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.