Know Where You Stand- Parshat Miketz

                                                  

         In this weeks parsha, parshat Miketz Pharoh has two dreams and needed someone to interpret them. The wine steward recommended Yoseph to Paroh. Yoseph was immediately taken out of prison and he shaved and changed his clothes before he came to Pharoh. Yoseph didn't want to get cleaned up because before he was put into prison he was very into his looks and how his hair looked so for as a rectification- tikkun he didn't want to look beautiful like he did when he was about to sin. However, since he saw his father Yaakov it prevented him from doing the act thinking it is what Hashem wants of him to do. Even though that time Yoseph felt a state of confusion whether he was to be with Potiphars wife or not he didn't know what the correct move was to make until he saw his fathers face. Yaakov was all about Emet- truth so right away Yosef knew it was wrong and he ran the other direction. We can many things from this act that Yoseph did. No matter where a person finds himself he always needs to remember "Who am I?" When a person is giving himself that constant awareness he will make sure not fall spiritually. Yoseph then interprets Pharos dreams that the first seven years Egypt will be plentiful and the seven years after that there will be a famine. Pharoh was getting worried and didn't know who to appoint to make sure that there will be food for the following seven years when there will be a famine. So, Pharoh decided to make Yoseph viceroy over Egypt. Yosephs brothers come down to Egypt to bring back food for their families. When Yoseph saw his brothers he accussed them of being spies and the brothers understood why this was happening to them. Since they did not pay any attention to Yoseph when he was being sold so too, in return they werent getting the attention that they need. Instead of Yoseph giving them food for their families and assisting them with their needs he is trying to show them that he is their brother Yoseph that they sold into slavery. The brothers took the situation and searched their souls and looked within themselves for the cause of their misfortune. When a person is admitting their fault usually what happens is that they will admit that they were wrong but then justify themselves and say "but..." When a person does proper Teshuva his averot-sins turn into reward. We learn another tremendous lesson, we need to be very careful with the words that come out of our mouth and the actions that we do because if we somehow pained another Jew Hashem doesn't forget He will remind you of the pain you caused the other person- middah keneged midda- what goes around comes around.