Perfect Timing

Weekly Torah Lesson

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

Here is a great lesson on “timing” – Avinu’s timing verses ours. Yosef had been kidnapped from his brothers, brought down to Mitzryim and sold to Potifer, an assistant to Paro. Approximately eight years later, he was put into prison where he was forced to wait on two of Paro’s assistants that  were being punished for their indiscretion. Both men had strange dreams and told them to Yosef so he could interpret  the meaning of their dreams for them. Here is part of Yosef’s interpretation:

12  And Yosef said to him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 13  Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head, and restore you to your place: and you shall deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when you were his butler. 14  But think on me when it shall be well with you, and show kindness, I pray you, to me, and make mention of me to Paro, and bring me out of this house: 15  For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. 23  Yet did not the chief butler remember Yosef, but forgot him.” (B’reishit 40:12-15, 23)

1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Paro dreamed: 9 Then spoke the chief butler to Paro, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10  Paro was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: 11  And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12  And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13  And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored to my office, and him he hanged. 14  Then Paro 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 Paro (B’reishit 40:1, 9-14)

The Scriptures indicate that Yosef was depressed when he realized that Paro’s cupbearer had forgotten him. The memory of his dreams faded as the negativity of living and working in a filthy dungeon overcame the memories of his previous life experiences .  Avinu’s timing is everything! When we find ourselves “slopping around in a filthy dungeon”, it might be hard to recognize but Avinu’s timing is constantly working in our lives.   

We must always remember, “the Just shall live by faith”. 

Here is something that Shaul teaches:

22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Heb 10:22-23)