A Thought On Parshas MiKetz
A Thought On Parshas MiKetz
"...omed al ha'ya'or..."
"...standing by the river..." (41:1)
Many references are made to the river of Egypt. It is mentioned in the dreams of Pharaoh which tells us that it was on his mind a lot. It is mentioned in describing the agriculture and economy of Egypt, and it shows up of course in the book of Shemos relevant to the plagues and the welfare of both Jewish slaves and Egyptian oppressors. The Nile is a major world water source.
It's meaning in our parsha, writes the Bechor Shor, is a subtle but significant one. Whereas we would be led to believe that the Nile sustained the farmlands and crops of Egypt, it apparently stopped working during the reign of Pharaoh. As his dream indicated, the land was due for a drought and a famine. When there is drought, rivers dry up. When a land that is water-dependant has no river to irrigate it, the crops dry and perish. So what happened here? The mighty nation of Egypt, food basket to a teeming populace and to the inhabitants of neighboring countries, was brought to a gasping halt. Only the intervention and planning of wise Yosef seemed to have staved off imminent starvation, as our parsha relates.
The deep and subtle lesson, writes the Bechor Shor, reveals something about HaShem's compassion for His world ---
"Any nation to which He delivers His people Israel will ascend. This is so
that no one can claim that "He has given over charge of His
children to a lowly people" (see Chagiga 13b)."
This is why the Torah shows how Yosef, administering the economy from behind the throne, facilitated the rise of Pharaoh and of Egypt as a world power, for a time. The Bechor Shor adds that we find this with the king Nevuchadnezzar of Bavel as well. During his reign, when the Jews were a captive presence under his power, he became a world force (see Yirmiahu 27:8).
He closes with the note that we see this with the Roman Empire as well. They destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, appropriated the Jewish homeland and its people, and from then on, went on to continue as an ascendant force in world history (see Daniel 7:23).
The Torah is alluding to this feature of the world and of the universe. Nations which take in Jews, even those which take over the Jews, will tend to prosper, as a shield against misperception. It is not as we material people might view it, that Jews bring prosperity to their host culture. It is not us. It is a far more sacred dynamic at work. HaShem protects His people and His hallowed Name. The sanctification of HaShem is magnified when the world sees how He cares for those who host His scattered people. The discerning and unbiased mind, when there is one, can see that HaShem does not give up on the Children of Israel.
Good Shabbos. Joyous Chanuka. D Fox
"...omed al ha'ya'or..."
"...standing by the river..." (41:1)
Many references are made to the river of Egypt. It is mentioned in the dreams of Pharaoh which tells us that it was on his mind a lot. It is mentioned in describing the agriculture and economy of Egypt, and it shows up of course in the book of Shemos relevant to the plagues and the welfare of both Jewish slaves and Egyptian oppressors. The Nile is a major world water source.
It's meaning in our parsha, writes the Bechor Shor, is a subtle but significant one. Whereas we would be led to believe that the Nile sustained the farmlands and crops of Egypt, it apparently stopped working during the reign of Pharaoh. As his dream indicated, the land was due for a drought and a famine. When there is drought, rivers dry up. When a land that is water-dependant has no river to irrigate it, the crops dry and perish. So what happened here? The mighty nation of Egypt, food basket to a teeming populace and to the inhabitants of neighboring countries, was brought to a gasping halt. Only the intervention and planning of wise Yosef seemed to have staved off imminent starvation, as our parsha relates.
The deep and subtle lesson, writes the Bechor Shor, reveals something about HaShem's compassion for His world ---
"Any nation to which He delivers His people Israel will ascend. This is so
that no one can claim that "He has given over charge of His
children to a lowly people" (see Chagiga 13b)."
This is why the Torah shows how Yosef, administering the economy from behind the throne, facilitated the rise of Pharaoh and of Egypt as a world power, for a time. The Bechor Shor adds that we find this with the king Nevuchadnezzar of Bavel as well. During his reign, when the Jews were a captive presence under his power, he became a world force (see Yirmiahu 27:8).
He closes with the note that we see this with the Roman Empire as well. They destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, appropriated the Jewish homeland and its people, and from then on, went on to continue as an ascendant force in world history (see Daniel 7:23).
The Torah is alluding to this feature of the world and of the universe. Nations which take in Jews, even those which take over the Jews, will tend to prosper, as a shield against misperception. It is not as we material people might view it, that Jews bring prosperity to their host culture. It is not us. It is a far more sacred dynamic at work. HaShem protects His people and His hallowed Name. The sanctification of HaShem is magnified when the world sees how He cares for those who host His scattered people. The discerning and unbiased mind, when there is one, can see that HaShem does not give up on the Children of Israel.
Good Shabbos. Joyous Chanuka. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 7:16 PM
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