Parasha Miqetz: Genesis 41:-44:17

Two years after the previous parasha, Pharaoh has dreams that none of his wise men or necromancers could interpret: seven beautiful and robust cattle emerge from the river, followed by seven bad and gaunt ones who consume the beautiful and robust ones; and seven healthy and good sheaves of grain sprout from one stalk, followed by seven thin and wind-scorched sheaves which then swallow the seven healthy sheaves. The Chamberlain whose dream Joseph accurately interpreted suddenly remembered the 'Hebrew youth, slave of the Chamberlain of the Butchers.' Pharaoh sends for him. Again, Joseph explains that it is God who interprets dreams. He says to Pharaoh, 'The dream of Pharaoh is a single, one; what God is about to do, He has told to Pharaoh.' He then relates that the dreams mean there will be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh then realizes that the spirit of God is in Joseph, appoints him as his viceroy, and gives him an Egyptian wife. Joseph's wife bears two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Back in Canaan, once the famine begins, Jacob 'perceived that there were provisions in Egypt.' He sends the ten older boys to buy grain from Egypt but keeps Benjamin with him 'lest disaster befall him.' Joseph's brothers all bow down to Joseph, 'faces to the ground.' Joseph recognizes them but they don't recognize him, as he is shaved like all upper level Egyptians. He tests them to see if they have changed for the better in the intervening years.