Parshas Miketz: Two Years of Days

This week's parsha, Parshas Miketz, begins: "Vayehi miketz shnatayim yamim/ And it was at the end of two years-days." Two years had passed since the butler had been freed (and the baker put to death), and only now does the butler mention Yoseph to Pharoah. 

Those two years, the commentaries tell us, were a punishment to Yoseph for depending on a man to get him out of jail. The sages use this description of time to teach us to always remember that Hashem is the One to Whom we must direct our requests.

Two years is an interesting number. One could argue that it isn't terribly long. Many people languish in jail for far longer, and few are treated as respectfully as we are told Yoseph was treated. The truth is, however, that to the human psyche, two years is an incredibly long period of time. A child is conceived, born, nurtured, and taught to walk and talk, at least a bit, in that period of time. Wars have been fought and ended in less time. 

Let’s face it…stop right now and ask yourself what were you doing two years ago, and how long ago does that seem! We mark birthdays and anniversaries because each passage of a year is significant. This is the feeling that resonates with the words “shnatayim yamim.” Why would the Torah add the word days (yamim) to a term that already means two years (shnatayim), except that it has powerful significance. 

Human lives are so complicated that our days can feel like weeks, but they can so feel like minutes and hours. This feeling is often directly connected to the quality of our lives during those times - Are we happy? Are we successful? Does our life feel purposeful?

Everyday that Yoseph was in jail was, to him, a punishment. It was another day during which he could not understand the purpose or direction his life was taking. It was another day that he felt abandoned. During his jail time, every day felt like a year. When he was released, however, he looked back and realized that there had always been a direction in which he was heading. When he was released, the two years did not feel as dire and as long as when he did not know  when his imprisonment would end. 

There is in this a profound message. There are periods in everyone’s life that are difficult. There are times when we wonder why Hashem is testing us or what purpose could Hashem possibly have for the events that have unfolded. During those times, every day feels like…forever. Every day feels like surviving. When we have passed those struggles, however, when we have found purpose or peace, we can look back and the burden of that time is not nearly so hard. 

Perhaps this can be tied to Chanukah. When the tiny cruz of oil was discovered, it seemed as if it could not possibly last the necessary time. But it did. The survival of the flame of the Menorah until proper oil could arrive can, perhaps, be compared to shnatayim yamim. When times are tough we “hold our breath” each day to see how we will survive. But at the end of that time, we often find our own personal miracles as we are blessed with a new perspective, as light shines upon the darkness.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a Happy Chanukah.