I love the way this Parasha begins: B'reshit {41:1} It happened at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: What a statement! we can learn a lot from this passage. Think about it, Yosef had to spend two more years in prison. Yes 720 more days passed after Yosef (Joseph) had interpreted the dreams of the king's butler and baker. Twenty four months of life under less then ideal conditions and it's obvious that G-d knew he was there. I think what G-d is telling us here is that His kind of person is not made in a microwave. It seems like G-d is more likely to use a slow cooking crock pot, then He is to use a microwave. That's because the king of godliness that produces greatness in a persons life does not come overnight. Godly character comes only to those who persevere and faint not.

Yosef had to spend two more years in prison, until it was finally G-d's timing and Pharaoh had a dream. Actually he had two dreams, but I'm not going to include them here, you should have already read them.

B'reshit {41:8} It happened in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Mizrayim (Egypt), and all the wise men of it. Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

There are a lot of people in the world today that claim to be clairvoyants, like the likes of Jean Dixon who in truth can't discern spiritual things. I believe G-d is showing us here to stay away from these type of people, they're not from Him. When a prophecy or an interpretation comes from a perfect G-d, He'll have a perfect score. He won't be 50% right, 75% right or even 99.999% right. Many times people have come to me to tell me that a friend prophesied over them or that they heard their pastor or his wife make a prophecy, which did not come true and they ask me what they should do. G-d's prophet will be 100% right 100% of the time, with no exceptions or excuses, anything else is from the devil and it doesn't matter who they are! We not to be involved with false prophets, we're not to participate in anything of the occult.

Horoscopes, astrology, card reading or any type of mystical games are not from G-d and we should have no part of them.

Pharaoh was not impressed with Yosef's mystical abilities, Pharaoh was impressed that here was a man in whom the Spirit of G-d is. B'reshit {41:37} The thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. {41:38} Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, an ish (man) in whom is the spirit of G-D?" {41:39} Pharaoh said to Yoseph, "Because G-D has shown you all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as you. This accolade did not come easy for Yosef either. He served and submitted until every trace of personal ambition and every hint of pride was gone from him, and there was nothing left for him to cling to but G-d. Can you relate? I can! Only after this was accomplished in Yosef's life was it G-d's perfect timing to release him from his trials and allow him to go on with G-d's business. Do you know what the secret of Yosef's success was? It's in one simple statement in Scripture: B'reshit {41:16} Yosef answered Pharaoh, saying, "It isn't in me: G-D will give Pharaoh an answer of Shalom."

Are you giving G-d all the credit in your life?

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2002