Mikeitz

In this parsha

Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt cows swallowing seven healthy ones, and seven withered ears of grain devouring seven full ones. Summoned from prison, Joseph interprets the dreams as seven years of plenty followed by seven of famine, and Pharaoh appoints him viceroy over Egypt. When the famine strikes, Joseph's brothers come down to buy grain and, not recognizing him, bow before him. He accuses them of spying, detains Simeon, and insists they bring Benjamin. On their return he hosts them, then hides his goblet in Benjamin's sack to frame him for theft.

Themes

• Light overcoming darkness
• The hidden primordial light
• Rising above time
• Trust in Hashem alone
• Renewal and rising from the pit
• Chanukah: praise and renewed kingship

Must-read teachings

1. 1Light Overcoming Darkness“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness … as long as the evil inclination exists …’ although darkness comes from the absence of light.” The Sefat Emet begins by explaining that what we call ‘darkness’ is essentially the lack of revealed…תרמ"א
2. 2Light Within DarknessIn the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness,” etc. The Sefat Emet opens with the Midrashic principle that darkness is bounded by divine intention. For the Holy One created all things, and to darkness He set a limit, for it exists only to cov…תרמ"ב
3. 3Shabbat’s Inner Light RevealedIn the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness,” etc. The Sefat Emet begins by invoking the Midrashic principle that darkness is limited by divine decree. We have written many times that all darkness comes because the governance of this world i…תר"נ
4. 4Light Overcoming DarknessIn the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness”—He gave a time to the world; as long as the evil inclination is in the world, there is gloom and shadow; once the evil inclination is removed, there is no darkness. The Sefat Emet begins by teachi…תרנ"ט
5. 5Divine Source of PowerThe lesson we need to learn from the story of the days of plenty followed by the days of famine, is that one needs to prepare oneself on the good days when the holiness is revealed to him. (everyone has good days and worse days). One needs…תרל"א
6. 6Good and Evil Intermixed“In the Midrash: ‘He set an end to darkness,’ etc.” The Sefat Emet opens by citing the Midrash that speaks of an endpoint placed upon darkness. “Deep gloom and shadow of death, etc.” These terms refer to the various gradations of concealmen…תרל"ה
7. 7Transcending Time Through HolinessIn the Midrash: “He set an end to darkness; He gave the world a set time for how long it will act in obscurity.” The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash, which teaches that God fixed a limit to the world’s condition of hiddenness and sp…תרמ"ט
8. 8Rising From the Pit“And they rushed him out of the pit. In the Zohar: into the pit he descended, and they cast him into the pit.” The Sefat Emet begins by tying Yosef’s descent into the pit to the Zohar’s teaching that a soul descends into constriction before…תרל"ו