Parashat Mikeitz 5765/2004
EJD
The weekly reading for the week of 28 Kislev, 5765 - December 11, 2004 Parashah: Mikeitz Genesis 41:1 to 44:34; The regular Haftarah of 1 Kings 3:13 to 4:1 is replaced by holiday Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14(10) to 4:7; Maftir: Numbers 7:30-35; Mei Kituvim: Proverbs 12:1-28; Brit Chadashah: Romans 11:1-24
Chanukah Day 4 - Fifth Candle in the evening. Happy Chanukah!
The Bagel: Reuben's insight. He connected the dots. The trouble that the brothers were facing before Joseph-disguised-as-an Egyptian-official was from G-d because of their unjust acts against Joseph. Reuben was correct in his assessment, but incomplete for G-d planned good as well as judgment out of the Joseph incident. If we de-emphasize the specific aspect of judgment from Reuben's insight to generalize it, then it could be said that Reuben's fundamental insight was one of seeing G-d's hand actively involved in history. Some of the readings share the specific judgment aspect, while others are more generalized to show the action of Adonay in history.
Torah:
Genesis 41:1 to 44:34. In Parashat Mikeitz, not only did Reuben see G-d at work, but Reuben attempted to ameliorate the situation by later offering himself and his sons in place of any possible debacle over Benjamin's imprisonment. But Jacob somehow distrusted Reuben's remedy. Perhaps, he could see intuitively that Reuben somehow failed in regards to Joseph and would also fail with Benjamin (Genesis 42:37-38).
Or perhaps, Jacob's awareness was that G-d was not in Reuben's proposal, but was in Judah's (Genesis 43:8-10). Judah's offer had to be trusted. The only other option was starvation for all. Sure enough, when the brothers returned to Egypt, Benjamin was imprisoned. Reuben's specific insight about the judging hand of G-d was at work again. But Judah stepped in to intervene and bring about a good outcome even at the cost of his own imprisonment rather than face an ultimate disgrace before his father for risking Benjamin's incarceration.
What was to be the outcome? Judah delivered Benjamin in a way similar to the way he delivered Joseph. Judah proposed enslavement for Joseph instead of fratricide (Genesis 37:26-27). He was willing to receive the same fate as he had proposed for Joseph, which was to be an imprisoned slave in Egypt in place of Benjamin if it came to that.
We, the readers of the text, get to see beyond Reuben's specific insight of judgment to the bigger picture of G-d's acting in history for the greater good:
- Reuben was delivered from brotherly murder as the responsible head over the rest of the brothers being the first born. G-d used Judah to intervene there in Dothan to rescue Joseph from death.
- Judah was delivered from incarceration for Benjamin.
- Joseph was delivered from being murdered, from enslavement, and from imprisonment.
- The budding nation of Israel was delivered from destruction by starvation.
- The world of the Ancient Near East was delivered from disaster by widespread famine.
As Joseph later recounted to his brothers "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20 NIV).
Haftarah:
Zechariah 2:14(10) to 4:7. In the Haftarah reading, Reuben's insight about the active hand of G-d in history is found in this section of text. Indeed, in all eight visions of Zechariah of which our text is a part, there are visions of G-d working in the affairs of humankind.
No other text of Scripture is clearer than the account of the High Priest, Joshua Ben Yozedek, shown in Zechariah chapter three. It portrays an interplay of the spiritual realm with the physical. Here is a vision that places a man in the midst of a spiritual scene. The curtain is rolled back and the unseen spiritual realm comes into view. There was a major problem. Joshua was unable to purify himself and there was no temple where he could be cleansed. It was a theatre of intense guilt and accusation. Satan opposed Joshua and brought a case against him before the Presence of the Almighty. But G-d intervened to cleanse Joshua and set the stage for the rebuilding of the Temple.
The vision of Zerubbabel in chapter four had a different problem. For him it was an impassable mountain. This too was a spiritual scene. How could this descendent of David fulfill the role of David when Gentile powers controlled everything? But the vision shows how G-d planned to overrule those nations and enable Zerubbabel complete the reconstruction of the Temple
Maftir:
Numbers 7:30-35. In the reading of the Maftir, we have the offering of the tribe of Reuben. It is fitting to think of this tribe in relation to its progenitor, Reuben himself, who had the insight to see G-d in history and for his attempt to rescue Joseph from murder (Genesis 37:21-22).
Mei Kituvim:
Proverbs 12:1-28. In the reading of the Kituvim, it is not surprising to find Reuben's specific insight found there in several places. Remember, Reuben realized that the wrongdoing of the brothers was the cause for their present trouble in Egypt. Reuben saw G-d's hand in judgment against them. There are three verses related to that insight: "A good man shall obtain favour of the LORD; but a man of wicked devices will He condemn" (Proverbs 12:2 JPS HOLY SCRIPTURES 1917). The brother's plan to kill Joseph was replaced by a less-evil plan. Yet their desire was to be rid of Joseph. They devised plans to do that. But it eventually brought condemnation from G-d in Egypt. But G-d didn't utterly condemn them, because He designed good in His ultimate plan for them.
The next verse tells how dangerous evil can be in its consequences: "The wicked are overthrown, and are not; but the house of the righteous shall stand" (Proverbs 12:7 JPS HOLY SCRIPTURES 1917). The brothers could've fallen into this category, but for the grace of G-d. There was trouble from G-d, but it was the redeeming kind. Joesph wasn't seeking vengence on them when he tried them as spies. He knew the criminal mind from his experiences in prison and his maneoeuverings were designed to bring out repentance. G-d had given Joseph the kind of wisdom that could act in the stead of G-d for the greater good.
Lastly, in verse 21: "No harm befalls the righteous, But the wicked have their fill of misfortune" (Tanakh JPS). The brothers could find no relief from their trouble until the injustice was made right. G-d through Joseph succeeded in bringing them around. Added to that was Reuben's insight that cleared the way for them to finally face their sin.
Brit Chadashah:
Romans 11:1-24. When we get to the Brit Chadashah, our text describes the hand of G-d in the affairs of a nation since the period of the First Century. Reuben's insight can be seen in this text. G-d allowed Israel to fall just like Joseph's brothers fell. Like the brothers who experienced trouble for their part in Joseph's injustice, so Israel has suffered for two millenia because their decision to reject Yeshua as their rightful Messiah. But just as Reuben's insight was incomplete without reckoning on the greater good that G-d was seeking to accomplish, so only looking at the messianic rejection is incomplete without seeing the greater good in G-d's ultimate plan for Israel, which this text amply expresses. For it clearly declares that one day all Israel shall saved.
Unfortunately, during those two millenia since the First Century, there were precious few who had what might be called "Joseph's insight" as against "Reuben's insight." Joseph troubled his brothers for the purpose of their restoration. When they could no longer hide their sin against Joseph, they repented and the family was reunited. Indeed, G-d intended Israel to be saved from the famine by their sojourn in Egypt and permitted the brother's injustice to be a piece of that plan.
But sadly throughout church history very few acted like Joseph did in order to carry forward G-d's plan of mercy and grace to Israel. Instead, the one act of injustice in the time of Yeshua became the pretext for expressing anti-Semitic atrocities against Jews in the Middle-Ages. Our text makes clear that those who boast against the fallen branches are in danger of being broken off themselves. Two wrongs never make a right. It was the perfect righteousness of Yeshua that makes salvation possible for both Jew or Gentile. It is vital that Reuben's insight of judgment should be superseded by the greater insight of Joseph, which expresses mercy towards unbelievers whether Jewish or Gentile and awaits the day when all Israel shall be saved.
Cream Cheese: Trouble. Is it condemnation or an ultimate greater good?
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