BEMA Episode Link: 16: Out of the Pit
Episode Length: 46:16
Published Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:00:00 -0800
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the study of the life of Joseph, covering Genesis 41–50.

Out of the Pit Presentation (PDF)

Discussion Video for BEMA 16

Rabbi David Fohrman — TorahAnytime

The Joseph Story — Aleph Beta Academy

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Transcript for BEMA 16

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • Genesis 41-50
  • Preface
    • Trusting the story
      • G-d: I have your back, you have to trust me. You cannot give into fear and insecurity.
      • About the time we wonder if we should give up, we’re introduced to Avram and his family who stands out as a group that is willing to partner with G-d.
      • We recognize that G-d is after Jacob’s heart. Jacob wants a birthright and fights for it.
      • Joseph seems to have a lot of Jacob’s same story: He has dreams, he’s his father’s favorite and his relationship with his brothers struggles.
        • His brother’s throw him into a pit.
        • His brother Judah ends up learning a lesson about recognizing his sin.
        • Joseph is tricked by Potiphar’s wife and he’s thrown into prison where he meets the baker and the cup bearer and interperets their dreams.
        • The cup bearer is released from prison and tells Pharaoh about Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams correctly and he’s summoned to help Pharaoh with his own dreams.
  • Genesis 41 - Pharaoh’s Dreams
    • The Dreams
      • Dream 1 - Thin and Fat Cows From The Nile
      • Dream 2 - Thin and Fat Grain
    • Interpretation
      • Genesis 41:1-32
      • Fohrman notes they came out of the Nile and grazed among the reeds.
        • The Jews did not know how to translate the word reeds. Without the help of the rabbis, this is typically interpreted as the work brothers.
        • Fohrman points out that with the cupbearer and the baker, there was nobody there to interpret their dreams. The assumption is that anybody else would have been able to interpret the dreams.
          • With Pharaoh, the story is much different. There are people there to interpret dreams but none of them can do it. However, Joseph says, G-d can interpret your dreams and almost immediately interprets the dreams for Pharaoh.
          • Using a midrash from Akiva: If you know that the number seven means “years” the entire dream interprets itself.
            • We are taken back to the story of Leah and Rachel, ugly and beautiful, for whom Jacob had to spend seven years a piece earning/winning. Joseph can immediately connect Pharoah’s dreams to himself almost immediately.
            • This is a story about Joseph’s own life.
            • When Joseph interprets this dream, it will raise an important question about his own life: What kind of a person IS Joseph?
            • Brent: Do you think Joseph think’s his brothers eat up his own life?
      • Genesis 41:33-57
        • What kind of a person is Joseph? Does he mope about the story?
          • Joseph takes the bad news and tells Pharaoh that the news is bad but we can do something about it. We are going to get through it.
          • Joseph, like his fathers, shows his hutzpah.
          • This is why G-d picks this family.
          • We may not see the trust that Joseph’s fathers had but it may show up later in the story.
        • Jacob gives Joseph a special coat and it doesn’t go well for him because his brother throw him into a pit.
          • If you think about Joseph’s story with Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife has “dreams” or aspirations to sleep with him and Joseph’s “coat” is stripped of him again and he’s thrown back into another pit. The word “pit” is not used to refer to a dungeon except in the story of Joseph.
          • Joseph is taken OUT of the pit and clothes are put ON him and Joesph then INTERPRETS the dreeams of someone else.
          • Thematic Template
            • Gifts
              • Dreams
                • Coat Stripped
                  • Into the Pit
            • Gifts
              • Dreams
                • Coat Stripped
                  • Into the Pit
            • Out if the Pit
              • Clothes
                • Dreams
                  • Gifts
          • What may Joseph be thinking after his brothers throw him into a pit?
            • Joseph doesn’t know the details that we know.
            • Joseph doesn’t know that his dad thinks he’s dead or that some of his brothers dipped his coat in blood or that some of his other brothers tried to save him.
            • Joseph likely wonders why his father hasn’t come to look for him.
            • By the time all of this stuff happens with Pharaoh, Joseph likely thinks it’s too late for any chance that his father comes looking for him.
          • Some of the details in the chain of stories seems a little out of order (e.g. the Judah and Tamar story is missing a pit) but there might be some importance to the details and their order.
          • Joseph at this point in the story is wrestling with his narative.
            • Is he adopting Pharaoh has his new father?
  • Genesis 43 - The Second Journey to Egypt
    • After Joseph meets his brothers, he refuses to give them the food they want until they bring Benjamin with them.
    • Rueben tries to act as the behor and offers his two sons to “Jacob” if Benjamin doesn’t go back. Jacob says no.
      • Judah, who is back with the family, and instead of offering his children, offers his OWN life. Has Judah learned a valuable story about restorative justice from his experience with Tamar? G-d wants justice for injustice.
      • This is what gets “Jacob” to become “Isael” in this story.
        • Does the author imply the “Jacob who looks out for himself” when he uses “Jacob” and does he also imply the “Jacob who submits to the will of G-d” when he uses “Israel”?
      • Judah puts his neck on the line and they’re able to go back.
      • This is where Joseph is confronted with who he is. Is he a part of Jacob’s betav or is he part of Pharaoh’s family?
      • This story of Genesis comes full circle. The family of G-d, from Avraham to Joseph, this is a family that understands justice and forgiveness and how to put the story back together even when they struggle with selfishness.
      • Judah’s single act of sacrifice to save Benjamin sets forth a narative where Judah and Benjamin keeps saving each other (David saves Saul, Jonathan saves David, etc.)
  • Final thoughts
    • The family of G-d is full of people who trust the story and it bagan with a man who is willing to leave his home.
    • As the story goes on, it grows more and more complex.
    • Genesis ends with forgiveness which is one of, if not THE, ultimate expression of trust. You lay down your right to pay vengance and hatred and anger with a trust of G-d to own the story.
  • Fohrman’s teaching on Joseph
    • Known as “Goats and Coats” aka “The Sale of Joseph” aka “Understanding the Sales of Joseph”.

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