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The
Meshech Chokhma on Mikeitz
Hagaon
Rav Meir
Simcha of Dvinsk zt”l on Parshat Mikeitz
(from
Meshech
Chokhma on the Torah)
Yosef's
Unique Education
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Divine Providence is a central theme in the Torah's
Yosef stories. The process of the Jews' coming down
to Egypt (already foretold to Avraham in Parshat
Lech Lecha) develops through the drama of Yosef
and his brothers, the famine, and Yosef's rise to
the highest levels of Egyptian government. The whole
development is specially guided by the Divine hand,
as Yosef emphasizes when he reveals himself to his
brothers, "G-d sent me before you to bring life
(Bereishit 45:5)."
The Meshech Chokhma points out that the scheduling
of Yosef's jail sentence and that of the butler
and baker's dreams was also part of the special
Divine Providence all-present in these parshiot.
Pharoah's chief butler and baker were actually high-level
officials, in charge of wine and bread in all of
Egypt, then the center of civilization. Yosef, thrown
in jail along with two government ministers, was
able to learn the ins and outs of government life
and Pharoah's court. The jail experience actually
gave Yosef an education, preparing him to be viceroy
of Egypt, the second most powerful person in the
country.
Their dreams took place only three days before they
left the jail. Had the dreams and interpretations
happened much earlier, the baker, whose execution
Yosef predicted, would have been angry with Yosef.
It is very unlikely that he would have been willing
to teach him about taxes, distribution, storage,
and administration.
All of the above relates to most of Yosef's jail
stay. However, the last two years of Yosef's jail
stay were different. Those were added by G-d in
response to Yosef's mistake. The Midrash criticizes
Yosef for putting his trust in a human being, asking
the butler to use his connections with Pharoah to
get him out of jail. The last two years in jail
ended up adding another essential aspect of Yosef's
education, placing total trust in G-d and not in
a human being.
[prepared
by Eliezer Kwass]
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