Two Long Years

      The name of this portion,"Mi-ketz" means "at the end of" (two years). As we look closely, we notice that Scripture places special emphasis on the length of time (in other words,"two [long] years"). Joseph had been in the dungeon for close to 11 long years. He had hoped that when he interpreted the dream for the cupbearer (a glorified butler), the cupbearer would remember him and mention his case to Pharaoh. But soon he realized that the cupbearer was not going to be of any help to him. Two more long years passed in the dark dungeon.

      Just at this point, things start to change. Pharaoh has a disturbing dream (41:8); the forgetful cupbearer managed to remember Joseph (41:9). Was this a coincidence? The wait may have been unbearable for Joseph, but it was just the right timing for G‑d. The L‑rd in His wisdom knew that Joseph needed the right touch (i.e.,13 years of study in the school of hard knocks) to transform him from a spoiled teenager to a mature man, prepared to serve the L‑rd in a high position. The preparation paid off!

      Joseph is now elevated from a slave in prison to the second-in-command in the entire land of Egypt. That's a dizzying rise to power (0-60 mph in 2 seconds). The scriptural record shows that Joseph had almost absolute power in Egypt (41:44). There is a lot of truth to the saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" We see many people who rise to power quickly and self-destruct because they cannot handle the power. Yet, we find that Joseph handles the power wisely and uses his authority to bring physical deliverance to millions of people. The preparation paid off!

      Joseph's life provides a challenging model for us to follow. Doing good deeds often does not result in an immediate reward. In fact, often we end up feeling as if G‑d is punishing us—we end up in worse shape after doing what we know is the right thing to do. We get tired of being "do-gooders," (Galatians 6:8). We get impatient with G‑d's timetable, insisting that He follow our schedule, forgetting that the L‑rd is the One who designed us and knows what we need to flourish.

            Let's trust our loving Heavenly Father that He has our best interest at heart and allow Him to fashion us according to His plans.