Please note that if a text is ever marked TIER II, that means it is a bit more challenging- so you can know that prior to reading. Let's dive right in!
In this week's parsha, Joseph is finally brought before Pharoah. Pharoah is impressed with Joseph's talents- take a look below!
(טו) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְתִּי וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַאֲנִ֗י שָׁמַ֤עְתִּי עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תִּשְׁמַ֥ע חֲל֖וֹם לִפְתֹּ֥ר אֹתֽוֹ׃ (טז) וַיַּ֨עַן יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֱלֹקִ֕ים יַעֲנֶ֖ה אֶת־שְׁל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹֽה׃
(15) And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it, but I have heard it said of you [that] you understand a dream, to interpret it."(16) And Joseph replied to Pharaoh, saying, "Not I; God will give an answer [that will bring] peace to Pharaoh."
(Translation from Chabad.org)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What talent does Pharoah believe Joseph possesses?
2. Does Joseph agree he has that talent?
3. Who does Joseph say is the source of his talent?
4. Why do you think Joseph said this?
Is Joseph just being modest because he's in front of the ruler of Egypt? If we look back at last week's Parsha, we will see that actually Joseph is consistent when he speaks about his talents. This next scene takes place when the butler and the baker appear in jail alongside Joseph.
(ו) וַיָּבֹ֧א אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיַּ֣רְא אֹתָ֔ם וְהִנָּ֖ם זֹעֲפִֽים׃ (ז) וַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת־סְרִיסֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אִתּ֧וֹ בְמִשְׁמַ֛ר בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֛וּעַ פְּנֵיכֶ֥ם רָעִ֖ים הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ח) וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְנוּ וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא לֵֽאלֹקִים֙ פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים סַפְּרוּ־נָ֖א לִֽי׃
(6) And Joseph came to them in the morning, and he saw them and behold, they were troubled. (7) And he asked Pharaoh's chamberlains who were with him in the prison of his master's house, saying, "Why are your faces sad today?" (8) And they said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell [them] to me now."
(Translation from Chabad.org)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Last week, we talked about how Joseph was kind enough to reach out even while he was in distress (after having been put in jail because of a lie). When he does reach out, who does he say will have the interpretation for the dream?
2. Why do you think Joseph mentions God?
Joseph consistently shows that he recognizes the true source of his talent for interpreting dreams- God. But why is it significant to consistently point out and show recognition that one's talent comes from God? Let's look at a different source that will shed some light on this. This is from Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy) and appears when Moses makes a speech reminding Bnei Yisrael of their history and how they need to act when they enter the land of Israel.
(י) וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃ (יא) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (יב) פֶּן־תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ (יג) וּבְקָֽרְךָ֤ וְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ יִרְבְּיֻ֔ן וְכֶ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב יִרְבֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ יִרְבֶּֽה׃ (יד) וְרָ֖ם לְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ֛ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃ (טו) הַמּוֹלִ֨יכְךָ֜ בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּדֹ֣ל וְהַנּוֹרָ֗א נָחָ֤שׁ ׀ שָׂרָף֙ וְעַקְרָ֔ב וְצִמָּא֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֵֽין־מָ֑יִם הַמּוֹצִ֤יא לְךָ֙ מַ֔יִם מִצּ֖וּר הַֽחַלָּמִֽישׁ׃ (טז) הַמַּֽאֲכִ֨לְךָ֥ מָן֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן עַנֹּֽתְךָ֗ וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ נַסֹּתֶ֔ךָ לְהֵיטִֽבְךָ֖ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ׃ (יז) וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה׃ (יח) וְזָֽכַרְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ כִּ֣י ה֗וּא הַנֹּתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חָ֑יִל לְמַ֨עַן הָקִ֧ים אֶת־בְּרִית֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ {פ}
(10) And you will eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord, your God, for the good land He has given you. (11) Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, your God, by not keeping His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes, which I command you this day, (12) lest you eat and be full, and build good houses and dwell therein, (13) and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and all that you have increases, (14) and your heart grows haughty, and you forget the Lord, your God, Who has brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, (15) Who led you through that great and awesome desert, [in which were] snakes, vipers and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought water for you out of solid rock, (16) Who fed you with manna in the desert, which your forefathers did not know, in order to afflict you and in order to test you, to benefit you in your end, (17) and you will say to yourself, "My strength and the might of my hand that has accumulated this wealth for me." (18) But you must remember the Lord your God, for it is He that gives you strength to make wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your forefathers, as it is this day.
(Translation from Chabad.org)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What were some of the miracles and wonders that Hashem did for Bnei Yisrael (described in the above verses)?
2. When people start to have a good life, is it easy for them to remember Hashem? Why yes or no?
3. What might people say after they have gotten used to their good life?
4. How come people might forget Hashem and think they did everything themselves once things are going well for them?
5. What is it important for us to remember?
6. How can these ideas connect to bigger ideas about the importance of thanks and appreciation (especially since we just celebrated Thanksgiving?)
7. Is there something you are thankful for that you recognize comes from God? What is it?
We see that Joseph recognizes that his talent for dream interpretation comes from God. But do we see other people in Judaism who have talents that come from God?
Before we read further...can YOU think of some examples of people in the Torah, Navi or beyond who have talents that come from God?
After you have come up with your own ideas, below are some examples...
BEZALEL
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) רְאֵ֖ה קָרָ֣אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה׃ (ג) וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃ (ד) לַחְשֹׁ֖ב מַחֲשָׁבֹ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת בַּזָּהָ֥ב וּבַכֶּ֖סֶף וּבַנְּחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (ה) וּבַחֲרֹ֥שֶׁת אֶ֛בֶן לְמַלֹּ֖את וּבַחֲרֹ֣שֶׁת עֵ֑ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses: (2) See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. (3) I have filled him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft; (4) to make designs for work in gold, silver, and copper, (5) to cut stones for setting and to carve wood—to work in every kind of craft.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Do you know who Bezalel is? What famous structure did he design and build?
(If you don't know...the answer is, the Mishkan/ Tabernacle! God gave Bezalel incredible powers to build, design and work with materials. If you are interested in becoming an architect, engineer or designer- Bezalel was one of the first!)
2. Bezalel could have done anything with his building talents. However, he specifically used them to build the Mishkan. Why do you think this was?
Another example arises with the famous King Solomon. When Solomon was still a young boy, God appeared to him in a dream and asked him something...
(ה) בְּגִבְע֗וֹן נִרְאָ֧ה ה' אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֔ים שְׁאַ֖ל מָ֥ה אֶתֶּן־לָֽךְ׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אַתָּ֨ה עָשִׂ֜יתָ עִם־עַבְדְּךָ֨ דָוִ֣ד אָבִי֮ חֶ֣סֶד גָּדוֹל֒ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ הָלַ֨ךְ לְפָנֶ֜יךָ בֶּאֱמֶ֧ת וּבִצְדָקָ֛ה וּבְיִשְׁרַ֥ת לֵבָ֖ב עִמָּ֑ךְ וַתִּשְׁמׇר־ל֗וֹ אֶת־הַחֶ֤סֶד הַגָּדוֹל֙ הַזֶּ֔ה וַתִּתֶּן־ל֥וֹ בֵ֛ן יֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסְא֖וֹ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (ז) וְעַתָּה֙ ה' אֱלֹקָ֔י אַתָּה֙ הִמְלַ֣כְתָּ אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ תַּ֖חַת דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑י וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ נַ֣עַר קָטֹ֔ן לֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע צֵ֥את וָבֹֽא׃ (ח) וְעַ֨בְדְּךָ֔ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמְּךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחָ֑רְתָּ עַם־רָ֕ב אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יִמָּנֶ֛ה וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב׃ (ט) וְנָתַתָּ֨ לְעַבְדְּךָ֜ לֵ֤ב שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט אֶֽת־עַמְּךָ֔ לְהָבִ֖ין בֵּֽין־ט֣וֹב לְרָ֑ע כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֔ט אֶת־עַמְּךָ֥ הַכָּבֵ֖ד הַזֶּֽה׃ (י) וַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י אדושם כִּ֚י שָׁאַ֣ל שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֜ים אֵלָ֗יו יַ֩עַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁאַ֜לְתָּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה וְלֹא־שָׁאַ֨לְתָּ לְּךָ֜ יָמִ֣ים רַבִּ֗ים וְלֹֽא־שָׁאַ֤לְתָּ לְּךָ֙ עֹ֔שֶׁר וְלֹ֥א שָׁאַ֖לְתָּ נֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁאַ֧לְתָּ לְּךָ֛ הָבִ֖ין לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (יב) הִנֵּ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתִי כִּדְבָרֶ֑יךָ הִנֵּ֣ה ׀ נָתַ֣תִּֽי לְךָ֗ לֵ֚ב חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמ֙וֹךָ֙ לֹא־הָיָ֣ה לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְאַחֲרֶ֖יךָ לֹא־יָק֥וּם כָּמֽוֹךָ׃ (יג) וְגַ֨ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־שָׁאַ֙לְתָּ֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לָ֔ךְ גַּם־עֹ֖שֶׁר גַּם־כָּב֑וֹד אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹֽא־הָיָ֨ה כָמ֥וֹךָֽ אִ֛ישׁ בַּמְּלָכִ֖ים כׇּל־יָמֶֽיךָ׃ (יד) וְאִ֣ם ׀ תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בִּדְרָכַ֗י לִשְׁמֹ֤ר חֻקַּי֙ וּמִצְוֺתַ֔י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלַ֖ךְ דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֑יךָ וְהַאֲרַכְתִּ֖י אֶת־יָמֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
(5) At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask, what shall I give to you?” (6) Solomon said, “You dealt most graciously with Your servant my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and in integrity of heart. You have continued this great kindness to him by giving him a son to occupy his throne, as is now the case. (7) And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David; but I am a young lad, with no experience in leadership.-a (8) Your servant finds himself in the midst of the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. (9) Grant, then, Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to distinguish between good and bad; for who can judge this vast people of Yours?” (10) The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. (11) And God said to him, “Because you asked for this—you did not ask for long life, you did not ask for riches, you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for understanding in giving out justice— (12) I now do as you have spoken. I grant you a wise and understanding heart; there has never been anyone like you before, nor will anyone like you arise again. (13) And I also grant you what you did not ask for—both riches and glory all your life—the like of which no king has ever had. (14) And I will further grant you long life, if you will walk in My ways and observe My laws and commandments, as did your father David.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What does God offer King Solomon?
2. What does Solomon ask for?
3. Why does Solomon ask for this? Is it to benefit HIMSELF or is it for the good of the nation?
4. Is God happy with Solomon's answer?
5. How will Solomon's God-given talent be used?
We seem to be noticing a pattern...it's not only that certain people recognize they have talents from God, or are given talents directly from God, but there also seems to be a *responsibility* to serve God with the talents one has. Let's explore this in more detail.
(ט) כַּבֵּ֣ד אֶת־ה' מֵהוֹנֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית כׇּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃
(9) Honor the LORD with your substance,
With the best of all your income,
(1) from your substance From whatever He favored you [with], even from a pleasant voice.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What do you think it means to honor God "with your substance?"
2. How does Rashi understand what it means?
3. Is there a talent you think *you* have that you could use (or are already using!) to honor God?
Below is an excerpt that demonstrates how a pleasant voice could be used in service of God- I can briefly explain the story of King Ahab, Navos and Jezebel if you choose to learn through it.
Excerpt from Out of the Depths: The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home At Last by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach once spoke to Israel Meir and asked him about the story of King Ahab and Naboth. He questioned, "What happens to Elijah is clear, and what happens to Ahab is clear, but the question is, why did all this happen to Naboth? He has a vineyard in the Jezreel Valley that the king desires, but he refuses to sell it, because it is the heritage of his ancestors. Far be it from me before the Lord that I should give you my ancestors' heritage, Naboth protests. Why was he punished? Why was he condemned to death?"
In explanation, the rabbi told Israel Meir a midrash (from Pesikta Rabbasi 25 and Yalkut Shimoni on Melachim 21) about Naboth's punishment:
God endowed Naboth with the most beautiful singing voice of his generation. Three times a year, when the Israelites would make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Naboth would sing on the Temple Mount, and all the pilgrims enjoyed the beauty of his song. Then one day, pride went to his head; he was swayed by the admiration of the crowds. The next time he went to Jerusalem, he refused to sing until the people begged and pleaded with him. He agreed only after the entreaties of ministers and leaders, and finally he stopped singing altogether. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Naboth, "You had a role in this world, and it was to bring joy to other living creatures. I gave you that talent. I placed this melodious bell in your throat, so that you would ring it and your voice would carry afar. But you are withholding from my creatures what they deserve to enjoy, not what you deserve to have. Do not withhold a good thing from its proper owner. I am bringing you back to me, because you have no more goal in life. You have not fulfilled the mission for which I designated you."
"Israel Meir," Rabbi Shlomo Zalman continued after a short pause, "God gave you the power of speech. You have a mission in life- you take after your father. We must not spurn God's gifts; we should not turn our backs on Him. I don't know whether this is what grabbed you by the hair and pulled you out of [...] Europe. I won't try to understand the reckoning of the Master of the Universe. But one thing is clear to me; you must dedicate yourself to your studies, learning more and more, so that when the time comes, you will ring this bell and make it heard afar."
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What talent did Navot have?
2. Did Navot originally use his talent to honor God?
3. What did Navot start to do wrong?
4. Can you think of ways talents can be used or misused? What are some examples?
The archetype for using our God-given talents in the service of God is Betzalel, the craftsman of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). In Exodus 31:2-5 God tells Moshe, “See, I have called by name Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge in every kind of craft, to design skillful works, to work in gold, silver and brass, to cut stones for setting and to carve wood – to work in every kind of craft.”
Betzalel is the craftsman par excellence, gifted in design, construction, metalcraft, stonework and carpentry – a plethora of skills where he would be expected to have none. Why would he be expected to have none? Because, as the Ramban (Nachmanides) explains, the Jews were slaves in Egypt, forced to make bricks for Pharaoh’s construction projects; they weren’t being given internships in goldsmithing or diamond cutting. Even under the best circumstances, you don’t find a master mason who’s also an expert wood carver and metallurgist. For Betzalel to be a master of all these crafts, his talent must surely be a gift from God – a fact that is explicit in verse 3.
And what did Betzalel do with all this skill, unique among a generation of newly-released slaves? He built the Mishkan, the place where God would manifest His presence before the Temple was built. Betzalel used his talents to help others to get closer to God. That’s the model for each of us, whatever our talents might be.
If one is a talented dancer, one should dance for God – as King David is praised for doing in II Samuel chapter 6.
If one is a talented singer, one should sing for God – as King Chizkiyahu is criticized for not doing in Sanhedrin 94a.
If one has superior physical ability, he should use that in the service of God, as Shimshon (Samson) did in the book of Judges. But note that when Shimshon lost sight of his mission, his gift was taken from him. God only returned it after Shimshon reevaluated his priorities.
Rabbi Ari Enkin, in a d’var Torah on parshas Lech Lecha, writes that before Avraham, only God had the ability to bless people. Why did God give Avraham the ability to bless others? Because God knew that Avraham would use this gift responsibly. Rabbi Enkin concludes his piece by saying, “if God endows us with certain talents and abilities, it means that He expects us to use them properly. … God made you the way you are because He believes in you!”
Each of us has a gift. It could be musical, it could be theatrical, it could be intellectual, it could be athletic. Whatever it is, there’s a way to use it, a way to misuse it and a way to abuse it. Our goal in life should be to channel our abilities towards lofty goals. Yes, we should enjoy our skills, so sing or dance for fun. We may even monetize our gifts, so accept that NBA contract if it’s offered. What we should never do, however, is forget to also utilize our gifts in the service of the One Who provided them because that’s the reason for which they were ultimately given.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What are some examples of Jewish individuals across Tanakh using their talents to serve God?
2. What is a talent you have that you already use or want to use to serve God?
3. How did Joseph's talent of interpreting dreams (which he told Pharaoh came from God) help him honor God?
To understand that last point, let's look at one final text. It takes place after Joseph proposes the plan of saving up extra grain during the years of plenty so that there would be enough food during the years of famine.
(לז) וַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־עֲבָדָֽיו׃ (לח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו הֲנִמְצָ֣א כָזֶ֔ה אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹקִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃ (לט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אַחֲרֵ֨י הוֹדִ֧יעַ אֱלֹקִ֛ים אוֹתְךָ֖ אֶת־כׇּל־זֹ֑את אֵין־נָב֥וֹן וְחָכָ֖ם כָּמֽוֹךָ׃ (מ) אַתָּה֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה עַל־בֵּיתִ֔י וְעַל־פִּ֖יךָ יִשַּׁ֣ק כׇּל־עַמִּ֑י רַ֥ק הַכִּסֵּ֖א אֶגְדַּ֥ל מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
(37) The plan pleased Pharaoh and all his courtiers. (38) And Pharaoh said to his courtiers, “Could we find another like him, a man in whom is the spirit of God?” (39) So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is none so discerning and wise as you. (40) You shall be in charge of my court, and by your command shall all my people be directed; only with respect to the throne shall I be superior to you.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What does Pharaoh value in Joseph?
2. Why does Pharaoh put Joseph in charge?
3. What would have been different if Joseph had NOT said his ability to interpret dreams came from God?
4. What do you think we can learn from Joseph's choice to acknowledge God as the source of all talent?