This week’s Sedra opens with the words: “ויהי מקץ… ופרעה חלם ”– “and behold it was after two years (from when Yosef was jailed) and Paroh dreamed”… There is even at first glance something peculiar about this Passuk. The Torah’s juxtaposition of ‘it was after two years’ with the active form “and Paroh dreamed” implies that Paroh’s dreaming is the main topic at hand. The Torah seems to be telling us that we must pay close attention to the fact that Paroh is dreaming.

However, it would seem from the Mefarshim that the Torah’s main purpose in telling us about these dreams is to recount the chain of events – Paroh’s need to have these interpreted correctly leading to Yosef’s release from prison – leading eventually to Klal-Yisroel ending up in Mitzraim. If this is the case, why is the Torah laying so much emphasis on Paroh’s dreaming itself?

Chazal tell us ’לב שרים ומלכים ביד ה’‘ – “the hearts of rulers and kings are controlled directly by Hashem.” This concept is evident numerous times in Nach. We are told in Melachim for instance that King Rechavam ignored the wise counsel of the elders for the foolish advice of the youngsters he grew up with, because Hashem decreed that the Ten Tribes would rebel against Malchus Bes Dovid. While there are various other examples – with Jewish rulers and Gentile ones alike — the common theme is that Hashem controls the every decision of all the rulers whenever He so chooses (see Malbim, in various places throughout Nach, who explains why this doesn’t contradict the concept of free will).

The Torah is telling us that Paroh’s dream wasn’t merely a dream. It was rather a dream that assisted Bnei-Yisroel in being where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. The Torah is pointing out to us how even the most personal aspects of a world leader are there mainly because they will have a particular and sometimes quite meaningful impact on Klal-Yisroel.

We find ourselves living in worrisome and even alarming times. World leadership is changing in unpredictable ways. Leaders are being replaced by different sorts of personalities – some possibly even more unpredictable than their predecessors. It is obvious that we may now be on the verge of a complete changeover in world politics. If we recognize, however, that all of world politics revolve around Klal-Yisroel perhaps we will then not miss the opportunity we have of harnessing these changes to Am-Yisroel’s benefit. May we be Zoche to the Geula Asida in the very near future.

A very warm Good Shabbos, Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski