I’ve learned many lessons in my life, but one of the most important is to not give too much energy to a single moment. For it is only a chapter, not the whole book.
Most of us see our lives in small pieces. It’s not easy to step back from a present circumstance and see a bigger picture. Yet this is such a wonderful way to achieve wisdom. This was Joseph’s test too. Last week’s biblical portion saw Joseph in great despair, as he was sold into slavery. This week, Joseph is elated when he is removed from prison to become the chief advisor to Pharaoh. Within Miketz, we see Joseph rise from slavery to royalty. In one second there is difficulty and we are down in the dumps. In the next, things look good and so we are happy. Such is the web of human emotions spun by our ups and downs.