ON THE PARSHA
          Parshas Mikeitz

          by Dovid Lipman, Israel
          Year 2, No. 10


Introduction

This parsha, which tells how Hashem orchestrated
the reunification of Yaakov's family, has six parts:
       1) Yoseif Interprets for Par'oh
       2) Famine In Egypt & C'na'an
       3) Yoseif Accuses
       4) Back in C'na'an
       5) Return to Egypt with Binyamin
       6) The Missing Goblet

1. Yoseif Interprets for Par'oh -- 41:1 to 41:46

Par'oh and his palace in an uproar over his dream
of seven thin cows eating seven fat ones, and then
seven thin stalks of grain swallowing seven fat
ones, the Chief Butler directs Par'oh to Yoseif,
who interprets that the next seven years will be
of plenty, but then will come seven of intense
famine, so the former need to be spent preparing
for the latter. Par'oh, impressed, appoints Yoseif
vice-king so he can oversee the project. Yoseif
marries Osnas, daughter of his former master.


   Worthy of Note

   (41:8) "...and none could interpret it..."
   The Midrash (B.R. 89:6) brings one of the
   wrong interpretations: You'll have seven
   daughters, then bury them. Why daughters?
   Maybe because the cows in the dream were
   feminine. So what was the true meaning of
   that detail? Perhaps the famine was caused
   by sins of the women, or towards them.

2. Famine in Egypt & C'na'an -- 41:47 to 42:4

Yoseif collects food in the years of plenty, and
meanwhile has two sons, Menashe & Efrayim. Then,
as the famine starts, he provides for Egypt and
sells to foreigners. In C'na'an, Yaakov learns of
this, and sends his ten sons to buy, fearing the
trip might be too dangerous for Binyamin.

   The World of the Supernatural

   (42:1) "And Yaakov saw..." -but then he says
   he "heard". When the gemara brings a proof,
   it says "Come, hear", but in the Zohar and
   similar mystical works, it says "Come, see"
   So Yaakov "saw" with spiritual power, but he
   didn't want to boast of this power, so he
   said he "heard", as though it was through
   "revealed", or ordinary, means, that he knew.

3. Yoseif Accuses -- 42:5 to 42:28

Yoseif's brothers don't recognize him, but he
knows them, and he accuses them of espionage to
force them to bring Binyamin to bow with them to
him, as in his dream. Meanwhile, he puts Shimon
in prison as a hostage, and sends them home. On
the way, they see their money in the sacks of
the food they bought, and they fear a ruse.

   A Time to Laugh

   (42:9) "And Yoseif remembered the dreams..."
   There's always room for another reason for
   Yoseif's treatment of his brothers, which
   seems to relate to the dreams. Maybe he
   feared they'd kill him if he identified
   himself, so he used the scheme to hint to
   them not to see his dreams as ambition, but
   as a sign from Heaven. "You only look for
   the bad in the land," he said, "like spies."
   Look for the good, and you'll spare me.

4. Back in C'na'an -- 42:29 to 43:15

Yaakov refuses to allow Binyamin to go, even at
Reuvain's staking his sons' lives. But after the
food runs out, Yehuda guarrantees Binyamin with
his Eternal Reward, and Yaakov sends them back,
with the old money, and new money for more food.

   Rare and Unusual Words

   (43:11) "Botnim". In modern hebrew "peanuts",
   the commentators struggle with the one-time
   word. Must agree that a nut is meant, and
   Rashi brings an opinion: pistachios (he also
   suggests peaches). The nut theory is also
   supported by an interesting deviation by the
   Targum Yonasan, who says the nut wasn't itself
   brought - but rather, the nut oil.

5. Return to Egypt with Binyamin -- 43:16 to 43:34

In Egypt, Yoseif's reception is friendly; he
restores Shimon and accepts the money, inviting
them to dine with him and giving them gifts.

   From the Gemara

   (43:16) Chulin 91a - The 'preparation' done
   here was to remove the Gin HaNasheh from the
   animal in front of the brothers, so they'd
   know they could eat the meat.

6. The Missing Goblet -- 44:1 to 44:17 [End]

Yoseif has his brothers' money returned again, and
this time also has his silver goblet put in the
sack of Binyamin. They leave in the morning, and
Yoseif's men chase and catch them, and 'discover'
the goblet. They're brought to Yoseif, and Yoseif
says they may go - but Binyamin must be his slave.

   Do You Remember? - from the files of On the Parsha

   1. Should one return a lost object to a non-Jew?
   2. How do we know "dibbur" connotes harshness?
   3. Can an excommunication be tied to a condition?
   4. What rule for travel is taught in this parsha?
   5. Can Maaser Sheni be redeemed in Yerushalayim?