Weekly Reading Insights

Overview of the Weekly Reading

To be read on Shabbat Miketz, 28 Kislev 5772/Dec. 24
Shabbat Mevarchim

Torah: Genesis 41:1-44:17, Numbers 7:54-89; Haftorah: I Kings 7:40-50 (Chanukah)

Miketz is the 10th Reading out of 12 in Genesis and it contains 7914 letters, in 2022 words, in 146 verses

Miketz opens with two dreams of Pharaoh. In the first, seven lean cows swallow seven fat cows; and in the second, seven thin stalks of grain swallowing seven fat stalks. No one could interpret the dream, but finally the butler recalled Yosef who was summoned from the dungeon and made presentable. He interpreted that both dreams foretold of seven years of agricultural plenty that would be followed by seven years of famine. Yosef suggested that Pharaoh seek an administrator to supervise food storage food during the years of plenty to preserve for the famine. Realizing that the wisest man for the task was Yosef himself, Pharaoh appointed him viceroy, named him Tzafnat Paneach, and married him to Osnat with whom he had two sons, Menashe and Efraim. Yosef built storage cities during the years of plenty.
The years of famine eventually arrive all over the world drawing people to Egypt to purchase stored food. So too, Yaacov's sons came to Egypt, excluding Benyamin. Yosef recognized his brothers though they didn't recognize him. He pretended to be angry and accused them of spying the land to attack it. To prove their innocence, Yosef told them they must bring their youngest brother, Benyamin, to Egypt and kept Shimon hostage until their return. Yosef wept when overhearing his brothers conclude that the episode was punishment for having sold Yosef years before. Upon relaying to Yaacov what happened, he was grieved, but reluctantly allowed his sons, this time including Benyamin, to return to Egypt when their food supply depleted. This time, they bring a gift for Yosef. After seeing that Benyamin also arrived, Yosef asked that a meal be prepared for himself to eat with his brothers. Upon meeting them, Yosef asked about his father, and hid his tears when meeting Benyamin. After the meal, Yosef instructed that his brothers' packs be filled with food, and in Benyamin's money and Yosef's 'magic' chalice should be replaced in his pack. After the brothers left the city, Yosef's men pursued them to catch Benyamin with his 'theft'. The brothers were brought back before Yosef who declared that Benyamin must remain in Egypt as his slave as punishment for stealing.

This week's Torah portion is called "Miketz", which means "at the end". The story begins with Joseph in prison, telling how he was about to be released. The Midrash explains this topic and opens with a verse from Job, "There will be an end [in Hebrew, 'ketz'] to the darkness". The Midrash compares Joseph's release from prison to the final redemption of Mashiach when there will be no more spiritual darkness.

The Baal Shem Tov explains the Midrash as follows: As long as a person's evil inclination, his or her desire to do negative things, exists, it is like being in prison, because they can not freely serve G-d. Pitch blackness and the shadow of death characterize their reality.

The great Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the Arizal of Safed, describes this in connection with the concept of the extraction of "divine sparks" from the physical aspects of the world with which we come into contact. These sparks were originally part of supernal spiritual "vessels" that were shattered, and their shards became the inner dimension of this physical plane. Our purpose is to extract and elevate these sparks from the inanimate, vegetable, animal and human spheres, and return them to their source on high. This is the Torah way of life and is true in every aspect of the things we do, from mitzvah observance to what we think about when we eat.

The Baal Shem Tov continues saying something revolutionary: The divine spark that exists in every part of the physical world, but particularly in the inanimate and vegetable kingdoms, is made up of the same 248 spiritual limbs and 365 spiritual veins, arteries and sinews that are the spiritual make up of a human person, of which the body is its physical mirror image! As long as this spark is confined in the physical object, it is like a person in prison! And the individual who is able, through thoughts and intentions, to extract and elevate these sparks is fulfilling the Torah commandment of redeeming captives! How much more, if we imagine that these divine sparks are very dear to the King of Kings, that it they are like His son, the prince, who is imprisoned, than how much merit will come to the prince's redeemer!

Who is it that will make an end to the darkness? Just as the Almighty decides when Mashiach will come, so also it is a divine judgment how long each spark will be imprisoned, when it will merit to be released and who will be the vehicle for that redemption to happen. When an opportunity presents itself, do not let it sour. You have been chosen by the King of Kings to redeem the spark from exile.

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For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.

FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES

"Put my goblet-the silver goblet-at the top of the youngest one's pack." (44:2)

By framing Benjamin, Joseph was creating a situation where his brothers could atone for their sin of selling him. When the brothers would put their own lives at risk to save Benjamin, it would be as if they were doing so to save Joseph. They would thereby undo their crime against Joseph, by doing the exact opposite. This would remove from them the negative repercussions of their sin.

[Lubavitcher Rebbe Chumash]

For more than a decade of "From the Chasidic Rebbes" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives

MOSHIACH THIS WEEK

"The name of the second he called Ephraim: for G-d has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." (Gen. 41:52)

With these words Joseph alluded to the very purpose of the exile - "the advantage of light that arises from the midst of darkness." For it was precisely through the descent into Egypt that the Jewish people attained the greatest advantage -- an ascent that would have been impossible if not for their sojourn in the "land of affliction."

(Lubavitcher Rebbe)

For nearly a decade of "Moshiach This Week " on this Weekly Reading, see our archives

From the Kabbalah Commentaries on the Chumash ("5 Books of Moses")

13th century - "RambaN" - Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman

14th century - "Bachya" - Rabbi Bachya ben Asher

16th century - "Alsheich" - Rabbi Moshe Alshech of Tsfat

18th century - "Ohr HaChayim" - Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar

a sample for this week:

Alsheich

"Let Pharaoh select a man of understanding and wisdom and place him in charge..." [41:33]

...There is also the strange Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 90), according to which Joseph did not give bread to any Egyptian until he had circumcised himself! Surely he did not intend to convert them?...

Rather, since there is a relationship between the impurity represented by the spiritual counterpart of Egypt, sar shel mitsrayim, and the people he represents, if the people would achieve a lessened degree of impurity, their spiritual counterpart would reflect this also. Circumcising the Egyptians, might then contain the influence of the sar shel mitsrayim to some extent. Joseph used his power to have the Egyptians circumcise themselves for that reason. He knew that in this way the danger of the Jewish people succumbing to the immorality and idol worship in Egypt, would be reduced. This (plus the fact that the Shechinah, the divine presence, took up residence in Egypt early) reduced effectively the number of years the Jews would actually be enslaved in Egypt.

(adapted from Torat Moshe - the 16th commentary of Rabbi Moshe Alshech of Zefat on the Torah, as translated and condensed in the English version of Eliyahu Munk)

A MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE

Specifically, for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,
click to Mikeitz

"My chalice—my silver chalice—place it on top in the younger one’s saddlebag."

Joseph's wine goblet alluded to love for God that is filled with joy. He knew that the Jewish people would be in Egypt for a long time and that they would not all be able to attain or maintain his level of Divine consciousness, which had enabled him to survive and thrive in the decadence of Egypt. He therefore sought a means to prevent them from getting sucked in to Egyptian depravity, ensuring instead that they would eventually leave the darkness of Egypt and receive the Torah.

For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our weekly Kabbalah magazine

The first five articles are for Chanukah; the last two for the weekly Torah Reading

The dreidel has evolved from the humble clay or wood version to a "hi-tech," multi-media version, replete with lights and musical accompaniment, which can now be found on shop shelves and in many homes. But even today's ultra-modern dreidels still sport those ancient Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin. What's the significance of these letters, and why do they appear on the dreidel?

Weekly Reading Insights: Mikeitz 5772

a sample for this week:

Alsheich

Weekly Reading Insights:
Mikeitz 5772