[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] Commentary on Parshat Va'yeishev

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

When I sent out my midrash on Judith and Tamar for Hanukkah yesterday I
wrote in the subject heading "A Little Extra for Hanukkah." I wrote
that because I thought I had already sent out my d'var Torah commentary
for this week. I just realized that this was not the case.
So here it is. Better late than never!
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameakh (Happy Festival of Lights),

Steven

-----------------------


This week's parashah is Va'yeishev (Genesis/Bereshit 37:1 – 39:23)and
it is the beginning of the story of Joseph. Though Joseph is not
technically one of the patriarchs (that designation is limited to
Abraham,Isaac and Jacob) his story is significantly longer and more
detailed than the narratives describing the lives of his predecessors.
Joseph's story also serves as a transition from the
Patriarchal/Matriarchal period to the nation-building period that
begins with the slavery and redemption narrative in the book of
Shemot/Exodus. But the Joseph narrative is also compelling in its own
right, for the Torah's authors give us glimpses into the character of
Joseph that they do not provide for the previous generations.


In the beginning of the parashah we read of Jacob's favoritism towards
Joseph and how his brothers hated Joseph because of this. Joseph and
Jacob are both aware of this, and yet Joseph does not hesitate to tell
his brothers of him dreams, which imply that they will some day bow
down to him.

Then, in Chapter 37, verse 13, Jacob asks Joseph to go out to the
fields where his brothers are pasturing the sheep in order to check on
them. This is a strange request, since Jacob knew of the brothers'
hatred of Joseph. However, it is Joseph's response to his father that
fascinates me. After Jacob says "Come, I will send you to them" Joseph
simply responds "Hineni." This literally means, "Here I am," though it
is also understood as "I am ready." What fascinates me is that, with
only one other exception, the word Hineni is used in the Torah only as
a response to a Divine call. Two primary examples are Abraham's
response when God calls him and then commands him to take Isaac as a
sacrifice and when God calls to Moses from the Burning Bush.

A common technique of rabbinic exegesis, or exploration of text, is to
use a word, especially a unique one, to connect various passages from
the Bible with one another. Joseph's use of Hineni cries out for this.

Both Abraham and Moses responded to God "Hineni" when they were about
to be asked to embark on a difficult, life-changing and somewhat
dangerous journey. And though Moses may have seemed slightly more
reluctant to go on his journey, both men ultimately begin their
journeys into the unknown with faith in God and in the holy nature of
their task - as well as the knowledge of the risk involved.


I believe the same is true of Joseph. Though the response "Hineni" is
to his father, I believe he is also aware on some level that he is
responding to God. The entire Joseph narrative may at first seem to be
totally "secular" in nature. God does not speak or intervene as in the
earlier narratives of the patriarchs and matriarchs or the later Moses
narratives. And yet, when Joseph reveals his true identity to his
brothers in Egypt, at the climax of the narrative he tells them that
his journey was part of God's plan and that it was God who sent him to
Egypt in the first place.

Joseph has the ability to interpret dreams, which implies that God has
given him a degree of prophetic vision. So it is within the realm of
possibility that he had the prophetic vision to know what was about to
happen to him. He may well have been aware that he was about to embark
on a journey that was part of God's plan. If so, we don't know if he
was at all reticent to embark
on this journey. There certainly must have been some fear or reticence
as he set out to meet the brother who hated him out in the fields
without anyone there to protect him. However, even if there was
reticence or fear on his part, as I believe there is for anyone
embarking on such a journey, he was still prepared to respond "Hineni."

I believe that each of us has a bit of this Joseph in us. For each of
us is a dreamer and each of us must also be prepared to journey into
the unknown. For every moment yet to come is always unknown. I also
would like to believe that each of us, like Joseph, as well as Abraham
and Moses, could see ourselves as part of "God's plan," however one
chooses to define that.

In order to see ourselves in this light we each must be able to
state "Hineni" when we are called. More often than not, the call is not
in the form of a voice from heaven, or even a parent or authority
figure. Rather,in each moment, we have the ability to hear a call from
within – the call of God – telling us that it is time to take the next
step on our journey. Unfortunately, the noise in our lives – both
internal and external – often prevents us from hearing that call.

Yet, if we can truly be present in the moment and aware of what is
within us then it is possible to hear that voice. Yet, that is only the
first step. For after hearing the call we then must decide if we
are going to ignore it or respond to it.

To respond to the voice means to truly hear what it is saying. By
paying attention to the voice that arises within and then truly
listening we can then answer the call. However, we must also notice if
we are responding or reacting. For by reacting we do not answer the
call based on listening it, but instead we act based on assumptions,
habits and compulsions that we have built
up within us.

To react is to answer from a place of being not in the present, but
rather being caught up in our past or in worrying about our future.
What Joseph, Moses and Abraham were all able to do was respond both to
the present and from the present, regardless of what might have
happened in the past or what fears they might have about the future.
That is the essence of "Hineni".

May we each have the courage to be in the moment and say "Hineni" when
we hear the call from within, no matter how afraid we might be to take
the next step. May we each remember that we are part of something
greater than ourselves. And may the sense of connection with our
source, help us to follow in the footsteps of Joseph and so many others
to continue our journey, step by step, to bring healing, wholeness and
compassion to our world.

Shabbat Shalom.


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Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 12/12/2009 02:59:00 PM
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