Vayeshev
Do we dare to dream big?
Reflection by US Community Manager, Carrie Watkins:
"The central narrative in this week’s parsha shifts from Jacob to his favorite son, Joseph. Joseph, seventeen years old, had two dreams, both of which he told his brothers, and both of which made his brothers, in the words of the Torah, hate him. In the first dream, his brothers’ sheaves of wheat bow down to Joseph’s. In the second, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. His brothers interpreted these dreams as threats, spitting back, “do you mean to reign over us?!” (37:8). Despite the negative feedback, Joseph shares his dreams.
The Torah leaves a lot of space for our interpretation. We can learn about ourselves by noticing how our mind fills in the rest of the story. Is Joseph an arrogant, snot-nosed, favorite child who shared the dreams to mock his brothers? Or is he more innocent? Perhaps he shared with his brothers out of a desire for connection, and his brothers interpreted the dream as threatening.
Whatever you think of Joseph, his brothers’ interpretations of his dreams actually did come true. (Spoiler Alert: Joseph becomes second in command in Egypt, and his brothers, not realizing it’s him, bow down to him!)
Sharing our dreams is no easy task. When we really want something, it opens up space for disappointment if it doesn't come true. Sharing reflections of our deepest yearnings with others can feel extremely vulnerable. This week's parsha invites us to dream bigger, and to share those dreams, at the very least with ourselves. If Joseph hadn’t shared his dreams, everything that followed would not have happened, including saving his entire family and all of Egypt from a monstrous plague. For big dreams to happen, we have to believe in them. We have to believe in ourselves.
The poet Mary Oliver says it well: ”You wouldn’t believe what once or twice I have seen. I’ll just tell you this. Only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one.”