RAV KOOK ON Mikeitz Party 2: Waiting for the Dream

It took a long time, but Joseph’s dreams eventually came to pass. How long did it take? Joseph became viceroy of Egypt at age thirty, and nine years later (after seven years of plenty and two years of famine), his brothers came to buy food. So Joseph’s dreams that his brothers would one day bow down before him and recognize his greatness were fulfilled when he was 39 years old. Since he had dreamt those dreams of future greatness at age 17, we see that his dreams took 22 years to come true! “Rabbi Levy taught: One should wait as long as 22 years for a good dream to come true. This we learn from Joseph.” (Berachot 54a) What is special about the number 22? In what way is it connected to the fulfillment of dreams?