Mythical Dimension

My daughter is about to embark on one of many rites of passage, that of becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Before she can begin her studying of the Hebrew Torah portion she will chant to her family and congregation on this occasion, our family went through an intense study of the meaning of her Torah portion and its significance in our lives today.

Her portion, which is located in the Book of Genesis deals with the interpretation of dreams, specifically Pharaoh's dreams and Joseph's interpretation of these dreams. Pharaoh dreams he is standing in the Nile River and seven large cows come out of the water followed by seven thin cows who eat the fat ones. This is followed by his dream of seven ears of corn that are growing strong followed by seven ears that are scorched which eat the sturdy ones. Joseph interprets this to mean there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. By forecasting what was to come, Joseph could instruct Pharaoh to plan for the future. In turn, Pharaoh gives Joseph the responsibility to organize storage facilities for Egypt's grain thus planning for the future.

In our family discussion of dreams, we questioned what dreams really are and how they can benefit society. Dreams and dreamers are essential for human development. The art of interpreting dreams would be in listening to those dreams and knowing how to carry out what they are saying. By Joseph's interpretation, preparations were made to avoid famine. This, in turn, would have an effect on the survival of mankind. If Joseph had not interpreted this dream, starvation may have been the inevitable result.

Stories or myths that are studied over and over from one generation to the next may have different significance at different times. However, the fact that they have significance at all is fascinating. The sheer fact that a dream and the interpretation thereof can actually be the salvation of a peoples remarkable.