At The End

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha: Miketz At the end
Torah: B’reishit 41:1 – 44:17

** Yosef had been enslaved in Mitzryim (Egypt; confinement, restriction for thirteen years. He was not only enslaved in Mitzryim, he was enslaved to Mitzryim as well. He was forced to serve them in every facet of their lives. Mitzryim’s elite benefited from Yosef’s enslavement. He became a valuable asset to them. Releasing him wasn’t something that they thought about very often. A good slave was hard to find! His future looked pretty dismal. It was two years since the “butler” had been released. Yosef had pleaded with him to beseech Paro on his behalf. Now, many months had passed and he hadn’t heard anything.

*** “Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad.” (Pr 12:25 )

** Thirteen years is a long time to endure a trial. Facing the filth of living in a dungeon, listening to the negativity of the voices; dealing with depression, loneliness and the constant badgering of the evil one who is relentless in his mission to break your faith. In all of this, something happens:

*** “And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.” (Ge 41:1 )

*** “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them to Pharaoh.” (Ge 41:8 )

** Who caused paro to dream? Who caused Paro’s spirit to be troubled? Who blinded all of the “wise” in Mitzryim from understanding this dream?
Who caused the butler to remember Yosef?

*** “14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Yosef, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of you, that you can understand a dream to interpret it.” (Ge 41:14-15 )

*** “And Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: Avinu shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Ge 41:16 )

** “the answer of peace” was necessary because: “And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled”; Paro would know if the interpretation of the dreams was true when his spirit became “peaceful”. With the interpretation from Avinu, Paro became peaceful and Yosef went from being a slave to being the leader of the most powerful nation on earth!

We all experience various trials during our lives. Scripture devotes a lot of time to teach us that we are supposed to be learning from the trials that we go through.
Some trials last longer than others as Avinu determines to help us change.

*** “You are they which have continued with me in my trials.” (Lu 22:28 )

*** 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (Jas 1:2-4 )

*** “6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Yeshua HaMeshiach:” (1Pe 1:6-7 )