Making Sense of the Sedra: Mikeitz

Hope, excitement, and “at the end of the tunnel a glimmer of light” – Joseph is finally released from prison and catapulted to high office. This all paves the way for what seems to be a bright future for the ‘Hebrews’. If one hadn’t studied our sedra, Mikeitz, in greater depth, one might be forgiven for thinking the Israelites now have it made for them.

Joseph is chosen as Egyptian viceroy – an intelligent, strong and righteous man who remembers his family, his background, and holds his heritage high in esteem. What could go wrong?

Rashi comments on the words used by the chief butler in verse 41:12 when he tells Pharaoh: “I know of a na’ar ivri, eved – a Hebrew lad, a slave – who can correctly interpret your dream.” The commentator Rashi (1040-1105, France), quoting the Midrash, observes that the butler uses extremely disparaging language in recommending Yosef professionally to the king.

Na’ar denotes someone junior and unfit for high office. The butler further describes Joseph as “a Hebrew”, ie ‘he doesn’t even know our language’, and rounds off his description by calling him “a slave”, knowing the Egyptian constitution disbars a slave from holding any state office.

Despite everything that Joseph had done for the butler in prison, he remained despised in his eyes solely on account of his Hebrew ethnic origin. The butler is willing to cut off his nose to spite his face by offering his sovereign someone with such an unattractive CV!

As we see from verse 41:45, Pharaoh is impressed with Yosef and gives him an Egyptian name: Tzofnas Pa’ne’ach; he also marries him off to Osnas. Some commentators explain that Pharaoh is thereby communicating to Yosef that the only way he can protect him from the innate racial prejudice of the Egyptians, notwithstanding his lofty position as Viceroy, was to assimilate him, and he must accordingly be wedded to Osnas, a high priest’s daughter, for nothing less would serve to protect Yosef from inevitable hostility because of his Hebraic roots.

Later, in verse 43:32, when Joseph’s brothers come down for the second time, he arranges a banquet for them, but we are told that he sat alone, his brothers sat together by themselves, whilst his Egyptian servants were seated separately. We are then informed, incredibly, that not only could the brothers not sit with Joseph (as he was too noble to sit with Hebrew commoners), but that even his Egyptian servants would not sit with him because “it is an abomination for Egyptians to eat bread with Hebrews” (Joseph’s Hebrew origin being known). How deeply ingrained this prejudice against the Hebrews must have been for him, even as Viceroy, to have been forced to endure such disrespect!

Despite the hand of God plainly visible at every juncture, the undertones of antisemitism are present even during this brief period of Hebrew supremacy. They set the scene for the horrendous future era of slavery and all the antisemitism to follow, both in our times and throughout history. It’s all the same, just clothed differently. Ein kol chadash tachat ha-shemesh! There is nothing new under the sun.