By Rabbi Pinchas Winston At the end of two years, Pharaoh
dreamed and behold, he was standing by the river. (Bereishis
41:1) "At the end of two years ... The end of ten years and an
additional two years [that Yosef spent in prison]." (Ba'al
HaTurim) It was the moment that Yosef had waited for: freedom
from jail, though he didn't know what to expect -- would matters
get better or worse? We, of course know that Yosef is finally on
the way up, because we've read the story many times before. It's
been a lot of hardship for a teenage boy. From seventeen years
of age until twenty-nine, Yosef had to fight to survive, not
just physically, but psychologically as well. He was hated by
his brothers and forced into slavery -- literally stolen away
from the father and the life he loved. And, as if that weren't
bad enough, his troubles followed him down to Egypt, and again
he was forced into even greater captivity, this time by the wife
of his master, Potiphar. "What could be next?" Yosef must have
wondered. "What did Yose