45 Preserve Life
Dear family and friends, Genesis 45 informs us of Joseph’s mission in Egypt. We may feel bad that Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Yet, slavery was the vehicle God used to guide Joseph into and through his IMPORTANT mission. There was a real purpose for all that Joseph experienced. The loneliness, sadness, bitterness, hurt, frustration, anxiety, accusations, humiliation, and embarrassment that Joseph was subjected to brought him to that specific place and precise time.
We read how Joseph was kicked about and bruised some as he journeyed on the righteous path of studying and Observing Torah! Studying and memorizing scripture helps us through difficult times. Torah study is the key to enjoying a better life even during difficult times. Based on all Joseph faced, it may look like his experiences were because of terrible luck. He was abruptly removed from his life of fine things as a wealthy nomad’s son. Joseph was purchased by an influential officer of Pharaoh’s court for sexual gratification. Later, Joseph was accused of sexual misbehavior with his master’s wife. He was imprisoned. Joseph endured each of these challenges to accomplish his mission of preserving life. He didn’t especially like the task he faced. Still, he was sent in advance to Egypt to preserve life.
Joseph was precisely where he was supposed to be to become the Viceroy. What we are learning here is how things can be complicated in our lives. Our difficulties can place us exactly where God wants us. Life’s issues can be traveling in the opposite direction we want to go, yet be precisely where God wants us. We want to be careful not to be confused into thinking things are not going our way, therefore, we must have sinned and displeased God. It is possible to be in that situation without having sinned. It is also possible that we are where God wants us. We should seek God to learn what our mission is in this life.
Genesis 45 4 – 5
And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here; for God did Send me before you לְמִחְיָה to preserve life.
We live about 200 feet from a 17-acre lake that some might call a pond. Our lake has fish, turtles, snakes, ducks, geese, swans, raccoons, foxes, groundhogs, possums, gray squirrels, chipmunks and lots of mosquitoes sometimes. Birds are attracted here because of seed-bearing trees and bushes. Birds love seeds from our cedar trees. In and around our community lake are a few rag-tag residents. We have one African goose that is all white with a long neck, orange beak, and forehead that squawks up a storm. We have two Canadian geese, each with a broken wing. Our newest resident appears to be a Graylag goose. There are several variations of ducks, like the wood duck and the mallard. There is one all-white duck and two ducks of various colors with red beaks. Then there are three beautiful white swans. We suspect that most of them may have been released on our lake by owners that no longer can care for them. I don’t know. Yet, now and again, a new bird shows up. There are about a dozen of these seemingly forsaken birds.
We are not able to go out in the woods as in times past. So we have bird feeders filled with seeds. We also throw a little scratch on the ground for the morning doves, sparrows, crows, etc. Some neighbors do likewise.
Somewhere along the way, the ducks noticed our feeding area. The geese and swans followed. Sometimes geese from neighboring lakes or area farms fly in for a meal. It seems like they invite friends. Unfortunately, that can cause some problems because they leave little poop sausages all over our community, including sidewalks and driveways.
The squirrels enjoy the nuts from our trees, as do the skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and deer. They help themselves to our grapes and fruit trees. It is such a blessing to watch how God preserves life for all of His creatures. Every life is important to The Lord even though it may annoy us. Yet, we see all sorts of death as well. The Holocaust is difficult to understand and explain. The Lord God teaches us not to murder. Still, people disobey! God can take the worst in us and transform and polish us to perfection. The story of Joseph reminds us of God’s transforming power. We view things in a limited sphere. God Sees all things in every sphere. How do we know and understand a God of such magnificence?
Isaiah 45.7
I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I, The Lord, Do all these things.
Joseph said to his brothers, ‘God sent me before you לְמִחְיָה – Lih Mee Chih Yahweh – to preserve life.’ Joseph prophetically saw and understood the purpose of why God Sent him to Egypt. Joseph prophetically saw and understood the purpose of why he was sent to Egypt. Joseph prophetically deciphered why Dinah, his sister, was sexually abused by Shechem, the Canaanite prince, and why her daughter, Osnat, was abandoned in a field under a bush. Divine Providence kept Osnat safe. As a child, Osnat was driven from Yaakov’s house by her uncles, according to Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer. That was because her uncles were concerned that people would speak of licentiousness in their tents. They were worried that people would think that they were morally perverse. As a result, Yaakov engraved a metal plate and put the amulet on a fancy chain around Osnat’s neck to protect her. The metal plate was engraved with words to the effect that Osnat’s parents were Shechem and Dinah and that whoever married her would be marrying a relative of Yaakov’s family.
At this point, Osnat was placed under a bush in a field and left. Her name is a derivative of the word Si Neh {thorn bush}. Through providence, a Malach {messenger} took Osnat from under the thorn bush to the house of Potifer in in ֵEgypt. He and his wife raised her as their daughter. מָגֵן Maw Gayn – ‘shield’ as in the Shield of Abraham in Genesis 15.1 represents the shield God Placed around Osnat. Mystically both לְמִחְיָה – Lih Mee Chih Yahweh – to preserve life.’ and Maw Gayn – ‘shield’ reveal our Creator’s Will to preserve life and to shield us from danger to accomplish His Eternal Plan. The Gematria for both is 93.
לְמִחְיָה
Lih Mee Chih Yawh – to preserve life.
ל30 מ40 ח8 י10 ה5 = 93
מָגֵן
Maw Gayn – ‘shield’
מ40 ג3 ן50 = 93
We are still discussing Joseph’s prophetical comprehension. Twenty-two years later, Pharaoh ordered that Osnat marry Joseph to vindicate Jpseph from any guilt brought on by the false accusation of her foster mother, Potifer’s wife. Potter’s wife accused Joseph of sexual assault. At this point, we mention that the Midrash points out that at every birth of Yaakov’s sons, a twin daughter was born. The purpose was so that the sons could marry sisters as wives. However, when Joseph was born without a twin sister, this was a sign that Joseph would marry someone else, Osnat. See Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Artscroll Tanach Series – Bereishis Vol. I(b) (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989), pp 1492, 1800, 1801; 2106 Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman, Midrash Rabba (New York, NY: The Soncino Press 1983) – From the inscription on the plate around her, Osnat’s, neck left under a bush, she knew that she was a descendant of Yaakov, as was Joseph. Somehow this surfaced.
We know that Joseph would not have married outside of his household. At some point, they became aware of their genealogical relationship. They were both descendants of Jacob. Mystically the greatness is noted in Osnat. The Gematria of אָסְנַת Asnot’s name is 511, which is also the Gematria for אַשְׁרֵי Ahsh Ray – Praiseworthy and תִּקְוָה Teek Vaw – hope expectation. Osnat is praiseworthy for rejecting the lies of Zulaicha. Osnat is praiseworthy for returning to Judaism, and she is praiseworthy for raising her children by Joseph’s tradition instead of her own. Her praiseworthiness is so great that all Judaism blesses their children as Jacob blessed Ephraim and Menasheh. The depth of God’s Providential Care is much greater than we can imagine.
אָסְנַת
Asnat – Thorn Bush
א1 ס60 נ50 ת400 = 511
אַשְׁרֵי
Ahsh Ray – Praiseworthy
א1 ש300 ר200 י10 = 511
תִּקְוָה
Teek Vaw – Hope Expectation
ת400 ק100 ו6 ה5 = 511
Scripture States, Children are a blessing from the Lord. Aborting life in the womb is murder. Dinah kept her child regardless of being raped. It is our sacred responsibility to preserve life!!
Psalms 127. Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward.
We Did not preserve life for the Afghans or Americans in Afghanistan. We abruptly slammed the door and walked away. Many individuals have died, and more will die because we failed to preserve life. We armed one of the world’s worst enemies with America’s newest and most sophisticated military equipment and ammunition.
Dear Ones, We can love and enjoy, or we can hate and destroy. There are many points to preserving life. Joseph’s mission was to preserve life. He didn’t need or seek revenge for what his brothers did to him. Joseph didn’t need to get even. Joseph connected with the bigger picture. Let’s try to focus on the bigger picture as well. God will handle the large and tiny details. When Joseph was a teenager, He experienced dreams and visions. When he matured, He saw God in everything. May we see God in everything.
May The Lord Bless us in our daily walk, and may we stay within Torah’s Guidelines. May we help others, May we bring peace and healing to our world. May this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed Day.
Good Sabbath!
Akiva George Belk
