Torah Portion

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.411 .

.11

The Import Of Recognition
Of Ourselves And Others

He sends for a certain "Hebrew
youth" from his own dungeon who per-
suades the powers-that-be that the
economy will not always keep soarim2,
and provisions must be made to
strengthen social security, reduce the
national debt and set aside assets for the
seven bad years to come. (Note that
often in the Torah, like the "seven days
o, vou find you're bored with
of creation," the number seven is taken
TV and movies, which pro-
literally by some or interpreted by oth-
vide a bland diet of "same-
ers
to mean a substantial, sufficient or
old, same-old?" So you say
appropriate
amount of time.)
you're searching for a more exciting
When
the
economy does fall,
story, one that provides fascinating
Joseph's
planning assures the
plat twists, character develop-
government
its position as a
ment and many levels to dis-
super-power;
and, on a per-
cuss and explore?
sonal note, brings his long-
Don't look any further:
forgotten family to town,
Extraordinary intellectual and
dredging up past hurts and
artistic stimulation will be pre-
tenderness. Joseph devises an
sented in this week's Torah
elaborate
plot to make his
reading a at your local neighbor-
brothers
"drink
their full,"
hood shut
making
false
allegations
This week's reading has it
against them and planting
all: high governmental
criminal evidence to force the
intrigue, public deception
STEPHEN C.
entire family to move to
(even including possible offi-
COOPER
Egypt.
cial criminal acts), confessions
Special to The
Throughout
this portion, we
of wrong
wrona-doina
-doing, , tearful scenes
Jewish News
reflect
on
"recognition."
So
of forgiveness, reconciliation,
often
in
life,
we
seem
to
be
reflections on childhood aban-
looking
at
or
hearing
the
donment, sibling rivalry, national plan-
same things, but the real talent lies in
ning to protect the social security sys-
separating out all the clutter and really
tem, revelations of hidden talents, past
seeing or intensely recognizing the
lives, secret motives and, of course, a lit-
details that other people miss. Some
tle sex. Yes, it's the story of Joseph,
people are better at this than others;
prime minister of Egypt, presented in
some
just try harder. My wife, for
all its original glory, chanted according
example,
is constantly amazing me
to the ancient melody (without, thank-
when
we
talk
about a shared experience
fully, Donny Osmond pretending he's
and
I
learn
that
it was almost like I
not bored singing for the 10,000th time
attended
a
different
event. Her ability
about Joseph's Amazing Technicolor
to perceive social nuances and connect
Dreamcoat). You may also enjoy dis-
disparate hints sometimes encourages
cussing the questions that follow.
me to try to be more perceptive in
Last week, we left our hero, aban-
awareness
and "recognition" in such
doned by his family, sold into slavery,
contacts.
and tossed in the slammer (without, it
In the Torah portion, Joseph recog-
appears, benefit of counsel or the tradi-
nizes
his brothers but makes himself
tional reading of his constitutional
"unrecognizable"
to them. This play on
rights.) After years of isolation, internal
words emphasizes the power we all have
growth and spiritual awareness, Joseph
to ignore reality, to delude ourselves or
is confronted with the ultimate eco-
just
"fake it." Maybe we're being taught
nomic, political and social question of
that
if we think we have the power to
his time: during the seven years of plen-
recognize
something in our family and
ty, when the DOW is at an all time-
friends,
we
have the same power to
time high, with full employment and
ignore
it
or
deny or to deceive?
productivity soaring, do we provide for
Next,
we
see Joseph's "recognition"
the future? Pharaoh had already con-
described again. A rule of both statuto-
tacted his magicians and advisers (the
ry and biblical interpretation is that no
Egyptian equivalent of the Psychic
words
are extra or useless, so we ask
Friends Network), yet he still wasn't get-
why
this
should be repeated. Abraham
ting satisfactory advice.
Ibn Ezra suggests that maybe Joseph
had to look at them twice. At first
Stephen C. Cooper, a judge in the
glance,
he did not "recognize" his
46th District Court in Southfield, is
brothers (as a group), but upon looking
active in many Jewish communal
at them again (as individuals) he did
organizations.

Shabbat Miketz:
Genesis 4:1-44: 17;
Numbers 28:9-15;
Numbers 7:42-47.

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Detroit Jewish News

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