[yshavurah] Fw: Torat Chayim - Mikeitz
- From: "Cheryl Levine" <clevineys@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Havurah Listserv" <yshavurah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 07:23:49 -0500
This is a nice follow up to Elliot's last Dvar Torah and Randi's comments about
Joseph's changes into a more mature, enlightened adult--
-c
----- Original Message -----
From: Lifelong Jewish Learning
To: TORATCHAYIM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2004 9:21 AM
Subject: Torat Chayim - Mikeitz
TORAT CHAYIM - LIVING TORAH vol. 9 no. 10
UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM
Week of December 5-11, 2004
Shabbat, December 11, 2004 / 28 Kislev 5765
Mikeitz, Genesis 41:1-44:17
The Torah: A Modern Commentary, pp. 264-277
Haftarah, Zechariah 4:1-7
The Sacred Art of Listening
Joan Glazer Farber
Focal Point
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it.
Now I have heard it said of you that for you to hear a dream is to tell its
meaning." Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "Not I! God will see to Pharaoh's
welfare." (Genesis 41:15-16)
D'var Torah
The image we often have of Joseph is that of a spoiled child who speaks his
mind without regard for those who might be hurt by his words, a self-centered
and pompous individual. The content of his dreams and the way he reports them
to his brothers reflect Joseph's inflated self-worth and lack of compassion for
his brothers' feelings.
Yet we also witness a gradual change in Joseph's personality, beginning soon
after his brothers throw him into the pit and continuing through this week's
parashah. Joseph is humbled by his experiences of the pit; both the desert
dungeon of sand and soil and the Egyptian subterranean prison awaken in Joseph
a sense of power and, at the same time, powerlessness. Only by learning from
the critical events that trigger these experiences can Joseph change and regain
control of his life.
The text hints at two lessons that transform Joseph from a self-absorbed youth
into a mature adult who is ready to act on behalf of the community. The first
lesson is to listen with compassion and understanding; the second is to be
humble in the presence of God's wisdom.
Pharaoh acknowledges that Joseph's reputation is based on his ability to
interpret dreams. Joseph hears and is then able to tell the meaning. In earlier
Bible stories, the emphasis is on Joseph's use of words in the retelling of his
own dreams. Now, Joseph must first listen and then choose his words carefully.
As an interpreter, Joseph understands that if his explanation is acceptable to
Pharaoh, he will be rewarded with the permission to continue his life in
freedom. But should Pharaoh reject the meanings, it is back to the pit for
Joseph.
While Pharaoh praises Joseph's abilities, Joseph does not let the compliments
go to his head. Instead he is quick to attribute his interpretation to God's
wisdom rather than to his own. In fact, it is God who solves Pharaoh's problems
and assures Joseph of success. The younger Joseph would have taken the kavod,
the "honor," on himself and been quick to sing his own praises. Joseph has
progressed from the pits of his existence to the heights of his future as a
thoughtful and mature adult. He has learned that God is the source of his life
and wisdom.
As Joseph listens to Pharaoh's praise, Joseph attributes his own talents to
God. "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, but no one can interpret
it. Now I have heard it said of you that for you to hear a dream is to tell its
meaning' Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "Not I! God will see to Pharaoh's
welfare'" (Genesis 41:15-16). Joseph recognizes that it is God who fulfills the
dreams and ensures the safety of the people during the famine.
The text does not come out and announce that Joseph is a changed person who has
learned to listen to others and truly hear what they have to say. Rather, it is
through Pharaoh's words and Joseph's response that we understand the changes
that have occurred.
Today, we face the same challenges that Joseph encountered. Learning to listen
and, by extension, learning to hear and understand are part of the maturation
process. There are individuals we tune out, either because we do not think they
have anything worthwhile to say or because we are preoccupied with our own
thoughts and projects. Sometimes we brush people off without a second thought,
or we respond so quickly that our answers have little to do with the rest of
the conversation.
Listening requires integrity, the desire to understand and interpret. Most of
all, it requires patience. When we listen intently, we hear the nuances and
connotations of the words. We can also derive meaning by paying attention to
the speaker's body language, what is written in his face or in her eyes.
Listening combined with hearing entitles us to ask for clarification before
rendering an opinion. Listening and hearing require that we take the time to
combine what is said with prior knowledge.
Ultimately, Joseph tries to alleviate his brothers' anxiety by attributing the
trials he encountered at their hands as acts of God. "God has sent me ahead of
you to insure your survival on earth, and to save your lives in an
extraordinary deliverance" (Genesis 45:7). Instead of touting his personal
success stories or ascribing guilt to his brothers, Joseph turns to God as the
source of his knowledge and his role in Pharaoh's court.
May we be given the opportunity to learn how to listen and hear while
appreciating the gifts with which we are blessed.
By the Way
* Human beings were endowed with two ears and one tongue that they might listen
more than speak. (Abraham Hasdai, thirteenth-century translator and
philosopher, Barcelona, quoted in Harvey Fields, A Torah Commentary for Our
Times [New York: UAHC Press, 1990], p. 102)
* A major complaint of adolescents is that nobody listens to them. The habit of
listening, and of expecting to be listened to, needs to start early. If we are
distracted, our children will perceive us as half listening and they'll stop
talking to us. That's one sad consequence of our accelerated lifestyle, but
there are so many others. Amid all the hurry it's hard for children to learn
essential life skills: vegging out, contemplating life, relieving boredom by
entertaining themselves, and feeling a general sense of peace and contentment.
If kids are not taught to reflect on things, how can they weigh issues, actions
and consequences? Plato said it best: "The unexamined life is not worth
living." Examining one's life takes time. (Wendy Mogel, Blessing of a Skinned
Knee [New York: Penguin Group, 2001], p. 210)
* Happy the generation whose great leaders listen to the small, for then it
follows obviously that in such a generation, the small will listen to the
great. (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 25b)
Your Guide
1. How does Hasdai's statement about two ears and one mouth apply to Joseph?
How does it apply to Pharaoh?
2. As Joseph went through his adolescence, he too complained that no one
listened to him. How did he overcome his inability to listen as well as to be
heard?
3. Do you think that the generation of the famine, both the Hebrew sons of
Jacob and the native Egyptians, believed that their leaders listened to them?
Do you see any parallels to that situation today? Please explain why or why not.
Rabbi Joan Glazer Farber, R.J.E., serves as the assistant director of the Union
for Reform Judaism's Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning, and as the
director of Adult Learning.
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