Parshas Mikeitz opens with the first of Pharaoh’s dreams: “Vayehi mikeitz shenasayim yamim...” Pharaoh sees himself standing at the edge of the river and seven cows emerging. He then wakes up, falls asleep again, dreams again, and then wakes up a second time: “And behold, it was a dream.”
The Divrei Yisrael ztz”l, relating “shenasayim” to sleep, says that there are people who sleep through their entire lives, attaching significance to things that are just parts of a dream. Only when it’s too late do they wake up and realize how they have wasted their lives on the inconsequential.
This world appears so very real, and it is extremely hard to continually remind ourselves that it is a “fleeting dream,” merely the preparation for what comes afterward. But as hard as it is, it’s still so important. Otherwise, we risk passing our days chasing after things that don’t matter at all and never paying attention to what will end up making all the difference.
Just as a dreamer often finds it hard to wake himself up in the middle of a dream, so too is it a challenge for us to see through the façade and focus on genuine reality, but this is what our holy sefarim teach us is expected of us. When we understand that the alternative is waking up when it’s too late, with nothing but regret to show for long years in this world, we’ll find a way to achieve it.
When we get caught up in the here-and-now it’s easy to get distracted, but reminding ourselves of our goals and true purpose in life helps us prioritize and choose wisely. So many difficulties that we encounter, both personally, as well in our homes and relationships, can be resolved when we draw our attention back to the big picture and the really important things in life.
