Simply brilliant

Yosef's solution to the horrible future ahead of Egypt is so simple and so brilliant that of course Pharaoh puts him in charge of the whole country. I suppose that, what with being a king (and believing he was a god) and all, the man knew quality when it smacked him in the face.

You gotta wonder, though, what sort of idiots Pharaoh was dealing with in his every day life that he would be so impressed with such an obvious solution to the point of appointing a criminal slave to be his second in command. 

Ancient Egypt wasn't a measly little hamlet. It was an empire. The most advanced country of that time. One would assume that the ruler of such a place would have in his employ the brightest minds available. And of course he had dream solvers around. How come they had no idea what was the meaning of the king's dream? The Torah said specifically that he gathered all the magicians and all the sages and none of them could solve the dream. 

Now we know Yosef had a gift with dreams. But he couldn't have been the only man in the world who can do that. How come no one else figured it out? Why, Yosef himself gives the answer to that question. In Beresheet chapter 41 verse 16, he tells the king that G-d will be the one to solve the dream. And he impresses the king so much that Pharaoh says "Is there any other man who has G-d's spirit in him like this one?" (verse 38.) That is, Pharaoh not only is impressed by Yosef's wisdom, he has also accepted Yosef's statement that his wisdom comes from G-d.

Yosef's advice was excellent. Naturally. Since he took it straight from G-d. Also, it was a perfect solution to the double problem of what to do with the surplus and how to eat during the famine.


For Thanksgivukkah we have a double problem, too. Latkes are served with applesauce. Turkey is served with cranberry sauce. There is enough cooking and enough dirty dishes around that the last thing we want is to cook two extra dishes. The solution is simple, brilliant and obvious:


Apple-Cranberry sauce

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet red wine
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed (1/2 inch cubes)


Cook the first 5 ingredients over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add apple cubes, cover and cook another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water only if needed.

10-12 servings




Every problem has a solution. We just need to accept that we may not know everything and learn how to consult with an expert.




Happy Thanksgivukkah, y'all.