(创37-41)六个梦背后的作者

梦,一种看不见摸不着的东西,居然改变了人的命运。仔细想想,实际上背后有一个命运的主宰。 故事发生在西亚,远古的奴隶社会。 被爸爸偏爱的17岁的富家子弟约瑟,向哥哥们描述了他作的梦1,2,象征哥哥们要向他下拜,这加剧了哥哥们的嫉妒而促使他们卖约瑟去埃及为奴,以预防约瑟的梦1,2的实现。 在埃及无辜被诬陷入狱的约瑟,在28岁时为狱友们解他们作的梦3,4。 两年后,法老作梦5,6无人能解。出狱的狱友推荐约瑟为法老解梦,使约瑟出狱成为埃及宰相,以贯彻梦5,6的启示,预先为荒年存粮。 荒年时约瑟的哥哥们来埃及买粮,向埃及宰相下拜,不知道那其实是39岁的约瑟,从而实现了22年前约瑟的梦1,2的预言。 约瑟梦1,2的预言,因为他哥哥们想防止它发生就把约瑟卖到外国作奴隶,不想反而因之成就了梦1,2的预言。 过程中约瑟虽经受了多种逆境,痛苦,恶行,嫉妒,诬陷,但他从不发怨言,从不自暴自弃,对造物主的信心和顺服始终如一,无论做公子,做奴隶,做囚犯,做宰相,都尽本分做好,并归荣耀于造物主。 约瑟的梦1,2带来约瑟命运的下降。在他命运的低谷狱友们的梦3,4 给他带来了转机和解梦的信誉。法老的梦5,6则给约瑟机会通过解梦得拯救,并使他命运突然上升到前所未有的高度。 梦3,4,5,6本身与其解释也有极高的水平与价值。我们可以参考约瑟解梦来学习解经。 这六个梦,由四个不同的人,在三个不同的地方作。六个梦关联麦捆,日月星辰,葡萄枝,面饼篮,母牛,麦穗,表面上看好像是各种纷杂混乱的思绪,但实际上在背后的作者的写作大纲中各有所用,把一个从富家公子到奴隶到囚犯到外国宰相的奇遇串连在一起,具有极高的文学价值。比较同时代的中国古代文学,我想到的孙膑庞涓等故事,甚至希腊神话里的杀父娶母故事,这些虽然也精彩,但其意境与对人生的指导意义与约瑟的故事相比颇有不如。 即使是无神论的读者,从文学创作角度来看,也能辨认出,这看似杂乱的六个梦,背后有一个作者的精心设计。其实这整个过程都很现实,没有任何像孙猴子一个跟斗翻了十万八千里那样的违反自然规律。造物主是整个奇遇背后的真正作者。祂掌管人的日有所思,祂掌管人的夜有所梦,祂允许和掌控约瑟哥哥们的坏心思,约瑟的英俊和主人太太的贪图,狱友先前的遗忘和后来的回忆,七年丰收和七年饥荒,祂赐给约瑟解梦的智慧和治国的才能…,造物主超过所有小说作者的地方在于: 祂不但有最好的设计,又有足够的能力使之成为现实。 让我们学习约瑟,尽本分作好在造物主美妙作品里面我们自己被赋予的角色。 (本文原型笔者曾刊登于以马内利社区)

My notes on Vayishlach

Parashat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:3-Genesis 36:43) 32:32          Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank. Comment: Muslims and Jews have similar dietary habits: They do not… Continue reading My notes on Vayishlach

(创28)雅各许愿与一个现代见证 (Genesis 28) Jacob’s Vow and A recent story

(English version: 中文版在英文版后面) Regarding Jacob’s vow in Genesis 28, a brother shared the following: One of the important reasons why I fear Gd is because His deeds are so precise and faithful to me that I dare not be ambiguous to Him. I’ve experienced a lot of “coincidences” that are very important to me personally.… Continue reading (创28)雅各许愿与一个现代见证 (Genesis 28) Jacob’s Vow and A recent story

My notes on Chayei Sarah

Parashat Chayei Sarah (Genesis 23:1-25:18) Genesis 23 23:19          And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. Comment: This burial plot in Hebron is the first acquisition of the promised land. The first “inhabitant” is… Continue reading My notes on Chayei Sarah

My notes on Noach

Parashat Noach (Genesis 6:9-11:32) 6:18          But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Comment: Men were mentioned together, and women were mentioned together separately from men. Rashi commented here, based on Talmud (Sanhedrin… Continue reading My notes on Noach

My notes on Bereisheet

Main reference: Rashi on Numbers, Pentateuch with Rashi’s commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 (English), https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis?tab=contents Parashat Bereisheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8) Genesis 1 1:26   And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of… Continue reading My notes on Bereisheet

My notes on Haazinu

Parashat Haazinu Deuteronomy 32 32:3          Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. Comment: “ascribe ye greatness unto our God”: This teaching contrasts to Moses’ previous sin of not sanctifying Gd’s name when striking the rock to get water in Numbers 20.   32:4         … Continue reading My notes on Haazinu