Parashat Miketz, El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי) the All Sufficient God!

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In this week’s study, Parashat Miketz (Bereshit / Genesis 41:1-44:17), Pharaoh has two dreams that deeply disturb him and he seeks a man who can interpret his dreams (41:1-13).  Pharaoh calls for Yoseph (Joseph) and asks him to interpret the dream.  Yoseph replies וַיַּעַן יוֹסֵף אֶת-פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר בִּלְעָדָי אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת-שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה saying “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”  Note here that Yoseph says that only God can give an answer of Shalom (שְׁלוֹם, peace) and then Yoseph gives Pharaoh the interpretation from God (41:16-38).  As a result, Pharaoh places all the power of Mitzrayim (Egypt) into Yoseph’s hands (41:39-46).  The seven years of plenty come and Yoseph stores away the grain (41:46-53) then the seven years of famine comes and everyone buys food from Yoseph (41:54-42:6) including his brothers.  Yoseph recognizes his brothers and tests them and accuses them of being spies (42:7-15) and places them in jail for 3 days.  Yoseph keeps Simeon and allows the other brothers to return home to fetch their brother Benjamin (42:16-38).  This week’s Parashah ends with the brothers returning to Mitzrayim with Benjamin, they speak to Yoseph and retrieve their brother Simeon, have dinner, and begin making their journey back home with more grain (43:1-34).  Yoseph tricks them placing his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack of grain (44:1-17).  When the brothers returned to bring their brother Benjamin to Mitzrayim they grieved their father Yisrael (Yaakov) and Yaakov prays to the God of his father Yitzchak (Isaac) and Avraham.  As Yisrael sends his children back to Mitzrayim (Egypt) he prays for his children saying וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי הָאִישׁ וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם אֶת-אֲחִיכֶם אַחֵר וְאֶת-בִּנְיָמִין וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי שָׁכָלְתִּי calling upon the name of God as “El Shaddai” (אֵל שַׁדַּי) recognizing the all sufficiency of God.  Today, do we recognize God as אֵל שַׁדַּי in our lives like we should?   Read More here.

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Duane D. Miller received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron Ohio. He is currently a Chemical Engineering Researcher. Duane’s research expertise has focused upon functional materials development for the control, conversion, and release of process gases in Energy production technologies. His R&D interests include computational chemistry, developing novel technologies for converting biomass to fuels and studying their fundamental interactions during the chemical conversion process. His past experience includes sorbent development for pre- and post-combustion CO2 and SO2 capture, selective absorption of H2S from methane streams, O2 capture for oxy-fuel combustion, photocatalytic reduction of alcohols, NOx reduction catalysis, the development of oxygen carriers to combust fossil fuels (CH4 and coal) for the chemical looping combustion processes, and the extraction of rare earth elements using patent pending sorbents. His research expertise has focused on operando-characterization using Infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the nature of the catalytic active sites and reaction intermediates under realistic reaction conditions, allowing direct correlation of molecular/electronic structures with catalyst performance during Gas-Solid / Liquid-Solid Adsorption and Photocatalytic Processes with real time online analysis of reaction products using ICP-MS and mass spectrometry. His current work involves a multi-disciplinary approach to developing, understanding, and improving the catalytic gasification of coal and methane, high temperature chemical looping combustion, and the catalytic decomposition and gasification of biomass and coal using novel microwave reactor.​ He has been studying the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah for 20+ years and sharing what he has learned. The studies developed for MATSATI.COM are freely to be used by everyone, to God be the Glory!