Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Will we find [anyone] like this, a man in whom there is the spirit of God?”
Gen. 41:38
Benjamin Elterman, Screenwriter, Essayist, Speechwriter at Mitzvahspeeches.com
This response is prompted by Joseph’s plan which was seen as “good in the eyes of Pharaoh…” Then Joseph’s entire situation flips from imprisoned slave to ruler of all of Egypt. It’s all from this moment. Why was Pharaoh swayed so quickly? In Psalm 145, the important line is found: Posayach es yadecha umasbeeya lachol chai ratzon, “You open your hand and satisfy every living thing with [its] desire.” This line is important because we read it three times a day and it is one of the few verses in our prayers that if not said with intention must be repeated. Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch commented that the desire of every living thing is parnassah (livelihood.) Why does one person make a sale or land a job while another doesn’t? Even though they may have the same credentials or worked just as hard? Rav Hirsch elucidates that attaining parnassah is always a miracle. Also he translates ratzon not as desire of the seeker, but as favor or goodwill in the eyes of others. Meaning Hashem “satisfies every living thing through the favor of others.” What causes favor in someone’s eyes? What inspired Pharaoh’s favor in Joseph? Our verse answers plainly, Joseph is a man in whom there is the spirit of God. Even while in prison, Joseph had trust in God. Someone with true trust in God is impossible to not like because we can feel they’re not in it for themselves. Pharaoh recognized this and bestowed his ratzon.
David Sacks, Happy Minyan of Los Angeles
There are two kinds of secrets. The first kind is when you don’t know something and then someone tells you. But there is another kind of secret, too. That’s when even after you learn the secret, it still remains secret.
For example, how did God create the world? The answer is He made something out of nothing. Now you know the secret. But how God did it exactly – that remains a secret. In other words, you know, but you still don’t know.
How do we access the hidden aspects of reality that are around us but still remain secret to all except the holiest Tzadikim? I don’t know. But here is a tip from the Kozhiglover Rav, Rosh Yeshivah of Chachmei Lublin, the most famous yeshiva in pre-WWII Europe.
Hide the good and holy things you do. Not only from other people, but even from yourself. In this way, you become a secret. Once you become a secret, you can begin to access the wavelength of secrets that surround us. Now you know the secret. How it works exactly… That remains a secret.
Rabbi Ilana Grinblat, Ahavat Torah
My favorite television show is the Voice. I love how for the auditions, the judges have their chairs turned backwards, so that when the contestants sing, the judges cannot see them. They can hear the contestant’s voice but can’t see their external appearance. The judges can’t judge the contestants based on race, gender, age, clothing or any other aspect of their physical appearance. They can only judge based on their voice. Only once the judge decides whether they want the contestant on their team can the judge turn their chair around and see the contestant. Sometimes, the judges are surprised when they turn their chair around. Sometimes a contestant’s voice is so high that the judges assume the contestant is a woman, then they turn around and discover that the person is a man or is nonbinary. Other times, the judges are surprised by the contestant’s age, clothing, or appearance. Similarly, once Joseph has interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, Pharaoh asks his servants: Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Rabbi Bunim of Pshischa explained: “In other words, one in whom God is in his very core, but on whom one can see nothing on the outside.” He raises is an important question: how can we focus on a person’s insides rather than their outsides? Without turning our chairs around, can we train ourselves to disregard a person’s external qualities and listen only to the divine inside them – their heart and soul?
Ilan Reiner, Architect & Author of Israel History Maps
When we encounter the phrase “spirit of God” in the Tanach, it signifies a divine endowment — whether prophecy, inspiration, creativity, or strength from Hashem. But what did Pharaoh mean when he spoke of Joseph’s “spirit of God” to his Egyptian servants? Surely, Pharaoh did not believe in Hashem! As Joseph stood before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, he declared: “Not I; God will give an answer…” Joseph referred to Hashem, fully aware that Pharaoh envisioned a different deity. Yet Joseph confidently spoke of the one true God, trusting in a universal language of ethics and responsibility that transcends religious divides. Joseph’s humility and devotion to a higher purpose shine through in this exchange. He attributes his success not to personal ability but to divine guidance, embodying the Jewish ideal of leadership as service to others. Pharaoh recognized in Joseph a Hebrew outsider who fused divine inspiration with pragmatic leadership, a man uniquely equipped to navigate Egypt’s looming crisis. This moment delivers a timeless message: divine wisdom and inspiration are not bound to any single nation or faith. Pharaoh’s acknowledgment of Joseph’s gifts underscores the potential for shared human values and cooperation across cultural and spiritual boundaries. Joseph’s ability to bridge these divides demonstrates the universal relevance of divine truth when paired with wisdom and responsibility.
Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas, www.theritual.house
The core of our spiritual tradition rests on the belief that each of us is created in the image of the Divine, with a unique spark—a gift meant to light up the world. In a society dominated by chaos and a scarcity mentality, it’s easy to forget this truth. But when we pause and reflect, we realize that this truth is both humbling and extraordinary. Joseph, one of the central figures in our Torah, embodies this principle most vividly. From the start, he was favored for his gifts, yet this very blessing led his brothers to cast him aside. Joseph, thrown into a pit, should have perished. Instead, he survived. After enduring enslavement and imprisonment, it was precisely the gift that had initially provoked his brothers’ jealousy that ultimately saved him. Metaphorically, we might ask ourselves: How often do we suppress our own light to fit in with others? How many times have we hidden the very qualities that make us unique, out of fear of rejection? Joseph’s story shows us that our gifts, though misunderstood, are often the very things that will carry us through challenges. His divine spark remained constant, whether in times of abundance or hardship. His faith in himself led to recognition, and his journey inspires us to do the same. In this season of Hanukkah, a time of light and miracles, we are reminded by Joseph’s example to never hide or diminish our light. The world needs our unique brilliance—only then can we illuminate the darkness.
Image: “Joseph in Pharaoh’s Palace” by Jacobo Amigoni, 1748
With thanks to
Benjamin Elterman, David Sacks, Rabbi Ilana Grinblat, Ilan Reiner, and Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas.
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