Parsha Talk Miketz 5786 2025

Parashat Mi-ketz [Genesis 41:1-44::17] is the second parashah in the extended Joseph saga, which stretches over 4 parashiyot, taking us to the end of Genesis in two weeks. This year, it coincides with Rosh Hodesh and Hanukkah, an occurrence which happens with some frequency. In 1991, this triple Torah header took place on the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and my senior sermon. It allowed me to begin by noting this was the Jewish version of Torah Torah Torah. I spoke then of the butler’s confession, et hatta’i ani mazkir ha-yom, My sins I mention today. The midrash pays attention to the plural, sins, noting that the butler sinned against Pharaoh, which caused him to be sent to jail, and he sinned against Joseph by letting him languish in jail after promising to mention him at the end of last week’s parashah. It occurred to me only recently that the butler had in mind his sin against Joseph does not make a great deal sense; what is the value of a public confession when the person sinned against is not even present. Rather, I now think, the butler recognized that his sins against Pharaoh were more numerous than he previously acknowledged. We often see ourselves as more sinned against than sinning, more deserving of being forgiven than forgiving those who have wronged us. In this reading, the butler is more worthy of praise because he is taking on more responsibility, rather than less. Our conversation focused on the character of Joseph, in someways the quintessential diaspora Jew, yearning to be at home and never quite fitting in. He is also one of the more fully drawn characters in the Bible, and his portrait is quite complex. We hope you enjoy it! We continue to keep in mind the one hostage whose body has yet to be returned, may he be returned speedily to his family. We also have in mind the soldiers defending Israel as members of the Israel Defense Forces. Shabbat Shalom. Hodesh Tov. Hag Urim Same’ah.