On many occasions, dreams are carriers of messages that throughout history have intrigued humanity. Dreams can reveal much more than simple images that we have when we are sleeping. In the section of the Torah that we read this week and the one we read last week, we are told about the dreams of Joseph and Pharaoh.
The sequence of their dreams reveals a profound message about the need for human effort and perseverance to obtain true achievements.
The pharaoh, in his enigmatic dream, witnessed first the animal kingdom, the fat and thin cows, and then the plant kingdom. Contrasting this sequence, Joseph experienced his dreams in the reverse order: first the plant kingdom, the crop of wheat, and then the majesty of the celestial world represented by the sun, the moon and the stars.
The interpretation of these dreams lies not only in their sequence, but in their symbolic meaning.
Joseph, dreaming of the plant kingdom before glimpsing the celestial, witnessed the need for human effort in the process of growth. The crop of wheat, a symbol of growth and harvest, required human labor to flourish. Subsequently, the celestial stars, which were created by God, manifested, symbolizing that there is no longer a need for human effort, since God was the creator.
In contrast, the pharaoh, witnessing first the animal kingdom where growth occurs without human effort, followed by the plant kingdom, where it does require human effort, symbolizes the concept of the superficiality of easily obtained achievements. True growth and fruits come after effort.
This story of the Parasha offers us a very important lesson for life: the value of human effort in achieving goals. In the Talmud Rabbi Yitzchak mentions “If you did not strive and succeed, do not believe. If you tried hard and succeeded, believe it.” The initial difficulties and the necessary effort are indicators of the authenticity and intrinsic value of our objectives.
It is precisely in the moments that we begin something that is good, where the “Yetzer Hara”, the evil instinct opposes and creates obstacles.
We should interpret this initial resistance as a sign that we are on the right path. The initial ease, the absence of challenges, could become an indicator that what we are doing is not necessarily something valuable.
The holiday of Hanukkah, where the lighting of the candles is progressive, starting with one candle and ending the holiday with eight, symbolizes constant growth, reminding us that even in the deepest darkness, the light will grow and prevail.
In this war that Israel is fighting against the evil, it is possible that opposition will arise, it could be that many will try to pressure Israel to stop the war, but precisely this opposition is clear proof of the just and correct war that the Israeli defense army is carrying out.
May God bless the soldiers of the IDF and may all those kidnapped return safely, may all the wounded and sick have complete healing, and may God give strength and comfort to all the family members who have lost their loved ones.
Am Israel Chay!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen