Kevin Bemel ·
Prosperity Comes & Goes But God is Always with You
Parsha Nugget Mikeitz – Genesis 44:1-44:17
During my 20 years in commercial real estate, I had many friends who went through at least two cycles of making a tremendous amount of money when the market was good only to lose almost everything when the market turned down. It seemed they never figured out the robust times were there to carry them through the lean times. They needed an advisor like Joseph in Parshas Mekeitz:
“And Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘Pharaoh’s dream is a single dream, what G-d will do He has told to Pharaoh.’” (Bereshis/Genesis 41:25)
In the parsha for this Sabbath Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream and becomes Viceroy of Egypt. Next, the famine begins resulting in Jacob sending ten of his sons to Egypt to buy food. Joseph knows he must bring about the fulfillment of prophecy that his brothers will bow down to him so he demands they bring Benjamin to Egypt. At first, Jacob will not consent but the lack of food becomes so severe he has no choice. Finally, Joseph endeavors to find out if his brothers’ attitude has truly changed.
Pharaoh has two dreams: one in which seven fat, healthy cows standing by the banks of the Nile are joined by seven scrawny cows that swallow the fat cows; and the second in which seven healthy plump ears of grain grow on a stalk followed by seven thin, scorched ears that swallow the good ones. Pharaoh’s wise men cannot interpret his dreams. Joseph, the Hebrew slave, comes up with the explanation. Seven years of abundance in Egypt will be followed by seven years of famine. He even advises Pharaoh about how to deal with this situation.
How is it that a slave can see the answer when all of the wise men cannot? And, where did Joseph get the chutzpah to give unsolicited advice to Pharaoh?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says that the Egyptian dream experts considered the interpretation Joseph gives but rejected it. They felt it could not be correct since at one point the abundant years and the lean years would have to co-exist, like the cows and the ears of grain did, and such could never happen. It made no sense to them for there to be famine when food is plentiful.
Along comes Joseph to explain that the key is not that the two actually happen at the same time. Rather, Egypt must act during the abundant times as if the lean times were there too, reserving some of the plenty for when it would be needed later. It was not chutzpadik for Joseph to give advice, rather his solution to the problem is part of the interpretation. What Pharaoh thought was so brilliant is that, unlike his wise men, Joseph accounted for the perplexing issue of famine and plenty co-existing. He saw not only the dire future predicted by the dreams but also they embedded a vision for the path forward.
So works G-d’s blessing. While it may seem to apply only in the moment, the lean or challenging times are preceded by abundance that allows you to get through. So during times of plenty, you should increase your resiliency to more effectively face lean times. Whether money, free time, intimacy with your spouse, or an especially close connection with G-d, do not consume it all in the moment. Rather,
Husband G-d’s Bounty to Help You During Times of Physical, Mental & Spiritual Famine
Question – How do you build a well of emotional or spiritual resilience during the good times?
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Every year beginning on Simchas Torah, the cycle of reading the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, ends and begins again. Each Sabbath a portion known as a sedra or parsha is read. Its name comes from the first significant word or two with which this weekly reading begins.
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