Adam pointed out to his friend, "Do you see that man, I remember him without his long beard."
"Yeah," said Rafi, "he used to help us in Hebrew School."
Wow, he looks so wise, Adam added.
Rafi said "Hey, that reminds me of what he once taught us in Hebrew School. When Joseph's brothers stood before him in Pharaoh's palace, he recognized them but they did not recognize him. He explained that when they sold him as a slave he was a teenager. Now he had a full beard which made him look much different."
"A beard does make a person look different," agreed Adam. He thought for a moment. "But still, I'm surprised that he changed so much that Joseph's brothers could not recognize him, even after meeting and talking to him again and again. Even when Judah argued to save Benjamin, he did not think that he was talking to Joseph."
"I remember that he told us," explained Rafi, "that it was hard for you to recognize that man because of his beard, but we still figured it out. But when the brothers came to Egypt and met a governor who was supplying food to all the hungry people and who was running the economic affairs of the country, it never occurred to them that he could possibly be Joseph. They thought Joseph would be concerned only with spiritual things. they could never imagine him being so involved with business. That's why they didn't recognize him.
"But Joseph was on a much more learned than his brothers. Jacob had taught Joseph all of the Torah he knew. This helped Joseph live like a good Jew even though he lived among people who were far from G-d and did evil acts. Even when he was involved in buying and selling, he knew that the being just and following G-d's ways is what is most valuable."
This is a lesson for us, said Adama, "G-d wants a Jew to be involved in this world, and to make it a place where G-d's presence is felt. We should follow Joseph's example. Even when Joseph was involved in business matters, his life was not separate from G-d and the Torah."
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