Two years ago, my classmate Ezra Pollak and I got a text from our co-1990 alumnus, Geoffrey Adler: “Good evening, gentlemen. Never in a million years would I have thought to ask you both something, so here it goes. What are your thoughts on a book study in tandem with studying Vayeshev?”
Geoff and I had kept in touch since graduating, Ezra and I not so much, but we hadn’t studied Torah together since high school. Geoff explained that he had found a book —Was Yosef on the Spectrum? Understanding Joseph Through Torah, Midrash, and Classical Jewish Sources by Samuel J. Levine — and wanted to study it together.
While I was skeptical about Dr. Levine’s thesis, I was intrigued. Is the book really investigating whether Yosef had autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Well, yes. Dr. Levine, a Professor of Law at Touro Law Center, finds a surprising number of confusing passages in the text that would make more sense if Yosef had traits typical of people with ASD. I was excited to contemplate the story from a modern perspective on the power of neurodiversity.
Dr. Levine points out, for example, the story that begins Parshat Miketz, when Yosef is summoned to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. When Pharaoh says, “I have heard you can hear a dream and interpret it” (Bereishit 41:15), Yosef comes right out and contradicts him, saying interpretations are in Hashem’s hands. Levine notes that correcting a dictator is rather forward for any citizen, let alone a foreign prisoner. Yosef tells the truth in a situation where someone else might gain their freedom by lying a little.
Yosef’s truth-telling goes further, though. Noting the extraneous words, “there was no one to interpret the dream to Pharaoh” (41:8) , the Kli Yakar says that Pharaoh’s advisers knew what the dream meant but were afraid to give him bad news. Yosef, on the other hand, tells Pharaoh of the grave danger for his country despite the personal risks. Levine argues that a tendency to misread social situations and speak directly (perhaps too directly!) is more common among people with ASD. And it turns out that these atypical tendencies that Yosef has are just the right ones to save Egypt — and the world's first Jews — from famine.
Levine digs into details of the story and the text as classic commentaries do and leans on their interpretations at times. In the best traditions of Modern Orthodoxy, he adds medical and scientific background to enhance our understanding of Yosef's character and story. While, in the end, I wasn't convinced by his theory, I still appreciated the surprising new perspective he brought to such an old story. It reminded me to pay attention to the personal and family dynamics in the Bereishit stories, not just the epic history.
I love that our tradition makes room for commentators who use new methods, from the grammatical analysis of Ibn Ezra to the literary techniques of the Gush Etzion rabbis. Those methods wrestle with the same classic text and reveal another of the seventy faces of Torah. This means each reader can find a text interpretation addressing the parts of the story they find most engaging or troubling. Was Moshe perfect aside from a single, tiny mistake, or was he a strong leader with a basic flaw that he worked to correct? Was Yitzchak an individual who could only copy his father's example, or was he the first sunburned tzabar (native Israeli) pioneer building Israel? Our tradition allows us to learn from all of these portrayals.
As we bid farewell to Chanukah, I appreciate that this holiday too can have at least eight faces. Does it celebrate a military victory or a religious miracle? Is it about halachic details of menorah shape or the wide smiles on children's faces as they light? Latkes or sufganiyot? It's all of these!
One extra miracle I want to celebrate, though, is that miketz shnatayim yamim, after two years, three Maimo alums living in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles are still learning together on Zoom a few times a month. It might seem unlikely, as we have different types of observance, and we hadn’t learned Torah together in thirty years. But the radically different perspectives we bring make the learning far more interesting. Geoff, a special education teacher, inspires us with his creative ideas and fiery zeal. Ezra, a database programmer, has a wry sense of humor and seems to learn Torah for hours each day. And I bring song lyrics appropriate for almost any topic, and the occasional obscure Rashi that Rabbi Orelowitz z”l taught us in 1984. Also, we share dad jokes, stories about our kids, and other flotsam picked up over 30 years of living.
I believe the pshat of the Torah is that our ancestors did have flaws and fears, which helps us identify with and learn from them. How alone must Yosef have felt as a foreign and framed slave? And yet, the Yosef story teaches us that one can use their unique quirks and strengths to achieve great things. And I connect with Yosef in particular because Hashem never spoke to him directly. Like modern Jews, Yosef had to find inspiration in his parents’ ideals and in sometimes-obscure hints of Hashem’s plans. And when – spoiler alert! – he saw Yehuda’s willingness to sacrifice for his family, Yosef realized that he wasn't alone.
How alone have many American Jews been feeling since October 7? But as the song says, “The children of Israel are never alone.” We saw in recent weeks that Jews of all stripes gave what they could to help our family in Israel, and remind them that we care about and pray for them.
Wishing for a speedy victory over Hamas and peace for Israel. Shabbat shalom! | 
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