzrayim. You may research the differences by using the resources given below.
Hebrews. The Hebrews
bestowed special care on the hair and beard (see below), regarding
thick, abundant hair as an ornament, whereas the bald head was exposed
even to insults <2 Kin. 2:23>. Long flowing hair was worn only by
youths in more ancient times (<2 Sam. 14:26>; Song of Sol. 5:11)
and by Nazirites during the term of their vow <Num. 6:5>. Women
always wore their hair long (Song of Sol. 4:1;) and put up in plaits
<2 Kin. 9:30>; as did the Nazirites <Judg. 16:13,19>.
Fashionable ladies were in the habit of curling artificial locks (cf.
<Isa. 3:24>). The fashionable braided hair, in which the Jewish
women of a later time probably imitated the style of Roman ladies. Even
men began at that time to curl their hair, a practice that was generally
condemned (Josephus Ant. 14.9.4), the usual custom for men being to cut
the hair from time to time with a razor <Ezek. 44:20> but without
shaving it bare. Egyptians. According to Herodotus, the Egyptians "only left the hair of their head and beard grow in mourning, being at all other times shaved." This agrees perfectly with the authority of the sculptures and of Scripture, where Joseph is said to have "shaved himself," when sent for from prison by Pharaoh <Gen. 41:14>. Love of cleanliness seems to have been the motive for this custom, and the priests carried this so far that they shaved the whole body every three days. Even the heads of young children were shaved, certain locks being left at the front, sides, and back. Women always wore their own hair, and they were not shaved even in mourning, or after death. Wigs were also worn, though rather by women than by men. We seem to see that Yoseph followed the edicts
and proprieties of Told the dreams, Yoseph interprets them as a warning from GOD that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He said there were duplicate dreams because GOD had determined that this would definitely happen. Since Yoseph knows how to prepare for this, Pharoah puts him in charge of all of Mitzrayim. In 41:34, we are told that it was decreed that 20% of all the crops should be put in storehouses for the future. Pharaoh puts Yoseph as second in command, gives him the signet ring (the symbol of authority) and clothes him in fine clothing and gives him a chariot. Then Pharoah give him a new name: 6847 Tsophnath
Pa` neach- He also gave him a wife named Asenath. 621 'Acenath- She was the daughter of: who was the Kohen (Priest) of On. Once again we see one who is a servant of YHWH ‘becoming like’ those who held him captive. It is important to remember that these servants gave the best of their ability to the job at hand. Asenath gave Yoseph two sons and they were named: Menashsheh (Manasseh) means ‘causing to forget’ and Ephrayim (Ephraim) meaning ‘doubly fruitful’. Ya’acov (Yisrael) and his family were in dire
straits in the Yoseph, being in charge of all the food supply saw his brothers but they surely did not recognize him for in all their thoughts, he was either dead or still a slave. This regal man in his late 30s or early 40s standing before them bore no resemblance to the young teenage brother whom they had hated. When Yoseph harshly asked where they were from,
they replied the Yoseph told them they would be held in a prison cell until they sent one brother to bring down the youngest son to prove they were telling the truth and he allowed them to choose who would go fetch Benyamin. After three days in the cell Yoseph told them they all go except for one brother but that if they came back without Benyamin, they would lose their lives. The brothers had no idea that Yoseph could understand them as they discussed what they had done to the young boy who had pleaded to them for mercy. Reuven reminded them that he had warned them not to do this thing and that now they were being punished. Yoseph turned away and wept. He then took Simeon and had him imprisoned and sent the rest with grain to feed the family. Lo and behold, they opened a sack to feed the pack animals and there was the money they had paid for the grain. They became terrified and said, “What has God done to us?” At home they told Yisrael what had happened in Mitzrayim and the order to bring down Benyamin or they were all to die. Then as they opened the grain bags they saw that each had the money they had paid, tucked in the neck of the bag. Both brothers and father were terrified for now they would not only be seen as spies but thieves as well. Never will I allow you to take Benyamin to Mitzrayim they were told. Further you have bereaved me of Yoseph and now Simeon and you will not take Benyamin. The grain dwindled and they again were coming close to hunger. Yisrael told them they would have to go down again and buy food. They told him that they could not show their faces in Mitzrayim without bringing Benyamin. Yisrael asked them why they had told the man about Benyamin and they told him the man had questioned them about both their father and the younger brother and they were afraid to refuse to answer. Finally Yisrael knew they must go or all would starve. He told them to take gifts of honey, almonds, pistachios, balsam, lotus and wax as well as double silver back to the man. Yisrael knew that the silver found in the sacks was no longer theirs and most likely was not simply an oversight but was perhaps a plot against them. They first met the man who was in charge of Yosephs house upon their return to Mitzrayim. They informed him of the money in their sacks and told him they had returned it to Yoseph. They were told that their God and the God of their father had blessed them and that payment had already reached Yoseph and they brought Simeon out to them. Yoseph ordered that they be brought to him and they had their feet washed, fed and watered their camels. They prepared the gifts they had brought in order to give them to Yoseph at the meal they were told they should eat with him. They presented the gifts to him and he asked about their father and asked if this was the young brother they had spoken of. They bowed before him and said their father was alive and well. Being overcome with emotion, Yoseph went into another room and wept. The Mitzri who served food would not sit with the Hebrews since it was seen as a loathsome thing to dine with a Hebrew. They were amazed that Yoseph sat with them to dine. The brothers we seated before Yoseph according to seniority from the eldest to the youngest and they were amazed. Yoseph had their sacks filled with grain and instructed that their money once again be put in each bag but this time he also ordered that his silver cup be placed in Benyamin’s bag. As soon as the brothers had left the city, Yoseph sent servants to overtake them and they found the money in the bags and said, “Look, you have been given back your money so why would you steal from the master who has been so generous with you?” Being sure they had stolen nothing, they told the man that if anything stolen is found, the one who stole it would be a servant to his master. Surprisingly, the cup was found in Benyamin’s bag. All they brothers reloaded their donkeys and returned to the city and stood before Yoseph and said, “What can we say? How can we justify ourselves since God has uncovered our sins? We will all become your servants, including Benyamin, in whose bag the cup (called a divining cup which seems to say Yoseph knew things by using it in some manner but we see a continuous theme of Yoseph saying he could do nothing that is was YHWH who revealed things to him.) was found.” Yoseph declared that he was a righteous man and only the one who had stolen the cup would be his slave and that the rest of them should go home to their father, in peace. All we have to do is use our imagination to discern how the brothers felt at that moment. Filled with fear of what would happen to their father if they went home without Benyamin, they surely would have begged Yoseph for mercy… Next reading we will go into this further. Next Reading Dec 29/30 will be: Parashah Vayigash Bereshit (Genesis) 44:18-47:27 Haftarah: Yechizkiel (Ezekiel) 37:15-37:28 Please
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