by Rabbi Wayne Allen
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
When the cup-bearer sees that Pharaoh’s dreams could not be successfully interpreted by any of the courtiers, he suddenly recalls his failings. The Hebrew text emphasizes the plural: “My sins I recall today” (Genesis 41:9). From the context it is clear that the cupbearer failed to keep his word to Joseph and bring his case before Pharaoh as a reward for successfully interpreting the cup-bearer’s dream, foretelling his release from prison and the resumption of his duties. This sin of omission is significant, but singular. The Torah, however, has the cup-bearer confess to more than one sin.
The second sin, according to the Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 89:7), was a different kind of sin altogether. The Midrash imagines the cup-bearer telling Pharaoh that “I saw you grieving over the dreams you had and did not reveal to you that I knew of a skilled interpreter.” The first sin was a sin against Joseph. The second sin was a sin against Pharaoh.
From the perspective of the Midrash, the cup-bearer had sinned in neglecting his promise to help Joseph out of his wrongful imprisonment. But he also sinned in remaining silent to the anguish of Pharaoh when he had the ability to help. This is no less a sin than the first.
The Midrash, of course, is not only addressing a textual problem. It is addressing a behavioral problem. Too many people, like the cup-bearer, have information, skills, or resources that can help others but fail to use them. The withholding of such things is not only selfish but sinful. To his credit, the cup-bearer realized his failings and chose to act. The first step towards his rehabilitation was to admit his mistake. The next step was to do something about it.
The Torah has room enough for many heroes. Joseph is tacitly praised for his perseverance under difficult circumstances and lionized for his unimpeachable character and profound faith. The cup-bearer is no less a hero for owning up to his responsibilities and ultimately carrying them out.
Shabbat Shalom!
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Born and raised in New York City and currently a resident of Toronto, Rabbi Wayne Allen has blended a career of service to the Jewish community as an ordained rabbi with his academic pursuits. Rabbi Allen is recognized as an expert both in Jewish law and in 18th century British moral philosophy. The books he has written and those he has edited are distinguished by the inclusion of philosophical analysis and historical context, adding an extra dimension to the more traditional forms of responding to questions on Jewish practice. He is a panelist for Jewish Values On-line, an Internet site devoted to providing authoritative answers to questions on Jewish life.
Rabbi Allen has traveled extensively and has led groups to Europe and Israel, lecturing beforehand on the history of the communities to be visited. He has served as a faculty member at the American Jewish University where he taught Jewish law, at California State University Long Beach where he taught the History of Modern Jewish Thought and Zionism, and at the University of Waterloo where he taught Theology After the Holocaust. He has also been invited as a guest lecturer at York University in Toronto and at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Allen has served as a scholar-in-residence at synagogues in St. Louis and Ottawa and currently teaches at the Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto where he serves as chairman of the Rabbinics Department.
Samples of Rabbi Allen’s teaching are accessible on his website, www.rabbiwayneallen.ca.
Rabbi Allen's published books, available from the UTJ Bookstore are: