IJII

A Talmudic passage (Sotah 11a) offers an imaginary scenario relating to when Pharaoh was deciding to enslave the Israelites and murder their male babies. “Said Rabbi Hiyya son of Abba in the name of Rabbi Simai: Three were involved in that decision: Bilam, Job and Yitro.” Bilam, who advised in favor of these evil decrees, ultimately died a violent death. Job, who remained neutral, was later punished with horrible sufferings. Yitro, who opposed Pharaoh’s decrees, had to flee, but was ultimately rewarded so that his descendants were great teachers of Torah.

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Some time ago, I was watching old home movies that were filmed during the early 1950s. On the screen I saw myself as a little boy. The movies were filled with laughing, dancing, singing relatives and friends—many of whom are no longer alive. I had the surrealistic experience of watching my parents—both long deceased—when I was actually much older than they were at the time when the movies were taken.

Looking at old movies or old photographs has a way of casting a spell on us. It transports us into the past. For a few short moments, we may vividly feel that we’ve returned to the past, that we are reliving an earlier time in our lives.

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Thanks to Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, the Egyptians were spared a terrible calamity. Joseph offered a plan whereby the Egyptians could store produce of the seven years of abundance, so that they would have food during the following seven years of famine.

What if Joseph had not been there to give this advice? Presumably, the Egyptians would have fully enjoyed the seven years of abundance, thinking that prosperity would never end. When the famine would then arrive, the people would have been unprepared for the economic downturn. They would soon have run out of food and would have suffered years of starvation.

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A recent scandal in our community relates to an article written by a student in an Orthodox women’s college, published in a school publication. The author of the article tells of a sexual encounter—real or imagined. Defenders of the article argue for the right of freedom of expression. Critics complain that the article (published anonymously) reflects immoral behavior and should not have been included in a student publication of an Orthodox school. The media have enjoyed reporting on this incident, as they enjoy reporting on scandals in general.

Why would a student write such an article? Why would the editors of the publication agree to publish it?

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