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Miketz or Mikeitz (מקץ — Hebrew for “at the end,” the second word — and first distinctive word — of the parshah) is the tenth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. This article is about the divisions of the Torah into weekly readings Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Torah reading ( is a Jewish religious Ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. It constitutes Genesis 41:1–44:17. Jews in the Diaspora read it the tenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Jewish diaspora ( Hebrew: Tefutzah, "scattered" or Galut גלות "exile" Yiddish: tfutses) the presence Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath Simchat Torah or Simchas Torah (שמחת תורה is a Jewish holiday marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning Generally, it is read on the Sabbath of Hanukkah. Hanukkah (חנוכה alt Chanukah) also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the When Hanukkah contains two Sabbaths, it is read on the second. In some years, however, Miketz is read on the Sabbath after Hanukkah.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream (painting by Peter von Cornelius)
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream (painting by Peter von Cornelius)

Contents

Summary

Pharaoh’s dream

Pharaoh dreamed that he stood by the river, and out came seven fat cattle, who fed in the reed-grass. Peter von Cornelius ( September 23 1784 - March 6 1867) was a German painter. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River (Gen. 41:1–2.) And then seven lean cattle came up out of the river and ate the seven fat cattle, and Pharaoh awoke. (Gen. 41:3–4.) He went back to sleep and dreamed that seven good ears of corn came up on one stalk, and then seven thin ears sprung up after them and swallowed the good ears, and Pharaoh again awoke. (Gen. 41:5–7.)

In the morning, Pharaoh was troubled and sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them his dream, but none could interpret it. A magician is a person skilled in the mysterious and hidden art of magic, the ability to attain objectives acquire knowledge or perform works of wonder using Supernatural Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now (Gen. 41:8.) Then the chief butler spoke up, confessing his faults and relating how Pharaoh had put him in prison with the baker, and a Hebrew there had interpreted their dreams, correctly predicting the future. (Gen. 41:9–13.) Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who shaved, changed clothes, and came to Pharaoh. Joseph or Yosef (יוֹסֵ Standard Yosef Tiberian Yôsēp̄, يوسف Yusuf; "He (Gen. 41:14.) Pharaoh told Joseph that he had had a dream that none could interpret and had heard that Joseph could interpret dreams, but Joseph said that God would give Pharaoh an answer of peace. In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title (Gen. 41:15–16.)

Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams, and Joseph told him that the two dreams were one, a prediction of what God was about to do. (Gen. 41:17–25.) The seven good cattle and the seven good ears symbolized seven years of plenty, and the seven lean cattle and the seven empty ears symbolized seven years of famine that would consume thereafter. (Gen. 41:26–31.) The dream was doubled because God had established the thing and would shortly bring it to pass. (Gen. 41:32.) Joseph recommended that Pharaoh set over Egypt a man discreet and wise, that he appoint overseers to take up a fifth of the harvests during the years of plenty, and that he store that food for the years of famine. (Gen. 41:33–36.) Pharaoh told Joseph that inasmuch as God had shown him all this, there was none so discreet and wise as Joseph, and thus Pharaoh set Joseph over all the land of Egypt. (Gen. 41:39–41.) Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, fine linen, a gold chain about his neck, and his second chariot, and had people cry before him “Abrech. A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure or an embossed figure in paper with the purpose of authenticating a document but the term can also mean any device for ” (Gen. 41:42–43.) And Pharaoh renamed Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On to be his wife. Asenath ( or Asenith (in modern times sometimes trasliterated as Osnat) is a figure in the Book of Genesis, an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh Potipherah was a priest of the Ancient Egypt town of On, mentioned in the Book of Genesis (414550 Heliopolis (or On) ( Greek: or) meaning sun-city was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt, and capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome (Gen. 41:44–45.)

Joseph in Egypt (painting by Pontormo)
Joseph in Egypt (painting by Pontormo)

Joseph the provider

Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, and in the seven years of plenty he gathered up grain as plentiful as the sand of the sea. Jacopo Carucci ( May 24, 1494 — January 2, 1557) usually known as Jacopo da Pontormo, Jacopo Pontormo or simply (Gen. 41:46–49.) Joseph and Asenath had two sons, the first of whom Joseph called Manasseh, for God had made him forget all his toil and all his father's house, and the second of whom he called Ephraim, for God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction. Ephraim ( Hebrew: אֶפְרַיִם/אֶפְרָיִם Standard Efráyim Tiberian ʾEp̄ráyim/ʾEp̄rāyim (Gen. 41:50–52.) The seven years of plenty ended and famine struck, and when Egypt was famished, Joseph opened the storehouses, and sold food to the Egyptians. (Gen. 41:53–56.) People from all countries came to Egypt to buy grain, because the famine struck all the earth. (Gen. 41:57.)

Joseph’s brothers journey to Egypt

Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, asked his sons why they sat around looking at each other, and sent them down to Egypt to buy some. Jacob ( Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב, Standard   Yaʿaqov Tiberian   Yaʿăqōḇ; (Gen. 42:1–2.) Ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt, but Jacob kept Benjamin behind, so that no harm might befall him. Benjamin ( in the Book of Genesis, is a son of Jacob, the second (and last son of Rachel, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin (Gen. 42:3–4.) Joseph's brothers came to buy grain from Joseph and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth. (Gen. 42:5–6.) Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him, for he made himself strange to them and spoke roughly with them. (Gen. 42:7–8.)

Joseph remembered his dreams, and accused them of being spies. (Gen. 42:9.) But they protested that they were not spies, but upright men come to buy food, ten sons of a man who had twelve sons, lost one, and kept one behind. (Gen. 42:10–13.) Joseph told them that to prove their story, they would have to send one of them to fetch their brother, and he imprisoned them for three days. (Gen. 42:15–17.) On the third day, Joseph told them that because he feared God, he would allow them to prove themselves by letting one of them be bound in prison while the others carried grain to their houses and brought their youngest brother to Egypt. (Gen. 42:18–20.) They said to one another that surely they were guilty concerning their brother, and so now this distress had come upon them. (Gen. 42:21.) Reuben said that he had told them not to sin against their brother, but they had not listened. Reuben or Re'uven ( Hebrew: רְאוּבֵן, Standard Rəʾuven Tiberian Rəʾûḇēn (Gen. 42:22.) They did not realize that Joseph understood them, for he used an interpreter, and Joseph turned aside and wept. (Gen. 42:23–24.) When Joseph returned, he bound Simeon before their eyes, and commanded that their vessels be filled with grain and that their money be restored to their sacks. A number of people named Simeon appear in the Bible Simeon (Hebrew Bible, the second son of Jacob Simeon the Righteous, mentioned in Luke 2 (Gen. 42:24–25.)

They loaded their donkeys and departed. (Gen. 42:26.) When they came to a lodging-place, one of them opened his sack and found his money, and their spirits fell, wondering what God had done to them. (Gen. 42:27–28.) They went home and told Jacob all that had happened, and Jacob accused them of bereaving him of his children, first Joseph and now Simeon, and told them that they would not take Benjamin away. (Gen. 42:29–36.) Reuben answered that Jacob could kill Reuben’s two sons if Reuben failed to bring Benjamin back, but Jacob insisted that his son would not go down with them, for Joseph was dead and only he was left, and if harm befall Benjamin then it would be the death of Jacob. (Gen. 42:37–38.)

The famine continued, and Jacob told the brothers to buy more grain. (Gen. 43:1–2.) But Judah reminded Jacob that the man had warned them that they could not see his face unless their brother came with them, so if Jacob sent their brother they could buy food, but if Jacob did not send him they could not go. Judah / Yehuda ( Hebrew: יְהוּדָה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh) was according (Gen. 43:3–5.) Jacob asked them why they had treated him so ill as to tell the man that they had a brother. (Gen. 43:6.) They explained that the man asked them directly about their kindred, whether their father was alive, and whether they had another brother, and they answered him; how were they to know that he would ask them to bring their brother down? (Gen. 43:7.) Judah then asked Jacob to send the lad with him, so that they could go and the family could live, and Judah would serve as surety for him, for they could have been to Egypt and back by then if they had not lingered. (Gen. 43:8–10.) Relenting, Jacob directed them to take a present for the man, double money in case the return of their payment was an oversight, and also their brother, and Jacob prayed that God might show them mercy before the man and that he might release Simeon and Benjamin to them. (Gen. 43:11–14.)

The brothers return to Egypt

The brothers went to Joseph, and when he saw Benjamin with them, he directed his steward to bring the men into the house and prepare a meal for him to eat with them at noon. (Gen. 43:15–16.) When the brothers were conducted into Joseph's house, they grew afraid that Joseph was going to hold them as bondmen because they had taken the money that they found in their sacks. (Gen. 43:17–18.) So they explained to Joseph's steward how they had discovered their money returned to them and had brought it back with them, plus more money to buy grain. (Gen. 43:19–22.) But the steward told them not to fear, for their God had given them treasure in their sacks; he had their money. (Gen. 43:23.) The steward brought Simeon out to them, brought them into Joseph's house, gave them water, and fed their donkeys. (Gen. 43:23–24.) When Joseph came home, they brought their present and bowed down to him. (Gen. 43:25–26.) Joseph asked after their welfare and that of their father. (Gen. 43:27.) They said that Joseph’s servant their father was well, and they bowed their heads. (Gen. 43:28.) Joseph looked upon Benjamin and asked them whether this was their youngest brother of whom they had spoken, and he prayed that God would be gracious to Benjamin. (Gen. 43:29.) Joseph left hastily for his chamber and wept, washed his face, returned, and called for the servants to serve the meal. (Gen. 43:30–31.)

Joseph sat by himself, the brothers sat by themselves, and the Egyptians sat by themselves, because it was an abomination to the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews. (Gen. 43:32.) The brothers marveled that the servants had seated them according to their age. (Gen. 43:33.) And Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of his brothers’. (Gen. 43:34.)

Joseph directed the steward to fill the men's sacks with as much food as they could carry, put every man's money in his sack, and put Joseph’s silver goblet in the youngest one’s sack. (Gen. 44:1–2.) At dawn, the brothers were sent away, but when they had not yet gone far from the city, Joseph directed his steward to overtake them and ask them why they had rewarded evil for good and taken the goblet with which Joseph drank and divined. Divination (from Latin divinare "to be inspired by a god" related to Divine, Diva and Deus) is the attempt of ascertaining (Gen. 44:3–6.) They asked the steward why he accused them, as they had brought back the money that they had found in their sacks, and they volunteered that the one with whom the goblet was found would die, and the brothers would become bondmen. (Gen. 44:7–9.) The steward agreed, with the amendment that the one with whom it was found would be a bondman and the others would go free. (Gen. 44:10.) Hastily, every man opened his sack, starting with the eldest, and they found the goblet in Benjamin's sack. (Gen. 44:11–12.) They rent their clothes, loaded their donkeys, and returned to the city. (Gen. 44:13.) Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house and fell before him on the ground. (Gen. 44:14.) Joseph asked them what they had done, did they not know that a man such as he would divine? (Gen. 44:15.) Judah asked how they could clear themselves when God had found out their iniquity; they were all Joseph’s bondmen. (Gen. 44:16.) But Joseph insisted that only the man in whose hand the goblet was found would be his bondman, and the others could go in peace to their father. (Gen. 44:17.)

In classical rabbinic interpretation

Genesis chapter 41

The Gemara noted that the words “two years of days (yamim)” in Genesis 41:1 means two years. The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or less commonly Gemorra) (from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally " study" (Babylonian Talmud Nazir 5a. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history )

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Johanan that God intervened to cause Pharaoh to be angry with his servants, the chief cupbearer and the baker, in order to fulfill the fate of a righteous man, Joseph, in Genesis 41:12. (Babylonian Talmud Megillah 13b. See Rabbi Yochanan (disambiguation for more rabbis by this name. )

Rabbi Bana’ah argued that the import — and potential prophetic nature — of a dream on the waking world follows its interpretation. Rabbi Eleazar found Biblical support for the proposition in the chief cupbearer’s words about Joseph in Genesis 41:13, “As he interpreted for us, so it came to pass. ” Rava added a qualification, concluding that a dream follows its interpretation only if the interpretation corresponds to the content of the dream, for the chief cupbearer said in Genesis 41:12, “To each man according to his dream he did interpret. Rava (רבא was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora, born in 270 and one of the most often-cited Rabbis in the ” (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 55b. )

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi taught that those who dream of shaving should rise early and say the words of Genesis 41:14, “And Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes,” to prevent thinking of Samson’s less favorable encounter with the razor in Judges 16:17, “If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me. Joshua ben Levi or Yehoshua ben Levi was an Amora (Rabbi of the Jewish Talmud) who lived in the Land of Israel, of the first half ” (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 56b. )

Rabbi Levi used Genesis 37:2, 41:46, and 45:6 to calculate that Joseph’s dreams that his brothers would bow to him took 22 years to come true, and deduced that a person should thus wait for as much as 22 years for a positive dream’s fulfillment. (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 55b. )

Resh Lakish deduced from the words, “And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came,” in Genesis 41:50 that Joseph did not have marital relations during the famine, and generalized that no man should. Simeon ben Lakish (in Hebrew, Shimon ben Lakish; in Aramaic, Shimon bar Lakish or bar Lakisha) The Gemara qualified the injunction, however, teaching that childless people may have marital relations in years of famine. (Babylonian Talmud Ta’anit 11a. )

Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are no commandments in the parshah. Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Sefer ha-Chinuch ( ספר החינוך Hebrew: "Book of Education" often simply "the Chinuch " is a work which systematically discusses This article is about commandments in Judaism For the Jewish rite of passage see Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Mitzvah ( Hebrew: מצוה (Maimonides. Mishneh Torah. The Mishneh Torah ( Hebrew: משנה תורה subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Chazaka (יד החזקה is a code of Jewish Religious law Cairo, Egypt, 1170–1180. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Reprinted in Maimonides. The Commandments: Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 2 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1967. ISBN 0-900689-71-4. Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education. Translated by Charles Wengrov, 1:91. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub. , 1991. ISBN 0873061799. )

The Judgement of Solomon (painting by Giuseppe Cades)
The Judgement of Solomon (painting by Giuseppe Cades)

Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is 1 Kings 3:15–4:1.. Giuseppe Cades (1750-1799 was an Italian sculptor painter and engraver The haftarah or haftorah (also haphtara) ( Hebrew: הפטרה ‎ plural haftarot or haftorahs; "parting" The Books of Kings ( Sefer Melachim, ספר מלכים are a part of Judaism 's Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. It is the story of King Solomon and the two women, one with a dead baby and one with a live baby. King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" In this way, Joseph's rule of Egypt "becomes a precursor to wise Solomon's reign. "[1]

As Miketz is usually read, however, during Hanukkah, a special haftarah for Hanukkah is usually read. Hanukkah (חנוכה alt Chanukah) also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Additionally, if Miketz occurs on the New Month or its eve, some congregations read additional verses in honor of the days. Rosh Chodesh, (ראש חודש trans. Beginning of the Month; lit. (The month of Tevet always begins during Hanukkah. Tevet ( Hebrew: טֵבֵת, Standard Tevet; Ashkenazi Teves; Tiberian )

References

  1. ^ Gregory Goswell, "The Hermeneutics of the Haftarot," Tyndale Bulletin 58 (2007), 89. Goswell notes that "in both cases it is wisdom that equips a man to exercise authority. "

Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:

Ancient

Biblical

Early nonrabbinic

Classical rabbinic

Talmud
Talmud

Medieval

Hobbes
Hobbes

Modern

Mann
Mann

External links

Texts

Commentaries


The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA more popularly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU, is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish The two Academy for Jewish Religion seminaries are transdenominational rabbinical schools located in Riverdale New York and Los Angeles California. Chabadorg is the flagship Website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement The Union for Reform Judaism ( URJ) formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations ( UAHC) is an organization which supports Reform Jewish Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of the late Mordecai Kaplan (1881 – 1983
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