On Shabbos Parshas Miketz, 27 Kislev, 5734, December 22, 1973, the Lubavitcher Rebbe presented the following possible explanation of Joseph's interpretation of Pharoah's dreams.
When Joseph proceeded to tell Pharaoh how to prepare for the coming famine, he was not offering him unwelcome advice on how to run his country; rather, the advice was part of the interpretation of the dream. Joseph understood that the coexistence of the two sets of cows in the dream contained the solution to the approaching famine: During the years of plenty Egypt must "live" with the consciousness and awareness of the years of famine as though they were already present. Even while enjoying the abundance of the years of plenty, Egypt must experience in its imagination the reality of the upcoming famine, and each and every day store away food for it. The seven lean cows ought to be very much present and alive in people's minds and in their behaviors during the era of the seven fat cows. Conversely, if this system was implemented in Egypt, then even during the years of famine the nation would continue enjoying the abundance of the years of plenty. The seven fat cows would be very much present and alive even during the era of the seven lean cows.
This is what impressed Pharaoh so deeply about Joseph's interpretation. What thrilled him was Joseph's demonstration that Pharaoh's dreams not only contained a prediction of future events, but also offered instructions on how to deal with those events. The dreams did not only portend problems, but also offered solutions.
Many people can tell you all about the pending problems. Joseph’s uniqueness was that within the very dream which predicted the crisis he can perceive the solution.
Do You Need G-d? Do You Have a Real Friend?
The wisdom of Joseph's presentation to Pharaoh becomes strikingly clear when we reflect on the spiritual message behind the stor y.
All of us experience cycles of plenty and of famine in our lives. There are times when things are going very well: We are healthy, successful, and comfortable. Often during such times, we fail to invest time and energy to cultivate genuine emotional intimacy with our spouse, to develop real relationships with our children, to bond deeply with friends, and to create a sincere bond with G-d. We feel self-sufficient and don't need anybody in our lives.
Yet when a time of famine arrives, when a crisis erupts (heaven forbid) in our lives we suddenly feel the need to reach out beyond ourselves and connect with our loved ones and with G-d.
But we don't know how to. Because when we do not nurture our relationships and our inner vulnerability during our years of plenty, when the years of famine confront us, we lack the tools we desperately need to survive the crisis.
This is the essence of Joseph's wisdom: You must never detach the years of plenty from the years of famine. When you experience plenty, do not let it blind your vision and desensitize you from what is important in life. The priorities you cultivate during your "good times" should be of the kind that will sustain you during your challenging times as well. If you are investing your time and energy in things that will prove futile when the climate of your life changes and will not hold you up when challenges come, you might want to re-examine your present choices. Why wait for the day you will have to say, "If I would have only realized”?
Rabbi YY Jacobson
