Parshas Miketz, which often coincides with Chanukah, is filled with many deep and profound ideas. I’d like to touch on one of them, namely the discussion about Yosef and his marriage to Asnath. As we explained in the article here, this union was very unique. Asnath in fact was the daughter of Dinah and Shechem. The marriage of Asnath and Yosef represented a cosmic reunification and planted the seeds for the final redemption. 

But that was just the beginning. Let’s see how this marriage is depicted in Parshas Miketz and allow us to gain even deeper wisdom and understanding. The Torah, in Genesis 41:45 states:

וַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֣ה שֵׁם־יוֹסֵף֮ צָֽפְנַ֣ת פַּעְנֵ֒חַ֒ וַיִּתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אֶת־אָֽסְנַ֗ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֛רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֹ֖ן לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ 

Pharaoh then gave Joseph the name Tzafnas-paneach; and he gave him for a wife Asnath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of On. Thus Joseph emerged in charge of the land of Egypt.

What does Yosef’s new name represent and why did he receive it now? Rashi explains that this name means that Yosef becomes the explainer of hidden things. And fascinatingly enough, this name never appears again throughout the entire Tanach. Only one person in history was given such a status, and that is Yosef Hatzaddik at the same time of his marriage to Asnath. 

The Kol Hator 2:122, attributed to the Vilna Gaon, explains:

Tsofnat Paneach “one who explains what is hidden” — This was said about Yosef, and it is one of the missions of Mashiach ben Yosef that in every generation he explains the hints in the Torah, especially as the footsteps of the Mashiach come nearer, as is known.

Says the Gra, this power that was given to Yosef Hatzaddik was actually planted in every generation, bestowing the ability to reveal the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)