Yosef was asked to interpret Pharaoh’s dream – not to add his personal opinion concerning its implementation. Yet, when he rendered the interpretation, he rendered free, unrequested advice. Why did he do this? Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, explains that, actually, the advice was part of the dream’s interpretation. He quotes a vignette which he heard from his father concerning the Chofetz Chaim, zl. A man came to the venerable sage, complaining bitterly that, at one point in his life, parnassah, earning a livelihood, had been no problem for him. He did well, and he had money to spare. Now, regrettably, he was barely eking out a living, and he was often subject to counting pennies for his Shabbos preparations.
The Chafetz Chaim explained to him that his lot in life had not really changed. It is just that a person must realize that Hashem sends us His gift in various ways. Some receive a steady income; it might be a lower lump sum, but it is steady and timely. Others receive a one-time lump sum, and it is up to them to be astute in its management. If they spend it all immediately upon receipt, they will be left penniless down the road of life. The Chafetz Chaim explained, “You, my friend, received one large gift from the Almighty. Sadly, you spent it all in a short amount of time. Now, you are complaining that Hashem is not good to you. He was very good to you; you, however, squandered your gift by spending it all right away.”
In a similar vein, Yosef explained to Pharaoh that, indeed, he was receiving a wonderful gift – seven years of plenty. He must, however, be aware that this is a one-time gift. If he were to spend it all in “one place,” he would starve during the years of hunger. Thus, Yosef was not really rendering advice; he was explaining the dream.
This idea applies likewise to us. We rarely look back in time when we “had it all.” Little did we realize then that we were supposed to apportion it in such a manner that it would last. Some are fortunate to receive a large bulk, which replaces the usual steady income. Others are provided with sustenance on a regular basis. In any event, we see that it is not always the size of the gift, but how one uses it, that counts. A large gift, over a long period of time, may not be that large, while a smaller gift, which is consistent and timely, can make all of the difference in the world.
