TORAH PORT ON
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SEE? YOU'RE
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Shabbat Miketz: Genesis 41-1-44:17;
Numbers 7:54-8:4; 1 Kings 7:40-50.
n the Torah portion Miketz, we
But this is not just a rags-to-
meet Pharoah, who is plagued
riches story. It is the tale of a young
by dreams. Pharoah dreams
man who always had dreams for
of seven fat cows being devoured
himself, but who lacked the matu-
by seven skinny, sickly cows. He
rity and the tact to actuate his great
then dreams of seven
visions. In his earlier life,
skinny, sickly ears of grain
he dreamed that he was
devouring seven healthy
the "star" in his family
ears of grain.
and lorded this dream
Pharoah calls his
over his family. He didn't
Egyptian dream interpret-
consider how arrogant
ers and none of them can
this dream was and, right-
make any sense of his
ly or wrongly, his brothers
dreams.
sent him packing.
Word then comes to
But the mature Joseph,
the chief cupbearer that
as a dream interpreter,
Keren Alpert
Pharoah is being plagued
tells the all-powerful
Specia I to the
by disturbing dreams.
Pharoah: Your significant
Jewisi News
The cupbearer remem-
dreams indicate that it's
bers someone who inter-
going to take vision and a
preted his dreams: a man he met in
plan to get through the next phase
an Egyptian prison, our ancestor
of Egyptian life.
Joseph.
Joseph's encounters with dreams
Joseph is quickly summoned and
are no longer a reason for arrogance.
he immediately interprets Pharoah's
His words are truthful,_but they are— -
dreams. Joseph a_nnouncesthat_the • -- - not hurtfift- —
--dreams -ai-e-orie and
We encounter
the same. There will
lots of people who
be seven years of
have pipe dreams:
bountiful food and
get-rich schemes,
then seven years of
daydreams about
famine.
the future, while
Joseph goes
they squander their
further, however,
present. Very rarely
and gives Pharoah
do we encounter
advice: to select a
Josephs in our lives:
man who is dis-
people who have
cerning and wise.
vision, who see a
This man will be
need, who create a
in charge of making sure that all
plan to solve a problem, and who are
of Egypt sets aside one-fifth of the
unafraid of taking charge.
produce during the years of plenty
That's why Joseph is so special.
and places it in reserve. Then the
He always understood that he was
surplus food will be guarded and
gifted. He just had to learn appro-
the selected man will, we assume,
priate ways to share his dreams with
make a plan to disburse the food
others. I I
during the famine.
Pharoah is immediately struck
Keren Alpert is the rabbinic associate at
by Joseph's interpretation and
Temple Beth El, Bloomfield Township.
advice and appoints Joseph to be
the person in charge. In fact, he
places Joseph as his second in com-
Conversations
mand. Joseph, who started his day
Do you have dreams but no
in the lowest place, the dungeons of
plans? Can you identify a
Egypt's prisons, by the end of the
problem in our community that
day has been exalted to heights of
you can contribute to fixing? Who
honor and glory and responsibility.
are the Josephs of our time?
What a reversal of fortune! What a
story!
if you think you're too smart for
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Finding the
maturity and
tact to actuate
great visions.
With campuses in Auburn Hills,
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Classes begin Monday, January 11.
Flaunt your superior intelligence.
Call 248.341.2350.
www.oaklandcc.edu
• OAKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
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Get anywhere from here.
December 17 a 2009
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