Miketz: Iris

I've long found Parashat Miketz to be an intriguing portion.  Sure, it was my Bar Mitzvah portion, but even before that, this climactic moment in Joseph's life was interesting to me.  Heck, Andrew Lloyd Webber built a musical around it.

I picture Joseph undergoing a tremendous internal struggle: the position and status he has attained in Egypt would seem to require him to repudiate his past, yet here are his brothers pleading for their very survival (and telling him that his father's life may also hinge on his actions).  Will he reject them altogether?  Will he help them, simply in his capacity as Egypt's second-in-command, without ever attempting a reconciliation?  Or will he let his guard down and reveal his true identity to his siblings and his Egyptian peers (and subjects)?  The true answer does not come until next week's portion, but thanks to the Torah's omniscient narration we can begin to understand what Joseph is dealing with.

I imagine that Joseph is experiencing a certain degree of what we now refer to as "impostor syndrome," in that he cannot expose his true self to any of the important people in his life.  He is torn between two worlds.  In his family of origin, his dreams and aspirations have been misunderstood and have served as a source of tension.  Pharaoh and the Egyptian court, let alone the average Egyptian citizens, may never fully appreciate Joseph's identity as a proto-Israelite.  He has adopted Egyptian dress and culture, but his heart and mind are still connected to his roots.

When I began thinking of possible songs for this parasha, I kept coming back to the chorus of Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris."  Though Johnny Rzeznik has given other personal explanations for the lyrics, and certainly there's some thematic links to the movie "City of Angels," where this song debuted on the soundtrack, I cannot help but think that there's a bit of Joseph's dilemma that's underscored by the lyrics: "I don't want the world to see me/ 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand."

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.
Iris- (Miketz, Genesis 41:1-44:17)
Music and lyrics by John Rzeznik, performed by Goo Goo Dolls.  From the "City of Angels" soundtrack, Warner Bros., 1998.

VaYeshev: Hold Fast to Dreams

Parashat VaYeshev finds Jacob finally settling down for a bit.  VaYeshev literally means, "and he dwelled." But just as soon as we are told that Jacob has established his household, we also learn of family tensions, consistent with the drama we have seen throughout Genesis.  In this case it is seventeen-year-old Joseph who has aroused the ire and jealousy of his half-brothers.

Joseph's chief crime/ annoying trait, as far as his brothers are concerned, is that he is literally and figuratively a dreamer.  He has dreams, he talks incessantly about them, he believes that they will come true, and he seems to anticipate that the dreams foretell that he will attain a higher status in life than the rest of his family.  Of course, the latter idea does come to fruition, but neither Joseph and his brothers are conscious of what the future holds at this juncture.

So, as has often happened throughout our history to those with unpopular dreams, the brothers conspire in an effort to silence Joseph and divorce themselves from his annoying dreaming.  But their efforts actually set in motion a course of events that will ultimately help Joseph's dreams come to fruition.

The poet Langston Hughes wrote a poem called "Dreams" in the shadow of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.  It declares, "Hold fast to dreams/ for if dreams die,/ life is a broken-winged bird/ that cannot fly. / Hold fast to dreams / for if dreams go / life is a barren field, / frozen with snow."  Hughes reminds us that life devoid of dreams is meaningless, and that we must continue to dream and imagine, even if the end goals of which we dream seem at first to be unattainable.

The Jewish musical group Kol B'Seder (Rabbi Daniel Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper) turned Hughes' poem into the chorus of a song (also adding some text from a Yiddish author who used the pen name "Yehoash"), which became popular within NFTY (the North American Federation of Temple Youth).  Like Hughes' poem, it reminds us to keep dreaming, to continue imagining a brighter future.

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.
Hold Fast to Dreams- (VaYeshev, Genesis 37:1-40:23)
Music and lyrics by Cantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Daniel Freelander, based on poetry by Langston Hughes and Yehoash.  Performed by Kol B'Seder.  The song appears on "Snapshots: The Best of Kol B'seder, Volume 1," which was released in 2004 and is the version heard here.  I have not been able to locate original album information.

VaYishlach: Stand

Parashat VaYishlach finds Jacob nervously preparing to reunite with his brother Esau.  After years of working for his father-in-law, Laban, Jacob's fortunes have changed, and perhaps his character has changed, as well.  But will Esau recognize his brother's growth?  Has Esau also grown and let go of the past grudges that drove a wedge between the brothers?  Is Jacob able to apologize for his apparent misappropriation of the birthright and blessing that Esau feels were rightfully his?

Uncertain of how this encounter will unfold, Jacob sends a delegation ahead to greet Esau.  Then he makes preparations to protect his family and his belongings; if Esau still harbors any ill-will toward him, Jacob wants any retaliation to be visited on him, not on his family.  At last, after all of this planning, Va'y'vater Ya'akov l'vado- Jacob was left alone.  He had only his own conscience and thoughts to keep him company.

Here we encounter the (in)famous wrestling match.  Precisely what takes place is purposely left cryptic by the Torah text, but Jacob appears to perceive that he has wrestled a Divine creature.  Jacob  refuses to release his opponent unless he receives a blessing from him, and the unknown assailant changes Jacob's name to Israel- one who wrestles with God.  Henceforth, Jacob will have to live up to this name by grappling with its multitude of meanings.  What will it mean for him to be a God-wrestler?  How will he think about his future direction?  How will he listen to reason?  How will he take a stand?

(Michael Stipe has said that this song was his response to "bubblegum pop," and he was trying to write nonsense lyrics, but to me they come together to paint an image of what Jacob is facing at this juncture)

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Stand- (VaYishlach, Genesis 32:4-36:43)
Music and lyrics by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.  Performed by R.E.M.  From the album, "Green" Warner Brothers Records, 1989.

VaYetzei: Have It All

Parashat VaYetzei kicks off with Jacob fleeing his parents' home to escape his brother's wrath.  In the middle of the desert, he stops to rest and has an awe-inspiring dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder.  Startled awake, he recognizes God's protective presence in his life, and forges a covenant of his own with God.  Jacob echoes the relationship his parents and grandparents had with the Divine, but also makes clear that he must construct his theology and his God-relationship on his own terms.

When Jews pray, they evoke the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and, in egalitarian settings, the matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah are also acknowledged).  We hope that we are blessed because of their merits, but we recognize that we also must encounter God in our own right, and live lives that are worthy of God's blessing.  Our tradition teaches that if we can do so whole-heartedly, God will indeed bless us abundantly.

God appears to Jacob in the midst of the wilderness when Jacob is experiencing one of the most vulnerable moments in his life (though there will be others to come).  It would seem that Jacob needs God at this point mores than God needs Jacob.  Nevertheless, God sees promise and potential in him, and promises him great things.

I feel this song captures the sense of the opportunities that lay in store for Jacob in the future.  If he keeps up his end of the covenant, and engages in behavior that is pleasing to God, he can "have it all."

Please note, I do not own-- nor do I claim to own-- these songs.  Copyrights are held by the various artists.  I include them here for illustrative purposes.

Have It All- (VaYetzei, Genesis 28:10-32:3)
Music and lyrics by Jason Mraz, David Hodges, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Mona Tavakoli, Chaska Lela Potter, May Sunshine Bloomfield, and Emily Gebhardt.  Performed by Jason Mraz.  From the album, "Know." Atlantic Records, 2018.