Saturday, December 20, 2014

Miketz (1): Two Realizations

ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים ופרעה חולם
It was at the end of two years worth of days and Paroh was dreaming.

The Noam Elimelech teaches that this verse hints towards an important lesson in Avodas Hashem.

The term of 'day' often symbolizes clarity and understanding. The sun is bright and things are obvious. There are two kinds of "day", or epiphanies that can inspire one to strive for greater levels of Avodas Hashem. The first is meditating on how endless and great is Hashem. His Might, His Majesty; they are all infinite. The second is contemplating on the essential inadequacy of the human experience. We have a Yetzer HaRa that doesn't leave us alone. Our Mitzvos can always can be better and more pure.

These two meditations know no end to their profundity. One can always internalize these two essential messages with more depth. If a person does in fact think that he has maxed out his potential in these two areas it may stem from stubbornness and not wanting to grow.


This is one facet of our Passuk. The "Shnasayim Yamim" are the two kinds of sunlit understanding. גדלות הבורא ושפלות עצמו. If a person has reached the "Keitz", the summit of these two meditations - ופרעה חולם - Paroh is dreaming. Stubbornness means to be stuck and stiff. This attribute is connected to the neck. Am Yisrael is called K'shei Oref, stiff necked, which means stubborn.  The letters of Paroh spell Oref, the stiff neck. If a person convinces himself that he is complete it is due to the fact that his stubbornness has slipped him into a dream-state.

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