The Reunification of Joseph with his Eleven Brothers in
Egypt
A KOL HA’TOR Presentation
Weekly Bible Reading #10
Year 5773 (2012/2013) – December 15, 2012
Parashat Miketz (At the End of): Genesis 41 - 44:17
Haftarah: 1 Kings 3:15 - 4:1
NOTE: Kol HaTor, in its commentaries on the weekly Parashot, endeavors to search for and accentuate the Torah Messages contained in the Parashot as applicable to the main Theme of Tanach of the Return of the House of Israel, i.e. the Lost Ten Tribes of Northern Israel and their Reconciliation with Judah to form the reunited 12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel.
************
Our Torah Reading this week coincides with Chanukah. Our commentary will shortly bring all this into perspective. First, let us pick up the context of our Parashot readings thus far. Underlying these first 9 Parashot, since Genesis chapter 1, we have traced the Divine Intent to create a righteous Body to rule with Him in His Kingdom over this World which He had created all for humanity’s sake – His Creation. This was further defined by the Blessing to Abraham which narrowed it down to a section of the descendants of Ya’acov, the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
In Parashat Va’yeshev, last week, we were introduced to the long-standing Division amongst these Tribes brought about by their individual striving for leadership. Yosef, representing the 10-Tribed faction of the ‘House of Israel’ was introduced and the Need for ultimate Unity to restore Peace and Oneness in the House of HaShem was stressed as a Final Requirement for the completion of Redemption (Geulah). We also need to clarify the metaphoric representation in each of these historic Biblical role players in order to more fully comprehend the underlying Divine Message for our Time.
Standing in Awe in the Presence of HaShem
- Judaism of today is represented by the Tribe of Judah (together with the small tribe of Benjamin and ‘those of Ephraim who have joined with and live amongst Judah’.
- Yosef is regarded by the Rabbis as being representative of the Ten Tribes of Israel who have been in exile since the breakup of the Kingdom of Israel in the time of King Solomon, 2800 years ago.
Prophesy predicts their Return to their Hebraic Roots and to the Land of Israel in a process of Restoration and Redemption. As Parashat Mikeitz will show though, Yosef, while representative of the 10 Tribes, seem to be separate from and unrecognized not just by Judah, but also by his fellow 9 brothers. This could be explained by regarding Yosef as the spiritual ‘first-born’ amongst the Ten Tribes; the one who would be in a ‘leadership’ position with Truth.
As such, even Yosef’s brothers, who are still in spiritual ‘Egypt’, regard him as somewhat strange and not part of them. To Judah, Yosef is an ‘Egyptian’ and a stranger, while he has really received the double Blessing of the First-born which has been passed on to his sons, Ephraim and Menasseh (‘Ephraim’ being a group compound name for 10-Israel also).
Parashat Mikeitz will thus further emphasize the great division and spiritual rivalry which withholds the ultimate Redemption and which has to be overcome by Judah, Yosef and Ephraim – thus ALL 12 Tribal contenders whose Reconciliation is a foundational requirement and condition for Redemption.
This non-recognition of Yosef (as the leader, represented by the Hebraic Restoration Movement which takes the lead in restoring and establishing the Torah-based Return of 10-Israel) by all his brothers, is evident today from the recognition and treatment that Hebraic Restoration Returnees receive from both Judaism and the Church.
The latter regards these Hebraic Roots Restorers as “traitors to the Christian faith who reject the NT Grace and want to place themselves (with Judah) under the burden of the Law again.” Judaism, on the other hand, regards these ‘strange pagans’ with great suspicion for wanting to keep Jewish Laws, tradition and culture. Surely, “Yosef is not recognized by his brothers!”
Our Reading this week brings a particularly encouraging Message for this ‘Time of the End’ which we are no doubt approaching before the ultimate Redemption of the Ages. In fact, this week’s Parashah is named “Miketz” – (“At the End of”, according to the first words of the Parashah).
While this section fits perfectly the times that we are living in and this time of Chanukah, it does at first glance seem totally irrelevant and inapplicable that the Haftarah portion this week comes from the inconspicuous book of 1 Kings chapter 3 which relates the argument between two prostitutes about a baby.
Closer consideration though, will reveal an amazing Message in this dispute for the very Time that we are living in. Bear in mind, that this dividing of the Torah into some 52 weekly Readings, paired with defined extracts from the Prophets and other sections of the Tanach, follows a pattern selected and set by Jewish Sages many centuries ago. If the entire Bible did not testify to a Divine spiritual, almost mathematical foundation underlying it, then this all could well be classified as ‘amazing co-incidence’.
We start our commentary with an extract from an article written just this week by Rabbi Chaim Richman of “The Temple Institute, Jerusalem”. Interpolating Comments by KOL HA’TOR are presented between [ ].
Genesis 42:8 - “They did not recognize him (Yosef)”
As Rabbi Richman writes:
Rabbi Chaim Richman - “Chanukah, the eight day celebration of the victory of the Maccabees over their Greek oppressors, is the only holiday on the Hebrew calendar that spans two months. By virtue of its unique placement on the Hebrew calendar, the great Festival of Lights occurs not only at the darkest time of the solar year, in close proximity to the winter solstice, it also incorporates within its eight days the darkest moment of the monthly lunar cycle,
When a brother does not recognize a brother, this is the definition of spiritual darkness; this is the meaning of exile. There are two fundamental reasons why the brothers did not recognize Yosef. He was dressed and coiffed in the manner of the royal house of Egypt. Everything about his outward appearance was foreign to them. He epitomized everything that their descendants, the Maccabeus warriors, would rebel against thousands of years later.
On a deeper level they didn't and couldn't recognize Yosef until the guilt they bore for the wrong they had done him would be resolved, as eventually it was. So while they remained outwardly faithful to the teachings and yearnings of their fathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov [Judaism], they had betrayed their own heritage by their misdeed. They were foreign to themselves. [The result was the lack of Unity; the Prime Divine Requirement for Redemption and the Return of the Divine Shechinah.]
But what makes this moment even darker than a moonless night in the depths of December is the simple fact that until they could recognize one another, until they could resolve their differences, until they could come clean with themselves, look directly into the eyes of their brother and register the bright glimmer of pure holy light looking back at them, they couldn't even tell that they were in such darkness. They were not yet cognizant of the fact that they were already [still] in exile. The long night had begun [had not ended] and they were unaware.
We cannot possibly reconcile with G-d, our Father in heaven, until we reconcile with one another. And this is true even within the microcosmic sphere of our own family unit. Can a father truly be pleased with any of his children if they, themselves, are estranged from one another?
Yaakov couldn't possibly have been brought down to Egypt until his sons had first reunited. And although this reunion would take place at the onset of a cruel exile, it was at once both the beginning and the beginning of the end of the exile. For recognition and unity and brotherly love for one another is what it takes to sustain and resist and eventually overcome any exile, no matter how dark.
The miracle of the cruse of pure oil that lasted for eight straight days was really the miracle of the rekindling of the pure light of Torah within the hearts of estranged brothers. And just as in the case of Israel in Egypt, the rekindling of the light of brotherly unity didn't mark the end of the war with Antiochus. The war would rage on for two more decades. But it did mark the beginning of the eventual victory over those who sought to darken the eyes of Israel. Unity among Israel can only lead to victory and redemption.
Today we are living through the prophesied historical period known to our sages as “the heels of the messiah," that is, a period marked both by the growing light of redemption and the final efforts of the forces of darkness to return Israel to exile. And there are still among Israel those, who, in spite of, or perhaps because of the blinding light of Redemption, are finding it difficult to recognize their own brothers.
We need to reach out to them even as we continue unabated in our efforts to work toward and build the coming Redemption even as it approaches, and as the Maccabees did in their day, to rebuild and purify the great stone altar, rekindle the golden menorah and return the Holy Temple and the Divine service to the embrace of all mankind.”
THE HAFTARA
Commentary by KOL HA’TOR:
King Solomon with Two Women Claimants for One Baby
Our Parashah portion from Genesis has clearly accentuated the destructive Division of the Elected House of Ya’acov as a continuation of the Message of the previous Parashah Va’Yeshev (Parashah #9).
The Haftarah this week exposes a similar great division between two mothers regarding a communal treasure – a child. Both claimed the same child as theirs. Upon the King’s decision to cut the child in two and give each mother a half, the real mother was easily identified by her love for her child, when she asked the judge to rather give the child to the other mother. The other mother was happy to see the child rather die so that neither of them would have the pleasure of a child.
Much the same applies to the two divided Houses of Israel today (Judaism and re-awakening 10-Israel), who both are entitled to the Divine Promise regarding the same Promised Land – the physical Land of Israel promised to Abraham and his uncountable generations. Both these factions however, have their own terms – and totally inconsiderate of each other. 10-Israel wants the Land to be free from Judah’s Rabbinic control and Judah is not to be found for sharing the Land with what they regard as non-Jews.
Noteworthy also is the fact that this Parashah refers to these two mothers as “two prostitutes “– I Kings 3:16, who lived in one house. If indeed the claim to a child is a metaphoric reference to the claim for the Promised Land; why then are the mothers referred to as ‘prostitutes’? How could this possibly apply to the Divine Beneficiaries of the Promised Land, Judah and 10-Israel – the twelve Tribes of Israel?
Well, this may well be where the awesome implications of this week’s Torah Reading (indeed, of the Bible’s entire Redemption Message) really takes effect. Read on:
The Bible’s evaluation of the two ‘contestants’ to the Promised Land really makes some uneasy, almost pornographic reading! We will just quote the main themes here and leave the reader to read the somewhat horrid descriptive characterizations for themselves in Ezekiel chapter 16 and 23:
Ezekiel 23:1 – “The word of HaShem came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.
The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.”
This, without doubt, is a reference to the Two Houses of Israel to whom these Final Messages of the Age is directed. In case you have any doubts about this, read the complete chapters 16 & 23 of Ezekiel.
Not only are these Two Houses divided on the issue of the “disputed child”, i.e. the Land and the Inheritance, but they point fingers at each other about who of them really is the ‘harlot’, each trying to justify herself! The Bible phrases the Divine Verdict loudly and clearly: BOTH are!
Yet, BOTH are His Beloved, while He is patiently waiting on their Teshuvah (Repentance)! His Grace even encompasses taking back His Divorced Bride, 10-Israel, with whom He pleads for her return – but, on His Terms this Time! (This entails a complete and comprehensive additional study. Suffice it here to say that all Jewish Prophets foretold and foresaw this Return to complete the Redemption.
Refer to our comprehensive quoted list of these Scriptures at:
“Bible Confirmations of the Regathering of the Tribes of Israel”
Both Houses should learn from this Haftarah, to pray for and share a Living Land, rather than to reflect the attitude of: ‘Rather let the Land be lost to both factions, than to share it with each other’, or to have to acknowledge each other.
Judah has to come to realize that Jews from the Tribe of Judah and Benjamin alone can NOT POSSIBLY settle the Greater Israel. The entire world population of Judah only numbers some 15 million Jews – not even enough to settle the current region of Israel West of the Jordan River.
A Biblical Map of Greater Israel will reflect that current ‘Jewish Israel’ is not much more in proportion to the Greater Israel, than a nature reserve. Estimates of a 10-Triber population of one billion people have been mentioned in Jewish Sages’ writing – more like the figure required settling Greater Israel. Where will such numbers of Jews come from?
And, if 10-Israel has to be accommodated, it cannot possibly be on basis of expecting them to be “Super Torah Jews” rather than the reality of being “Returning-to-Torah” subordinates who need a loving hand up, just the same as much of the majority of non-observant and secular Jews in the world need it.
10-Israel, on the other hand, needs to realize that it cannot expect Judah to become subject to a religious system “which their fathers never knew”, or to a theology that has a pagan foundation.
The required UNITY to secure the Peace which will guarantee the Return of the Divine Shechinah has to come from a heart of love and sincere concern, from those to whom the LIFE of Greater Israel is as essential as a mother’s love for her child.
May we all search for and find this Key to UNITY in the House of Zion!
KOL HA’TOR – the Vision for a re-united 12-Tribed Kingdom of Israel
You Might Want to Refer to the 2012-2013 Yearly Kol Ha’Tor Parashat Portion Reading Index for future Kol Ha’Tor Commentaries
************
You might Want to Read Destination Yisra’el’s Kol Ha’tor Series on “Judah the Mechoqeck”
“Judah - The Lawgiver of God – Part One”
“Judah- The Lawgiver of God – Part Two”
To understand more about the Return of the 10 Tribes of Israel to their Homeland in Shomron (Samaria), Israel, Contact “Kol Ha’Tor”, the Voice of the Turtledove.
Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel.
For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor Ministries for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria, that hosts Shomron (Samaria) Tours to reacquaint the Returning Lost Tribers of the House of Israel.