Parsha Talk Miketz 5785 2024

Kol Ramah

Parashat Mi-Qetz [Genesis 41:1-44:17] is the second of the four parashiyot that treat the Joseph story. At the end of last week’s parashah, Joseph has been left in prison because the recently released butler failed to mention him to Pharaoh, as he had promised to do. The parashah this week opens up with Pharaoh’s two dreams which defied interpretation by any one in Pharaoh’s court, the butler remembering Joseph, and Joseph being summoned to court to successfully interpret the dreams. The bulk of the parashah deals with the descent into Egypt by 10 of Joseph’s brothers and their encounters with him. Our conversation focused in part on the character of Joseph, sometimes in comparison with his brother Judah who once again has a leading role, in convincing Jacob to let Benjamin return with them to Egypt, and at the end stepping forward to address Joseph, which address will begin next week’s parashah. As Eliot notes, it is difficult to limit oneself to the parashah of the week when discussing the Joseph story, so we make reference to both what happened last week and what will happen in the next two weeks. We hope you enjoy it. We are ever mindful of the hostages, may they be speedily returned to their families, and to the soldiers defending Israel as part of the Israel Defense Forces, may they be removed from harm’s way. May the increasing light of the hanukkiyot [the first night of Hanukkah is Wednesday night, 12/25/24] bring increasing light to the Middle East, and may a measure of peace be restored to that region. Hag Urim Same’ach. Shabbat Shalom.