Genesis

בייה

This discussion is in the loving memory of Katy Bond ז”ל.

Genesis 40.1) says, ‘an offense was committed’ without divulging the offense. Pharaoh was angry with two couriers charged with the crimes. The chief cupbearer, who tested each cup of wine before serving the king, and the chief baker were charged. Both served in the king’s palace in Egypt. What crimes were they charged with? The butler was charged with serving the king a glass of wine with a fly floating in it. The chief baker was charged with placing a stone in the pastry he prepared and served to the king. WOW!! Pharaoh considered the error and the degree of the chief baker’s error very serious.

These offenses may seem insignificant compared to the alleged crimes committed by President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, former President Donald J Trump, and other leaders worldwide. The offensives/sins in our world are enormous! Our goal is that we should be forgiving, encouraging, and pardoning those who sin. Sometimes, we may need forgiveness, encouragement, and pardon.

When we examine the fifth Word of (Genesis 40.1) in the original language, that Word is חָטְאוּ Chaw Tih Voo which means to sin to make a mistake.

Dear ones, we know how easy it is to make a mistake to sin. What follows after one sin is important. The first occurrence of חָטְאוּ Chaw Tih Voo in Holy Scripture is here in (Genesis 40.1). Ha, Torah informs us that the Egyptian king, Pharaoh, asserted absolute power without input that he did not appoint. (Genesis 40.13) says, [Joseph said to the chief butler] ‘Pharaoh shall restore you.’ (Genesis 40.19) says, [Joseph said to the chief baker] ‘Pharaoh shall lift up your head and shall hang you on a tree.’ Pharaoh determined that the fly in his wine glass was an accident, but the stone in his pastry was deliberate. Both were sins. One sin was by accident, and one sin was willful. We should take a few minutes to think this over.

In an employment setting, wouldn’t you like to think that if I made a mistake, the bosses would give me another chance? If one is in a relationship and makes a mistake, hopefully, there would be some room for forgiveness, restitution, and restoration, i.e., be given another chance.

Who teaches young boys to be good, moral, ethical, just, honest, and responsible fathers and husbands? Who teaches young women to be good, virtuous, ethical, just, righteous, trustworthy women and mothers?

We are going to try and share about working through difficulties. We are going to try to examine fairness in relationships.

Joseph was thrown in prison on false charges. He served 12 years in prison on fraudulent charges. Everyone knew the accusations were false. Yet, Joseph was imprisoned because a dignitaries’ wife brought the charges. Even though Joseph was a righteous man, he was sent to prison because an important person accused him. Officials looked the other way.

Our discussion is about making mistakes. When we examine the fifth Word of (Genesis 40.1), we learn of the error and the degree of the error. Pharaoh considered the error very serious. The Chief Baker paid with his life. Hopefully, our mistakes are not nearly as serious. Many factors affect the issues we have with human behavior.

The point is there are so many factors that may cause any one of us to transgress. I used the word transgress instead of mistake because we must understand that an error may not be a transgression. Then, who decides what is a mistake or a transgression? We have laws that define these areas. Many of us transgress laws every day without realizing it. Why? We are not aware that the things we do are a violation of the law. Our actions in one city, town, county, state, or country may not be a transgression of the law, but in another location, it may. So…

I can safely say that each of us will transgress, and each of us will make mistakes. Each of us should try our best to be forgiving and understanding. We should be gracious and understanding because this is what God is. We should try to emulate our Creator. We should also be forgiving and compassionate because we transgress and make mistakes. We should practice tolerance.

If one makes a mistake, it is best to apologize quickly. Don’t let a lot of time pass. We should also remember that even when one makes a mistake, one may not be aware of the error. If one is unaware of the mistake, how can one apologize for something they are unaware of? I might consider one thing a mistake, and you might think I am being ridiculous and unnecessarily cautious. We enjoy different ways of viewing life.

So, let’s each try to be understanding. Let’s try to be careful not to overreact when someone around us makes a mistake. Let’s try to be forgiving when someone makes a mistake. Being kind, understanding, and tolerant of others is essential. May HaShem, the Creator of the universe, Blessed is He, Help us to choose an honest course, not too drastic and one that is fair in our dealings and relationships with others. Please remember it is so important to be forgiving.

Blessings, Health, Prosperity, Kindness, and Peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Author