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Parshat Miketz, Shabbat Chanukah December 24, 2022 30 Kislev, 5783
Rabbi Sacks on Miketz

TORAH Mikketz represents the most being centre-stage for much of At the age of 30, Joseph is
sudden and radical
the most powerful man in
the time, Joseph was not in
ARTSCROLL 222 transformation in the Torah. control. the region, and his
HERTZ 155 Joseph, in a single day, administrative competence
moves from zero to hero, Suddenly this changes, totally is total. He travels round
from forgotten, languishing
the country, arranges for
and definitively. Joseph has
HAFTORAH prisoner to viceroy of Egypt, been asked to interpret collection of the grain, and
ARTSCROLL 1210 the most powerful man in the Pharaoh’s dreams. But he does ensures that it is stored
HERTZ 987 land, in control of the nation’s far more than that. First he safely. There is so much
economy. interprets the dreams. Second, that, in the Torah’s words,

he stops keeping records
he maps that onto reality.
Until now, Joseph has rarely These were not just dreams. because it is beyond
Times been the author of events. He They are about the Egyptian measure. When the years
economy in the course of the
of plenty are over, his
has been the done to rather
(Monday Edition) than the doer; passive rather next 14 years. And they are position becomes even
Week of 12/18 than active; object rather about to become true now. more powerful. Everyone
than subject. First his father, Then, having made this turns to him for food.
then his brothers, then the prediction, he diagnoses the Pharaoh himself commands
Mon-Fri 6:30/7:45am
Midianites and Ishmaelites, problem. The people will starve the people, “Go to Joseph
then Potiphar and his wife, and do what he tells you.”
during the seven years of
Mincha 4:15pm then the prison warden, have famine. Next, with a stroke of
all directed his life. Among sheer genius, he solves the So far, so good. And at this
Shabbat 12/24 the most important things in problem. Store a fifth of the point the narrative shifts
that life had been dreams, produce during the years of from Joseph, viceroy of
Candle Lighting 4:13pm but dreams are things that plenty, and it will then be Egypt, controller of its
happened to you, not things available to stave off starvation economy, to Joseph, son of
Early Mincha 3:00pm you choose. during the lean years. Jacob, and his relationship
Mincha 4:15pm with the brothers who, 22
What is decisive is the way Margaret Thatcher was reported years earlier, had sold him
Hashkama 8:00am last week’s parsha ends. as having said, of another as a slave. It is this story
Parsha Shiur 8:30am Having given a favourable Jewish adviser, Lord (David) that will dominate the next
interpretation to the dream of Young, “Other people bring me few chapters, rising to a
Main 9:00am the chief butler, predicting problems, David brings me climax in Judah’s speech at
Youth 9:00am that he would be restored to solutions.” That was the beginning of the next
office, and realising that he magnificently true in the case of parsha.
Beit Midrash 9:15am would soon be in a position to Joseph, and we have no
have Joseph’s case re- difficulty understanding the One effect of this is that it
Gemara Shiur 3:40pm
examined and Joseph himself response of the Egyptian court: tends to move Joseph’s
Mincha 4:10pm set free, the butler “did not “The plan seemed good to political and administrative
remember Joseph, and forgot Pharaoh and to all his activity into the
Shabbat Ends 5:23pm him.” Joseph’s most officials. So Pharaoh asked background. But if we read
determined attempt to them, ‘Can we find anyone like it carefully – not just how it
change the direction of fate this man, one in whom is the begins, but how it continues
Latest Times for
Shema/Shemoneh Esrei comes to nothing. Despite spirit of God?’” (Gen. 41:37-38) – we discover something

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December 24 9:35/10:22am
Diane & David Rein
December 31 9:38/10:25am
In Memory Of His Father
Dr. Howard Rein, z”l
on the Occasion of his 6th Yahrzeit