Joseph: Not a Ruler, Always a Slave

I want to tell you a story about Joseph, the hero who saved his father and brothers from starvation. I also will tell you a story that began with our slavery in Egypt … and whose ramifications made our plight much, much worse.

In the beginning, Joseph rose to power in Pharoah’s court by interpreting two dreams. Anyone remember what they were?

In Pharaoh’s dream, he stood by the river Nile. Seven fat cows came up from the river. Then, seven skinny, sick-looking cows came up. And the skinny ones ate the fat ones!

Pharaoh awoke.

However, Pharaoh fell back asleep and dreamed again. This time, seven plump ears of grain came up on a stalk. BUT – seven wind-blasted, scrawny ears came up and … devoured the plump ears.

Again, Pharaoh awoke … in a cold sweat. These dreams needed interpretation! Suppose they were a bad open?

NONE of his wise men could help. Which is how Joseph got released from years of imprisonment and interpreted the dreams.

Joseph then assured Pharaoh that he – Joseph – could not interpret dreams on his own. He relied on God for help.

After carefully listening to the dreams, Joseph spoke: God was warning Pharaoh. The seven healthy cows and grain were seven years of plenty. The seven scrawny – dangerous – cows and grains represented seven years of dire famine.

Next, Joseph – this young man – a slave – fresh out of prison, advises Pharaoh. Listen carefully:
“Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty…. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine."

Pharaoh appointed Joseph to head the operation. .You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you.

Warning bells should already be going off. Potiphar – his first Egyptian master – also put him in charge of his estate. However, even the most powerful slave is still a mere slave. Joseph was subject to the whims of both Potiphar … and Potiphar’s wife.

Joseph naturally – happily – took the position Pharaoh offered. But … when other people own you … you are in danger of losing ownership … of yourself.
Like Potiphar, Pharaoh could raise him up – and just as easily crush Joseph if he failed.

Here’s the food proposal in a nutshell: for the first seven years, every Egyptian would “pay” a tax of 20% -- not money, but they’d give 20% of their food to Pharaoh. The people would get THEIR OWN food back during the famine.
But royalty and power breed corruption and greed.
Perhaps Joseph could have insisted that it was not fair to sell the people their own food. Fair is fair!

But Joseph was still a slave. Despite the royal trappings, Pharaoh owned him.
And thus, Joseph sold their food back to them.

And when they ran out of money?

Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you food for your cattle, if your money is gone.

And when they ran out of animals?

The people said: We will not hide it from my lord that our money is spent; my lord also has our herds of cattle; there is nothing left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands; Why shall we die before your eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
Historical records from that time period are scant. What we do know: in that time period, Egyptians stopped owning their own land. Everything passed into the hands of the king. Only the priests were exempt. Note, Joseph’s own father in law was a priest.

Making matters worse for the Egyptians, Joseph oversaw their re-settlement from their land to other cities, often far from their homes.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we can’t forget about Jacob and his sons! First we hear they’re living in Goshen. Then we hear they’re settled in a town named Ramses. In Exodus, we’ll hear again about the city of Ramses. Then, it will be the scene of brutal oppression, forced labor.

But for now, they have plenty. Joseph took good care of them and gave them good land. The brothers watched over their cattle and sheep and they – we, the Jews – flourished there.

But while our ancestors flourished, the Egyptians were starving and selling themselves as slaves.

DID Joseph have a choice?

We can’t forget, he was still a slave. Despite his money and new-found privilege, he functioned at the whim of the king.

What would have been the consequences if Joseph had just said: this isn’t fair, why should the people pay at all? It’s theirs! …

Joseph probably would have been thrown back in prison … his family probably with him … someone else would have taken his place at Pharaoh’s side.

It’s not a good answer. This SHOULD NOT make us comfortable.

Slaves don’t have the luxury of making the right moral choices.

The nano-second the brothers sold Joseph into slavery, they set in motion our own brutal slavery as a people.

Actions have consequences. Our culture tells us that everything can be forgiven and forgotten. People don’t sin anymore, and the most disgusting actions can easily be rationalized.

But actions have consequences.

In our case, it took hundreds of years … and God’s intervention to make us free.

We’re still not really free. Joseph’s saga teaches us what freedom REALLY means –
· it’s the ability to make the right moral choices.
· It’s the freedom to live rooted in God and Torah …
· Above all, it’s the discernment to recognize that our every action will have a consequence … often unintended … and not always bad … but one misdeed today can ripple into hundreds of years of misery.

But this also means something great! One good deed … can ripple through eternity … every good deed has the potential for goodness we cannot imagine…
That is the lesson … and hope … we learn from Joseph.