Moshe Ben-Chaim
This week’s Parshas Miketz describes Joseph’s ascension to power. Upon his appointment, the Torah describes the 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine. But midstream in the Torah’s narration of those years, the Torah states the following:
“And unto Joseph were born two sons prior to the
years of famine, whom Asnas, daughter of Poti Phera priest of Ohn bore to him.
And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Mennashe, “For God has caused me to
forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of his second he
called Ephraim, “For God has made me prosperous in the land of my affliction”.
Then, without a beat, the Torah continues right where it left off, “And the 7 years of plenty ended in the land of Egypt”.
For what reason did God deem it proper to interrupt the description of the years of plenty and the years of famine? What are the ideas contained in Joseph’s sons’ names? And why mention them here?
Family First
Joseph called his firstborn Mennashe. The root refers to “forgetting”. Evidently, Joseph shouldered his pains of home life for over 13 years after being sold: he was sold at 17, and rose to power at 30. But clearly, his sibling rivalry only ‘ended’ at his sale at 17 years of age. However, his troubles preceded that age. And it was not until he had sons that he expressed a reprieve from his concerns with his toil, and his home life.
It appears that Joseph’s life’s focus was not shifted upon his ascension to power. He expresses – at that point – a release, in the form of “forgetting his past troubles”. And as he mentions this release in connection with his firstborn, we learn that this release came from starting his own family.
Joseph was not one to become ecstatic with power. He tells his brothers this later, when he states, “God sent me to Egypt to provide”. He takes no credit, nor does he indulge in his power. Joseph always placed family first. The reason being that his interpersonal life defined him – not his successes or his monetary life. Interpersonal affairs are where man is engaged in correct morality, education, and perfection: both for himself, and others. It is where he can draw close to God, through perfecting his morality. True, man must be moral in business, but there is the element of ulterior motive. But interpersonal life provided no other motive to Joseph. This sphere of life is where he helped others, learned from them, and taught them. Even when in power, Joseph’s mindset was relating to the release of his focus on home life and its pains, but he didn’t shift into a power mode. He immediately named his firstborn in relation to interpersonal life. It was precisely because he now commenced his own home life through a first son, that he expressed a release from his former home life. Only a new interpersonal life would remove him from his former one. Now, Joseph was embarking upon a new facet of his interpersonal life – the life he valued over success or power.
Interruption: for Contrast
This is why God interrupted the narration of the affairs of the state of Egypt. It is to contrast for us – the Torah reader – the great level of Joseph. Power did not shift his attention from the real value of interpersonal life. We decipher this section’s apparent interruption like this, “All the while Egypt prospered, and suffered, Joseph’s mindset was focused firmly on his family life”.
Even during all that time before rising to power, Joseph’s focus was his previous home life. From where did his pains emerge? I would surmise that he felt troubled for himself, and for his brothers’ sins. And he addressed this when they descended to Egypt. We know he cared greatly to reenact their sale of him, by imprisoning Benjamin. This was done so as to offer the brothers a duplicate case where they could now fully repent. Full repentance is only when we act properly, in a new, duplicate case in which we previously we erred. (Maimonides)
Joseph named his second son based on his newfound success. For this, it is truly worthy to praise God. Success is a blessing. Joseph was a slave for 11 years at Poti Phera’s home, and a prisoner in jail for 2 years. This he referred to as “the land of my affliction”. He then was promoted to viceroy. But we see that this praise of his success came after his address of his interpersonal sphere. Joseph prioritized his praises to God. Although success is not the ends, but the means; nonetheless, it is praiseworthy. And we see that it was not success per se that Joseph praised, since he says he was successful, “in the land of my affliction”. He was thankful for the removal of pain, not for the power as an end.
What is your focus? Determine it by comparing the amount if time you spend in each pursuit.