It has been over 100 days since Oct 7 and the abduction of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Wise has created this beautiful prayer and song to express our solidarity with the hostages and their families and our fervent desire for a safe return.
On Pharaoh
For those of us who remember the movie “The Ten Commandments,” we have an unshakable image of Yul Brenner as the pharaoh Ramses. Reflecting the historical assumptions of its time, this 1956 film led subsequent generations to believe that the Pharaoh of the Exodus actually could be identified with a particular historical figure. Now, nearly 70 years later, modern scholars caution against linking the Torah’s generic term “pharaoh” with an actual Egyptian figure. In fact, what is most notable is that the pharaohs in the Joseph story and the Moses story are not named. Professor of Bible Israel Knohl of the Hebrew University suggests that the Torah’s pharaohs are likely composites of several pharaohs (real and imagined) that entered Israelite historical memory over centuries. By separating the pharaoh from any historical figure, we’re actually able to ask the deeper question: “Why did the Torah’s authors portray the pharaohs as they did? What do they say about leadership?”
In the Joseph story, the pharaoh is a gracious and generous host. Once Joseph reveals his value as a sage advisor and saves Egypt from famine, this pharaoh elevates Joseph to his second in command. Joseph’s identity as a Hebrew is inconsequential. When Joseph’s father, Jacob, and the brothers flee from famine in Canaan to Egypt, they are greeted with kindness and grace by the Egyptian ruler. He gives them the best grazing ground for their flocks and invites them to settle in his land as welcomed guests.
It is not until the book of Exodus that a pharaoh arises who “knew not Joseph.” Obviously, many subsequent pharaohs didn’t know Joseph, but this framing implies that the pharaoh of the Exodus is unique in his xenophobia. Rather, this particular ruler of Egypt sees the people who’ve maintained their unique identity and dwell apart as a threat, where countless others didn’t. He reveals an ancient version of classic antisemitic tropes. These Israelites are hungry for power, and they will devise a means to unseat me! They are devious and can’t be trusted, therefore I will oppress them.
By contrasting the two pharaohs we see two models of leadership. There’s Joseph’s pharaoh, the gracious leader who sees value in the presence of those who will work with him for the good of his nation. And there’s Moses’ pharaoh, acutely paranoid, insecure in his leadership and seeking to suppress any who he perceives as threats even to the point of suffering for his own nation. In his portrayal of those traits, Yul Brenner did a fine job!
As we examine the Jewish historical experience even to our present day, we see that each of those leadership types endure in our world. The lessons of history and the Biblical parable affirm that paranoid- and conspiracy-driven antagonism rarely serves a nation well; rather, that nation is far more likely to thrive when it welcomes Jews and others who contribute to the well-being of all who dwell there.
— Rabbi Ron Stern