Parashat Miketz: What Was So Genius and Revolutionary About Joseph's Interpretation of Pharaoh's Dreams?

A. 'And it was at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed. And behold, he was standing by the Nile. And behold, emerging from the Nile were seven cows, of beautiful appearance and healthy flesh, and they were grazing in the marshland. And behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, of ugly appearance and lean flesh, and they stood beside the cows on the bank of the Nile. And the cows of ugly appearance and lean flesh devoured the seven cows of beautiful appearance and healthy flesh. Then Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed again, and behold, seven ears of grain came up on one stalk, fat and good. And behold, seven thin ears, scorched by the east wind, sprouted after them. And the thin ears devoured the seven fat and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream'. This is the opening and charged scene, filled with countless subtleties and interpretations, leading to an event that became formative in the life of Joseph and the people of Israel. Although we already know what happened next, let's try to enter this moment when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, awakens in the morning. 'And his spirit was troubled', entirely perturbed by the dream-revelation-nightmare he had had that night. As known, Pharaoh recounts 'his dream' to Egypt's wise men and magicians—'and there was no one to interpret them for Pharaoh'. Then the cupbearer 'remembers' the 'young Hebrew slave of the chief of the butchers' who sat with him in prison and rightly interpreted his own dream and that of the chief baker. In the next scene, from the depths to the heights: Joseph, the convicted prisoner—a foreigner who for years has been in the Egyptian consciousness due to charges of attempted rape of Potiphar's wife, a man serving his sentence in the dark basement of the prison, suddenly stands before the king in his magnificent palace as one of the senior advisors. With confidence and eloquence, Joseph arrives with a refined 'elevator speech' and courtesy words: 'It is not in me; Hashem shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace'. In his possession is an elaborate presentation—a solution to the dream and a detailed and practical economic plan. He leaves dust to his magician competitors. Pharaoh is captivated and declares: 'No one is as discerning and wise as you! You will be in charge of my palace, and through your command, all my people will be fed'. But how? What happened here?

B. Parashat Miketz synchronizes with the Hebrew calendar during the festival of Chanukah. Those who delve into the scriptures find a hint of this at the start of the parasha: 'And it was at the end of two full years'. According to them, the word 'two years'—as it is written in the Torah with one 'yud', is a sign and initials that explain the placement of the Chanukah menorah when it is placed at the entrance of the house. That is, 'two years' stands for: 'Left candle you shall place, right mezuzah'. During Chanukah, 'in the days of Matityahu, son of Yochanan, the High Priest of the Hasmonean... the wicked Greek kingdom rose against Your nation Israel'. Eventually, the situation changed, and the few triumphed over the many, the pure over the impure. Through the outcome of Chanukah, let's examine Pharaoh's dream story closely. Pharaoh was the king of the greatest power in the region. As told in the midrash, he was an educated man, balanced, and spoke many languages. He certainly knew a thing or two about managing a state, economy, and politics. He wakes up in the morning, and he knows with certainty that his dream has critical significance, but he finds no answer and solace for his soul. The interpretations of the magicians, suggesting that seven daughters will be born to him and die, or that he will conquer and be defeated before seven kingdoms, are rejected by him. The poet laureate and compiler of the 'Book of Legends'—Chaim Nachman Bialik, describes in his words what happened in the palace: 'Servants with large fans in their hands, standing and giving cool air in the hall—and yet this and those did not soothe the heart of the mighty ruler, nor bring back peace to his troubled spirit, but only Joseph's words, full of divine wisdom and great understanding... a new spirit was for all: the strange dream was solved, and the king now knows what to do'. But how? What was in the words of that prisoner, from the lowest class in all of Egypt, that convinced the highest man that he, the inexperienced and uneducated macroeconomic prisoner, would suddenly become the most important man in Egypt? What was Joseph's novelty? What did Pharaoh see in him?

C. Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel Wisser—the Malbim, enumerates three differences between Joseph's solution and the magicians' proposal. They spoke of two dreams, and Joseph spoke of one. They primarily dealt with Pharaoh's future from a personal aspect, while Joseph spoke in public-national terms. They based their proposal on 'a parable and riddle, and Joseph said it was literal, indicating grain as the simplicity of the good and bad ears'. Another layer is proposed in the book 'Antiquities of the Jews', where Josephus writes: 'Pharaoh saw in his sleep two visions and with them the solution of each, but he forgot the solution, whereas he remembered the dreams and was angry about the things he saw because they seemed to him to be somber'. It is still unclear what shook Pharaoh's world in Joseph's words. The fact that the dream was 'one' was known to Pharaoh, and it was even stated by him: 'And Pharaoh told them his dream'. Moreover—whether the fact that Joseph nailed the interpretation revealed to Pharaoh is sufficient reason to appoint him finance minister? Such an action is known to be performed even by second-year magicians in eye-trickery and sleight of hand colleges. Does the incorrect interpretation of the magicians grant special validity to the expected and necessary solution of Joseph? A wise man with international ministerial experience as finance minister and advisor in king's courts—Don Isaac Abravanel, raises another question: Why does the future Joseph predicts constitute proof of his wisdom, after all, the years of abundance and famine had not yet passed, to prove that Joseph was indeed correct. As Abravanel says: 'Before knowing whether his words would be justified or not', if so: 'What did Pharaoh see that he said to his servants, Can we find such a man as this, in whom the spirit of God is?'. Moreover, the advice Joseph presented—to gather food and store it for hard times—is quite trivial. Even today, when emergency situations are announced, everyone rushes to buy a pack of water and canned goods. Is this the insight worthy of granting Joseph—the one who just a minute ago wore ragged prison garments behind bars, the king's ring and royal attire?

D. In the introduction to his book 'Critique of Pure Reason', which appeared in 1781, the Prussian philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote the following: 'Until now it was customary for all our perceptions to conform to the objects. However, all attempts to say something a priori about them through the concepts by which our knowledge could be expanded were, under this assumption, vain attempts. Therefore, let's try once, perhaps we might progress in the work of metaphysics, by assuming that the objects must conform to our cognition... here is what happened with the thoughts of Copernicus—after the assumption that the whole host of heaven revolved around the observer, did not lead forward in explaining the motions of celestial bodies, he tried, perhaps it would succeed better, if he assumed that the observer revolves and the stars are at rest'. Kant's book and thoughts were a milestone and innovation in modern philosophy, and were mentioned, for instance, in the writings of Rabbi Kook. Kant noted that the critical theory of the Scottish philosopher David Hume awakened him 'from his dogmatic slumber'. In other words, Kant realized the need to bring about a broad perceptional change in the aims of philosophy and research. He likened it to the change made by the astronomer and mathematician Nicolaus Copernicus. In his posthumous book, Copernicus claimed that the heliocentric model was correct, not the geocentric model. His revolutionary approach was later supported by Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and others.

E. We can now begin to understand why Pharaoh was so enthusiastic about Joseph's interpretation and proposal, which to us sound quite simple and clear. The fact that Joseph knew how to interpret Pharaoh's dream is indeed not easy, but also not unique to dream interpreters and mystics as known in Pharaoh's time. The ability to interpret dreams and foretell futures were just entrance levels, a mere initial test, which Joseph successfully passed. However, such an interpretation, deciphering Pharaoh's innermost thoughts, does not earn the prestigious position of deputy ruler. If so, what excited Pharaoh? What in Joseph's words changed his entire perspective? The answer is that Joseph did not just offer Pharaoh an economic plan, but a radically different approach from the prevailing perception in Egypt. In a sense, Pharaoh's vision of the crisis and famine that would strike Egypt represented for him—the leader of the great power of his time—a revelation or vision conveying a divine decree—a destined fate about to be fulfilled. Just as the chief baker's dream foretold his death, so did Pharaoh believe there was no escape for Egypt but to economically collapse and die of hunger. The Egyptian view is deterministic; according to it: 'everything is written', predetermined, and unchangeable. Therefore, social status in Egypt could not change: born a slave—thus shall you remain. Similarly, nature in Egypt, like the Nile—the source of sustenance, is sacred. The thought that the Nile would fail and lead to drought is essentially a claim that Egypt's god can die. Moreover, the attempt to save for the years of famine might be interpreted by Pharaoh as heterodoxy—a heresy in principle, an attempt to harm and annul the gods' will. When Joseph interprets the dream—an interpretation Pharaoh seemingly knew but perhaps preferred to forget, he is horrified again. He is shocked because it officially dawned on him: Egypt is doomed to destruction, this is the decree from heaven and it cannot be reverted.

F. Therefore, when Pharaoh understands the innovation Joseph offers, the thought outside the Egyptian box, and his existential-theological proposal—to break the glass ceiling of his outdated and rigid perceptions, stands, removes his ring, and gives it to Joseph. Joseph emerges before him as the kingdom's most significant mentor, as the wisest and most discerning man suitable to lead the land of Egypt. He seemingly awards Joseph the 'Egyptian Breakthrough Award in Economics,' because Joseph's economic proposal isn't about money or food. It's an inspiring, comforting, and hopeful mental revolution. Fundamentally, it's the movement: from determinism to free choice. Slowly, the 'penny drops' for Pharaoh. He is required to shed the intellectual chains binding his mind. He awakens from his deterministic slumber. Thanks to Joseph, he grasps the understanding that a man's task is not to accept reality as it is, or the doom prophecy as it is, nor the socioeconomic status and the various data one was born into. 'Calamity' and negative prophecies, as the Rambam writes in Hilchot Yesodei Torah, can be annulled through repentance and correction. Therefore, Joseph tells Pharaoh: there is no commandment to wallow in suffering, but rather to uplift. Pharaoh's dream, Joseph explains, is not intended to seal his downfall, but to hasten him to make a turn in his deeds and recalculate his course. Man is tasked to make changes in reality, to prevent disasters, and to improve—this is his role. Therefore, not only is it not heresy to gather food, but it's a mission and an analogy for the primary task: to act proactively, responsibly, and creatively—to promote good and human well-being, to advance the world of medicine, agriculture, ecology, charitable organizations, institutions of justice and fairness, with the aim of making the world even better and better. Joseph—who was twice thrown into a pit in his life, who exchanged his striped garment for prisoner uniforms, then again to special clothes given to him by Potiphar, and again to neglected prisoner clothes, now receives genuine princely attire—'noble garments', serves as a living example that it's inappropriate to assess things solely by their appearance, the way they appear to us in the 'world of phenomena' in Kant's terms. We must deepen and understand their inner meaning, and like Joseph, 'adds on and progresses', continue to dream. And know, that being in a pit—whether spiritual, emotional, economic, or physical, does not constitute fate or a dead end. There are miracles and wonders. The few can also defeat the many. And even a person perceived in relation to nature's forces, and sometimes even in the eyes of others, as a simple, small, and uninfluential creature, can make revolutions, correct, and add light to the world.

Dr. Roi Cohen holds a PhD in Philosophy from the Hebrew University, is a lawyer and mediator, producer, director, and content creator.