In recent mini-scandals, the media insists on ignoring or even censoring when players or coaches praise G-d for their achievements.
And I get it that, to those who do not have a G-d, the practice seems senseless and best. But for those of us who believe that our blessings are not from mere chance or from our own amazing qualities. Indeed, the tradition is very well established, indeed. I offer but one example of how institutionalized this practice really is:
The text uses a rare – and peculiar – word when describing the produce from the land during the 7 good years:
And Yosef went out from the presence of Par῾o, and went through all the land of Miżrayim.
וַתַּ֣עַשׂ הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֣י הַשָּׂבָ֑ע לִקְמָצִֽים׃
And in the seven years of plenty the earth brought forth by heaps.
An odd choice – there are other words for “plenty” or “lots” in the Torah. Why this one?
Perhaps there is a connection elsewhere in the text where this word is found? There are only 4 other cases:
And when any will offer a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense upon it:
וֶֽהֱבִיאָ֗הּ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹן֮ הַכֹּהֲנִים֒ וְקָמַ֨ץ מִשָּׁ֜ם מְלֹ֣א קֻמְצ֗וֹ מִסָּלְתָּהּ֙ וּמִשַּׁמְנָ֔הּ עַ֖ל כָּל־לְבֹנָתָ֑הּ וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָהּ֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃
and he shall bring it to Aharon’s sons the priests: and he shall take from it his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the priest shall burn the memorial part of it on the altar, to be an offering made by fire, a sweet savour to the Lord: and the remnant of the meal offering shall be Aharon’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire.
…
But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an efa of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense upon it: for it is a sin offering.
וֶהֱבִיאָהּ֮ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן֒ וְקָמַ֣ץ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ מִ֠מֶּנָּה מְל֨וֹא קֻמְצ֜וֹ אֶת־אַזְכָּרָתָה֙ וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַ֖ל אִשֵּׁ֣י יְהוָ֑ה חַטָּ֖את הִֽוא׃
Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, the memorial part of it, and burn it on the altar, upon the pyres of the Lord: it is a sin offering.
…
And this is the Tora of the meal offering: the sons of Aharon shall offer it before the Lord, before the altar.
וְהֵרִ֨ים מִמֶּ֜נּוּ בְּקֻמְצ֗וֹ מִסֹּ֤לֶת הַמִּנְחָה֙ וּמִשַּׁמְנָ֔הּ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־הַלְּבֹנָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמִּנְחָ֑ה וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ רֵ֧יחַ נִיחֹ֛חַ אַזְכָּרָתָ֖הּ לַיהוָֽה׃
And he shall lift from it his handful, of the flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is upon the meal offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial part of it, to the Lord.
…
Then the priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:
וְקָמַ֨ץ הַכֹּהֵ֤ן מִן־הַמִּנְחָה֙ אֶת־אַזְכָּ֣רָתָ֔הּ וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה וְאַחַ֛ר יַשְׁקֶ֥ה אֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶת־הַמָּֽיִם׃
and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, the memorial part of it, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
What do all these verses and rituals have in common? They are all connected to remembrance of G-d (also called “memorial”), and thus hearken back to Joseph. Joseph, who took care to always give credit to G-d, Joseph who recognized divine blessing and how it connects to us in an ongoing and ever-present way. Joseph, whom G-d rewards in turn, with heaps/handfuls of grain.
Joseph was blessed – but he also was very careful to attribute his insights and blessings to G-d. As a result. Joseph gets credit for all time for bringing Gd into our daily thoughts and lives. And each of these ritual offerings connect back to Joseph for this reason.
There is reciprocity, an interchange of respect and gratitude and blessing, that we should keep in mind when we give thanks to G-d (in a meal offering), acknowledge our sins in a sin-offering, and even when we link to questions of fidelity in a marriage.
So we can see that the minute details of later sacrifices and rituals are linked to, and drawn from, the experience of Joseph in Egypt! The modern practice of giving credit where due has a long and proud history, indeed!