A King Who Did Not Know Joseph: Fear, Courage, and the Power of Names

Rabbi Mati Kirschenbaum

Can you think of any Torah stories that always send shivers down your spine?

If the answer is yes, congratulations! You have just identified the sections of the Torah you wrestle with. Paradoxically, these are exactly the passages that you need to study in depth: they will help you understand your belief system better. This is because we often react strongly to texts that go against our convictions about the way the world should be.

So which Torah stories make your hair stand on end?

Perhaps the story of the binding of Isaac?
Maybe the tragic tale of Dinah’s life?
Or perhaps the accounts of biblical matriarchs struggling to conceive?

I find each of the above-mentioned stories very distressing. Having said that, no biblical story makes my blood run cold faster than one short verse, Exodus 1:8, found in this week’s Torah portion, Sh’mot: “A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.”

In one pithy verse, Torah manages to capture the extreme precariousness of Joseph’s family and their descendants in Egypt. As long as the Pharaoh who knew and treasured Joseph lived, the Israelites were treated well. Nevertheless, their situation deteriorated rapidly as soon as a new pharaoh sat on Egypt’s throne. From then on, the Israelites were viewed as a growing threat, which soon led to their enslavement.

For centuries, most Jewish people living in the diaspora approached transfers of political power with trepidation. They feared that the new leader could be “a king who did not know Joseph”, that a new government could introduce anti-Jewish laws. Over time, this anxiety has become part of our collective memory. Today, it is triggered when we encounter antisemitic attitudes. Whenever we learn about acts of antisemitic violence, an alarmed voice within us asks:
Will those in power stand with the Jewish community?
Will the “kings” of today see us as friends or foes?

Sadly, the events of the last few years have made this fearful voice all too familiar to many of us.

When the future feels uncertain — or even downright scary — our anxious inner voice zooms in on Torah stories that confirm its conviction that we are powerless, that nothing we do could ever make a difference to our situation. In times like this, it takes effort to remember that Torah is filled with descriptions of acts of courage that transformed the world.

Sh’mot — our weekly Torah reading — is a perfect reminder that courage is not an attribute, but an attitude that each and every one of us can cultivate. Time and again, this portion describes characters who are afraid but choose to act courageously. The Hebrew midwives, Shifrah and Puah, defy Pharaoh’s order to save the lives of newborn Israelite boys. Yocheved and Amram — Moses’ parents — risk death by hiding him. Miriam speaks to the daughter of Pharaoh, the man who wishes her entire people gone. Moses stands up to Pharaoh to liberate the Israelites. Aaron decides to speak on behalf of Moses.

Sh’mot — translated into English as “names” — is the Hebrew title of both our weekly Torah portion and the entire book of Exodus. Its designation refers to the list of names of Israelites who followed Joseph to Egypt. However, the names that define this book of Torah are Miriam, Aaron and Moses. The courage and leadership of this sibling trio bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

This week, as we begin reading the book of Sh’mot, the story of our liberation, I encourage you to consider the following questions:
What do others think about when my name is brought up?
What would I like my name — my reputation — to be?
Which biblical names (characters) can help me become my best self?

I am convinced that finding answers to these questions is the first step on the journey towards a better future, both for the Jewish people and for ourselves.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Mati Kirschenbaum

Rabbi Kirschenbaum was born and raised in Poland and was ordained at Leo Baeck College in London, England. He is the rabbi of Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton CA, USA, and continues to support Jewish life in Poland.