Parashat Mikes- Using Our “Years of Plenty” Wisely

Parashat Miketz begins with Pharaoh’s peculiar dreams and his desperate quest for a satisfactory interpretation. Pharaoh dreamt first of seven lean cows devouring seven large cows, and then of seven lean sheaves of grain devouring seven heathy sheaves. The royal advisors were unable to come up with a convincing interpretation, and so the king’s cupbearer, who had been in prison with Yosef, told Pharaoh of how Yosef correctly interpreted his and the baker’s dreams which they dreamt in jail. Yosef was brought before Pharaoh, and he explained to the king that these dreams foretold the imminent onset of seven years of surplus, which would be followed by seven years of harsh famine. Then, Yosef proceeded to advise Pharaoh to appoint an official responsible for overseeing the storage of grain during the seven years of plenty, in preparation for the famine that would follow. Pharaoh reacted enthusiastically to Yosef’s interpretation, exclaiming, “En Nabon Ve’hacham Kamocha” – “There is no one as intelligent or wise as you!” (41:39). He then named Yosef second-in-command, and assigned to him the mission of storing produce during the coming seven years. Yosef implemented a program of massive storage, which ended up saving not only Egypt, but also the surrounding countries, during the years of famine. Many commentators raised the question of why Yosef chose to not only interpret Pharaoh’s dream, but also offer unsolicited advice. Yosef had been in prison, falsely accused of a heinous crime, and he was released solely for the purpose of interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. Why did he assume for himself the right to also advise Pharaoh? Many answers have been given to this question, but perhaps the simplest, most straightforward answer is that solving the problem was part-and-parcel of the dream’s interpretation. Yosef intuitively understood that Pharaoh was shown this dream so that he could act ahead of time to prevent mass starvation during the seven drought years. This is why Pharaoh exclaimed, “En Nabon Ve’hacham Kamocha” – mentioning first “Nabon” and then “Hacham.” In terms of intellectual development, the level of “Hacham” precedes “Nabon.” A “Hacham” is somebody with knowledge, whereas a “Nabon” is somebody with the intuition, insight and creativity to apply the knowledge effectively. Normally, then, the description “Hacham” should be given before “Nabon.” In this case, however, Pharaoh wanted to emphasize to his advisors the difference between Yosef and them. The advisors felt content coming up with interpretations, without offering any practical guidance, without explaining what Pharaoh is meant to do about his dreams. Yosef, however, was not merely “Hacham,” but also “Nabon,” someone who knew how to use his knowledge. He understood that these dreams were shown to Pharaoh for a practical purpose, so that he could act for the benefit of his people. I once heard from Rav Chaim Brim (Jerusalem, 1922-2002) an insight into the lesson we can learn from Pharaoh’s dreams and Yosef’s interpretation. Just as there are years of “plenty” and years of “famine” with regard to material resources, there are also years of “plenty” and “famine” with regard to time and energy. When a person is young and healthy, he has the time and energy to accomplish, to achieve, to build, and to contribute. As people age, they have less time and less physical strength to achieve. Pharaoh’s dream is relevant to each and every person, teaching us that youth eventually gives way to old age, that our “years of plenty,” our opportunities for achievement, do not last forever. And just as Yosef understood the practical message of this vision, we, too, must take this lesson to heart. We must not waste our “years of plenty,” our youthful years, the opportunities we have to accomplish and make a difference. We must remember that our “years of plenty” do not last forever, and so we need to use these years wisely, and take full advantage of our time and energy while we have them. Rather than waste these years staring at screens and involving ourselves in vanity, let us instead use them productively, for Torah learning, for Misva observance, and for accomplishing all the great things which Hashem has given us the ability to accomplish.