32. The Meeting of Dance and Language!

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32. The Meeting of Dance and Language!

“Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than

a fattened calf with hatred.” (Proverbs 15:17)

The wife of Potiphar, who had received a proposal from her husband, put it into action the next day after sending her husband off to work. That day, Joseph was sitting at his desk reading a book, unaware of her approach. She went up to Joseph and spoke to him.

“At this rate, we might see a great scholar emerge in Egypt!”

Hearing her presence, Noah closed his book and said,

“There is still so much I need to learn.”

Potiphar’s wife approached and saw that the book Joseph had closed was about Egyptian rhetoric.

“Hmm! Joseph is now as knowledgeable

as the professional scholars of Egypt,

but there seems to be one thing lacking,

which might be a flaw…”

She shook her head as she spoke.

“What is it?”

Joseph’s passion to learn everything about Egypt made him eager to know what he was lacking.

“It seems that Joseph lacks social interaction.”

“Ah, yes! I also want to interact with people from all walks of life in Egypt, but who would associate with someone like me?”

Joseph thought that due to his status, people in Egypt would already consider him a slave.

“Joseph! Unlike other things,

you seem to have a fear of social interactions?

Giving up without even trying doesn’t seem like you…”

Joseph was annoyed by Potiphar’s wife’s words.

“But this is a realistic issue,

and wanting to have social interactions alone is not something

I can do, is it?”

“That might be true! Then how about

I solve that problem for you?”

“What? You will solve it for me?”

“Yes! If you go with me to places I visit and meet people there, no one will look down on the steward of our house who is with me. If such a thing happens, it would be like looking down on me, and there are hardly any people in Egypt who would do that!”

Listening to her, Joseph thought she was right. Who was Potiphar? He was the one who protected the king’s life and safeguarded the royal authority. That meant he was always with the king and was favored by him. Who would defy or look down on him? If that was the case for Potiphar, it would be the same for his wife. In fact, men might not reveal such things immediately, but for women, it would mean becoming her enemy. Who could do that to Potiphar’s wife? If she took him to gatherings with nobles, Joseph was confident he wouldn’t feel intimidated or out of place. With this thought, Joseph asked Potiphar’s wife,

“Would you really take me to gatherings whenever there is one?”

Joseph expected an affirmative answer, thinking she had already expressed her intention to do so. However, her answer was completely unexpected.

“No! Not yet!”

“What? Didn’t you say you would take me?”

Joseph couldn’t understand Potiphar’s wife’s intention.

“There is still something lacking in Joseph,

and it can only be possible after that is resolved!”

“Something lacking?”

Just when Joseph thought he wouldn’t be outdone by anyone, Potiphar’s wife spoke again.

“Joseph’s intellectual level is above that of scholars, but in social gatherings, it’s not just about conversations.

There are balls and dances! I think Joseph is still lacking in that part. Joseph needs to be good at dancing so that I won’t be embarrassed when I take you.

I have never seen Joseph dance anywhere,

so I assume Joseph can’t dance…”

Joseph realized she was right. He admitted it.

“That’s true! You are right, ma’am.

I have never learned to dance.”

“I wasn’t wrong. But there’s no need to worry too much. You can start learning now.

I will teach you to dance once a day,

so try to learn diligently. If you work hard,

in a couple of months, you will be able to dance well enough to fit in.

So, from tomorrow morning, after my husband leaves for the palace, let’s practice dancing for an hour as exercise.”

Potiphar’s wife said this and left. Joseph realized that being overly focused on one thing or being completely ignorant of another could be a problem. He picked up the book he was reading again. The next morning, as promised, Joseph started learning to dance from Potiphar’s wife. She had prepared dance instructors and musicians to teach Joseph. The dance instructor, who was slightly older than Joseph, around thirty, was a beautiful woman. Before learning the dance moves, Potiphar’s wife made Joseph listen to music played by the musicians for about ten minutes. According to her, dance is about ‘steps,’ and those ‘steps’ come from rhythm, so it was important to get familiar with the rhythm by listening to music. After listening to the music, Joseph had to learn the basic dance moves without music. To do this, he first had to learn the basic posture to match the rhythm with his partner. Finally, Joseph stood in front of the dance instructor. She placed her right hand on his and told him to place his right hand on her back below her shoulder. But even before starting the dance, Joseph was sweating nervously in front of the dance instructor. He had never held a woman’s hand other than his mother’s, so holding hands and dancing with a woman was an embarrassing and nerve-wracking experience for him. His face kept getting redder and hotter. Due to his tension, he gripped her hand tightly, causing the dance instructor’s face to contort. Potiphar’s wife immediately scolded him.

“Are you wrestling? You need to hold gently!”

Joseph’s dance lessons started like this. As the lessons continued day by day, his embarrassment gradually disappeared, and his dance moves started to come out properly. After a couple of months of learning, Joseph mastered various social dances suitable for the balls in Egypt, which was considered the cultural center of the international community at the time. However, Potiphar’s wife still felt he was lacking. Although he had learned all the dances and could dance with most people, dancing was not just about knowing the steps and moves. In any field, even if it is a social dance, truly dancing means being immersed in it, moving each finger and toe precisely, and having a deep philosophy and spirit in each movement. Especially as a man dancing with a female partner, he needed to lead and guide her delicately and kindly to impress the audience. Just knowing the steps and moves wasn’t enough to truly dance. If he was to socialize with nobles and high officials, he needed to dance properly rather than clumsily, which was also Potiphar’s wife’s thought.

Joseph was eager to quickly expand his social circle by mingling with the nobles, but he was subtly impressed by Potiphar’s wife’s thorough preparation and decided to be more thoughtful. He thanked the young female teacher who had been teaching him to dance and then focused on mastering more advanced dance steps by practicing with Potiphar’s wife as if in a real situation. With her extensive experience in social settings, Potiphar’s wife guided Joseph thoroughly, helping him to feel the depth of the dance.

A month passed! Dancing in perfect harmony with the music and his partner, it was as if a bird was soaring through the sky. Additionally, Joseph deepened his understanding of the social and cultural background of the era when the dance originated by reading books made of papyrus whenever he had time, which further enriched his dance.

Joseph, who had been as stiff as a wooden block when he first started dancing, had already reached the level of an expert, creating his own world of dance. Potiphar’s wife was astonished. She had known that he was quick to learn and absorb things, but she hadn’t realized it would be to this extent. That was Joseph. Although he was much younger than her, Potiphar’s wife found a charm in his masculinity.

She had spent her youth anxiously watching her husband participate in numerous battles, standing at the crossroads of life and death. When the battles ended and he returned, they shared quiet moments as a couple, sometimes strolling through the garden or by the lake. However, when he entered Egypt as a victor, with many Egyptians singing songs of triumph, and stood before the king, the king recognized his contributions and appointed him as the captain of the guard, responsible for protecting the king’s life and commanding the guard within the city.

However, the duties were heavy and important, and he often had to pay attention to minor details. As a result, although there was little risk of losing his life in battle, their opportunities to spend time together as life partners decreased. Despite her gentle nature, Potiphar’s wife often had to appear rough or blunt due to her position and role, leaving a sense of emptiness in her heart as she approached middle age.

Nevertheless, Potiphar’s wife had become adept at handling various situations. She buried her feelings and began to accompany Joseph to various banquets and social gatherings of the nobles. She instructed Joseph to address her as “Madam” in the future. Addressing her as “Madam” symbolized that Joseph was on a similar level and could face other nobles and royalty. If he called her “Mistress” in front of others at a social gathering, people would likely ignore Joseph, and Potiphar’s wife would also seem strange. This meticulousness and thoroughness were evident even in such details.

That evening, when Potiphar returned, his wife told him about the recent events and mentioned that she planned to take Joseph to various balls and social gatherings to interact with people. She had thought it would take about a year, but Joseph had mastered the dance in just over six months, and not just roughly but perfectly like a professional dancer. Potiphar was quietly surprised. Although he would naturally see Joseph dance when they went to social gatherings later, he couldn’t quite believe it. However, his wife was not one to boast or say something absurd.

After informing her husband about Joseph, Potiphar’s wife gradually began to take Joseph to several banquets, where balls were often held. Before going, she instructed Joseph not to dance, no matter who asked, until she gave special permission. Potiphar’s wife thought to herself that no matter how well he danced, he needed to adapt to these environments to avoid being flustered, as she knew from her own youthful experiences that once flustered, mistakes were inevitable.

She recalled how, at her mother’s urging, she had learned to dance and felt somewhat confident. When she attended a party at a noble’s house with her mother, there was someone among the many young men who particularly caught her eye. After dinner, when the ball began, the adults danced first, discussing work and deepening their friendships, while the young people gathered in groups, chatting or trying to catch the eye of a good partner for the upcoming dance.

Finally, it was time for the young people’s dance, the most splendid part of any party, drawing the attention of parents who were thinking about their children’s future. The young people’s dance was the epitome of beauty, and everyone at the party watched intently, sometimes predicting good matches. When the host announced the young people’s dance, music began to play, and the young men approached the ladies they had in mind or had already asked to dance, extending their hands. If the lady took the hand, she accepted the invitation; if not, the young man had to ask another lady.

Several young men had already taken their partners to the floor and started dancing, spinning around to the music, while some ladies anxiously waited for someone to ask them to dance. Some brave ladies even approached young men to ask them to dance, causing laughter among the guests. At that moment, a young man who had caught her eye from the beginning was approaching her. He stopped in front of her and extended his hand.

Such a thing seemed possible only in dreams, but it had become reality. Her heart started to race, and she couldn’t calm down. She had practiced dancing so much and knew the music well. The young man led her well, but her heart wouldn’t stop pounding, and her face turned red. It was as if she was confessing her feelings, saying, “I have fallen for you.” Despite all her preparation, she couldn’t dance properly. She couldn’t keep up with the rhythm and beat.

Finally, she realized that the young man was leading her outside, and only then did she understand that the dance had ended. Fortunately, the young man liked her and thought of her sincerely. They met a few more times and eventually got married. But if the young man had been disappointed by her possible mistakes and lost interest in her, she would have had to live with the shame and embarrassment forever.

Years after their marriage, she asked her husband about that time, and he, whether joking or serious, said with a smile, “It was hard dancing with a wooden block, and my feet got stepped on a lot.”

He had told the story. I think it might have been true. I was suspicious of the feeling under my feet, something that felt neither soft nor hard. Or maybe I was hypnotizing myself into thinking it was nothing. My husband said that he was even more attracted to her innocent appearance along with her beauty. However, modern young people do not seem to be so sentimental. Isn’t it a generation where right is right, wrong is wrong, and no is no? Therefore, if something like this happens to me, it is certain that I will be defeated every time these days. So, first, I will attend a few meetings to observe the atmosphere and situation with my eyes and ears, and once I get used to it, the next step will not be a problem. This is like learning anything; if you do it slowly and well, doing it quickly is always possible. No, rather, from the young ladies’ perspective, if there is a young man they like, but he does not ask them to dance, their hearts will burn even more. And later, if he asks them to dance and leads the dance skillfully, it will be much more effective in capturing the young ladies’ hearts. That is why Joseph was instructed to do so.

After attending several social gatherings with Potiphar’s wife and grasping the atmosphere, Joseph adapted to the atmosphere of the Egyptian aristocratic society and could roughly recognize the faces. However, neither the prominent aristocrats of Egypt nor their children had any rejection or vigilance towards Joseph’s appearance, but on the other hand, no one particularly stood out to take an interest in Joseph. But upon closer inspection, there was a different reason. Contrary to Potiphar’s wife’s idea of making Joseph familiar lightly, rumors had already spread among the people that Joseph had been a slave, so no one paid any attention to him. Potiphar’s wife’s idea and thoughts were good, but it was a complete failure. If I had known this, it would have been much better to compete with skills from the beginning. But what can I do? Joseph could only go so far….