Since the End Has Arrived – Pharaoh Dreamed a Dream. This Is How Hashem Leads His World and This Applies to Each of Us – An End to Darkness…Parshat Miketz

"And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed" – Seemingly, everything is natural. Yosef sat in prison for ten years and then interpreted the dreams of the chief baker and the chief butler. He continued to remain in prison for another two years, and then Pharaoh dreamed his dream, and the rest is known. However, it is known that things do not happen naturally but are all calculated and under wondrous divine providence.

Yosef was not meant to be in prison for more than ten years because he spoke ill of his ten brothers and was punished a year for each brother. Since he said to the chief butler, "Remember me…and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house," as if he relied on the chief butler for a brief moment and not on Hashem, it was decreed that he remain in prison for an additional two years.

And why is it said "a brief moment"? In the Book of Parshiyot, it is stated that Yosef immediately regretted relying on a human being and forgot about the chief butler, but Hashem was precise with him as a hair's breadth and punished him with two more years.

And why was it determined that Yosef would sit in prison for twelve years and not more or less? Says Midrash Rabbah: "An end He set to darkness" (Job 28:3). A time was given to Yosef for how many years he would be in darkness, in prison, and when the end came – Pharaoh dreamed a dream. This is how Hashem leads His world and this applies to each of us – an end to darkness. When in Heaven it is decided that the end has come for a trial, for waiting, for constriction, for sorrow, and for obstacles, then in one moment everything turns for the good, and Elijah the prophet himself visits us and announces the awaited news for which we have prayed for many years. For with Hashem everything is possible in the blink of an eye, and there is no despair in the world at all!

We should not think: 'I have been waiting for so long, praying and pleading, and the salvation has not come, why should it come now?' A person must live his life with simcha (joy), because this is how Hashem wants him, with simcha. And when in Heaven they see that despite the delay, the lack, etc., the person serves Hashem and lives his life with simcha, then he can be given all his lacks because there is no longer a trial here. And even if the person sees no sign or hint that something is about to happen, that salvation is at the door, he should believe that prayer joins prayer, mitzvah joins mitzvah, and in one moment his salvation will arrive.

It is often compared that the coming of the redemption is like the redemption of Yosef the tzaddik – in the blink of an eye. Certainly, the redemption will not come "just like that." Yosef the tzaddik was not rushed "just like that" from the pit. "An end He set to darkness," says the Midrash, and from the beginning, the chief butler was sent to prison, and when the time came, Pharaoh dreamed his dream, and it is said in Midrash Rabbah: "Hashem said, if Yosef comes first and interprets the dream, it is not his praise. The magicians could say to him, if you had asked us, we would have already solved it for you, but He waited for them until they were weary and exhausted Pharaoh's spirit, and then Yosef came and restored it."

And Pharaoh was disappointed with the interpretation of his wise men, and the chief butler told about Yosef – but Yosef knew nothing of this, he continued his daily routine and thought it might continue like this indefinitely, and he was unaware of what was happening outside, that everything was happening because of him and for him.

So too with the redemption that is so close, "an end He set to darkness," and every mitzvah hastens the end, and everything joins into one big account, and we are not aware of everything that is happening, only small signs emerge heralding the coming of the redemption, for then a great shofar will be blown "and it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light" (Zechariah 14:7).

And if this is the case with the general redemption of the people of Israel, it is exactly so in relation to the personal redemption of each and every one. Precisely from the sorrow, salvation is revealed, just as happened with the goblet found in Benjamin's sack. On this, Rabbi Natan says: "Behold the great bitterness of the sorrow they had (the brothers) because of the goblet found in Benjamin's sack. And afterward, precisely because of this, Yosef was revealed to them and they gathered together, etc. This is a hint to know and to inform that when a person is in great and very bitter sorrow, to the point that his heart is very, very twisted, he should know and believe that this too is for the good and certainly hidden mercies are concealed in this bitter sorrow, only one must cry out and pray to Hashem and wait for His mercies. Precisely from the sorrow, salvation is revealed" (Orach Chaim Hoda'ah, 6).

Pharaoh's Dream

Many interpretations have been given to the matter of the dream, we will mention two of them:

Joy and Sadness

Seven fat cows – aspect of joy.
Seven lean cows – aspect of sadness and grief.

"And the sadness and grief overcome the good and joy, and the main sadness is in the matter of money and livelihood and wealth, that even one who has much money and wealth, lacks more each time, and worries more than the poor, aspect of increasing possessions increases worry, aspect of and it was not known that they had come into their midst. And the rectification for all this is the aspect of Yosef the tzaddik, who knows how to bring joy even in the depths of exile, in the depths of darkness" (Orach Chaim, Hoda'ah, 6).

And indeed, the Midrash tells us that the expression "a successful man" said about Yosef in our parsha is a language of dancing and rejoicing, that even in his work in prison he was dancing and succeeding in bringing joy to his soul, for the main advice to bring joy to his soul is in matters of foolishness.

A person who believes that nothing bad comes down from Heaven, only good, is a person who lives with simcha. Yaakov Avinu came with a complaint to his sons for mentioning that they have another young brother, Benjamin, and says: "Why did you harm me". "Hashem said: I am busy crowning my son in Egypt and he says "why did you harm me", meaning he said "my way is hidden from Hashem". This is the way of a person, who is full of complaints and grumbles all day, and the truth is that it is impossible to estimate the great kindness that the Creator does with him every moment. Every incident that happens to a person here in this world is under His providence, who is good and does good without limit and without end. Yaakov Avinu, the chosen of the forefathers, about whom the Midrash says he never spoke idle words, and here he found a place to complain. And everything was the opposite of what he thought. For everything from Hashem was only for his good. And this is all the more so concerning us, how much we need to be careful not to have any complaints against Hashem" (Yad Yechezkel).

Contentment is joy. And it is the trait of the holy forefathers. About Avraham it is said: "And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything". About Yitzchak it is said: "And I ate of all (the delicacies that Yaakov brought him) and I blessed him, and he shall be blessed". About Yaakov it is said: "I have everything". Everything, from everything, everything! Nothing is lacking, content with what there is and merit joy.

Famine and Plenty

Seven good cows – plenty. And seven bad cows – seven years of famine, which are an aspect of the desire for money. That the more he has, the more he lacks. The lean ones swallow the fat ones. The rich are always hungry to swallow much money, and the rectification – the tzaddik of the generation (Yosef) whose main rectification of the desire for money – is through him. And the advice he gives – charity, to give a fifth. (Rabbi Natan, Birkat HaMazon, Halacha 4).

The entire world stands on charity. The Sages compared charity to a garment, and just as "every thread joins to a large garment, so charity, every coin joins to a large account" (Baba Batra, 9b).

And Yosef Is the Ruler

"The true tzaddik, from him all influences and blessings as is known, aspect of and Yosef is the ruler, he is the provider for all the people of the land. That all the people of the land, who are all the people in the world, all draw and receive their influence only from the tzaddik who is the aspect of Yosef. And the main virtue and greatness of the true tzaddik is through the trait of humility and lowliness, aspect of "and what are we", for humility is greater than all, as our Sages said. And each one according to how much he nullifies himself and truly feels his lowliness, so he merits to truly draw close to the true tzaddik. And likewise, the more he draws closer to the tzaddik and is truly included in him, so he merits more to the aspect of true humility, which is his entire rectification. And then blessing and increased influence and much good are drawn upon him, aspect of whoever is small is great" (Halachot Orlah, 5, 4).

May it be His will that we strengthen ourselves in simcha, in giving charity, and merit all salvations, aspect of "an end He set to darkness".