FW: Parashat Miketz- Learning From Yosef's Bitahon - Weekly Parasha Insights by Rabbi Eli Mansour
David Kunkel
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From: Daily Halacha [mailto:ret...@dailyhalacha.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 6:02 AM
To: David Kunkel
Subject: Parashat Miketz- Learning From Yosef's Bitahon - Weekly Parasha
Insights by Rabbi Eli Mansour
Weekly Parasha Insights by Rabbi Eli Mansour
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Description: Parashat Miketz- Learning From Yosef's Bitahon
Parashat Miketz begins with Yosef still languishing in an Egyptian
dungeon, where he had been imprisoned on false charges. Pharaoh's
cupbearer had been in the dungeon together with Yosef, but was released
from prison and reinstated, as Yosef had predicted. Before the
cupbearer's release, Yosef asked him to plead his case before Pharaoh
and try to have him released. But the cupbearer forgot all about Yosef,
and it was not for another two years that God facilitated Yosef's
release by sending Pharaoh strange dreams that required Yosef's
interpretation.
The Midrash explains that the extra two years that Yosef spent in prison
was a punishment for having placed his trust in the cupbearer, rather
than on God. Yosef was to have trusted in God's ability to release him
from prison, rather than looking to the cupbearer for help.
The Midrash's comment seems very troubling. Judaism does not encourage
us to sit back idly and trust that God will miraculously care for our
needs. A person cannot sit on the couch all day and expect God to throw
money down the chimney. We are required to make an effort, and then
trust in God to grant us success in our endeavors. Why was it wrong for
Yosef to make an effort to secure his release? Why did his appeal to
the cupbearer express a lack of trust in God?
One answer is that when Yosef spoke to the cupbearer, he repeated his
request that he remember him ("Zechartani.Ve'hizkartani" - 40:14).
Saying it once would have sufficed for Yosef's "Hishtadlut" (personal
effort); by repeating the request, he exhibited a slight deficiency in
his trust of God. Yosef exerted slightly more effort than he should
have, and for this he was punished.
Why did this extra word warrant such a harsh punishment?
The amount of "Hishtadlut" required of a person depends on his level of
"Bitahon" -trust in God. Most of us are on the level where we must put
in a full day's work to secure a livelihood. But for those on a higher
level, who live each moment of their lives with genuine faith in God's
ability to provide, this level of exertion is inappropriate. They
should be putting in a much smaller amount of effort - perhaps just a
couple of hours a day - and trust that God will provide them with all
their needs.
Yosef excelled in the area of "Bitahon," trust in the Almighty. Several
incidents reflect this quality, perhaps most notably his conversation
with the cupbearer and baker in the dungeon. The Torah tells in
Parashat Vayesheb that Yosef one day noticed that they looked
distraught, and he approached them to find out what was disturbing them.
They told him about the peculiar dreams they had dreamt and their desire
to understand their meaning. What is remarkable about this incident is
Yosef's reaction to seeing his fellow inmates distraught. They were
condemned to live in a dark, dreary, malodorous dungeon. Why shouldn't
they be upset? Why would a person think to ask people in this
situation, "Why are you distraught?" Didn't Yosef realize why they
looked dismayed?
The answer is that Yosef's "Bitahon" led him to accept his situation
without complaint. Yosef did not immediately understand why his fellow
inmates looked distraught, because he did not feel distraught. He
enjoyed the serenity that comes from faith in God, the comfort of
knowing that wherever he was, God specifically wants him there. Yosef
may not have enjoyed living in the dungeon, but it didn't cause him
sorrow and distress. He accepted it as the will of God and felt content
living in the conditions that God, for whatever reason, decided were
right for him at that time.
This also explains how Yosef had the peace of mind to go over to his
inmates to see what was wrong. Usually, people in distress are too
preoccupied with their own problems to notice or care about the problems
of others. But Yosef was not preoccupied with his problems. His
"Bitahon" allowed him to live contentedly even in the oppressive
conditions of an Egyptian prison, and his peace of mind enabled him to
show care and concern for the plight of his fellow inmates.
This is why God was so strict with Yosef. The greater a person's
"Bitahon" is, the more God demands of him. At Yosef's level, just a
single, brief remark to the cupbearer would have sufficed for
"Hishtadlut." He was punished for the small additional effort that he
made in appealing to the cupbearer for help.
Of course, the standards demanded Yosef are not the standards demanded
of us. However, we can, and must, try to apply the message of Yosef's
"Bitahon" in our own lives. Many people mistakenly think that "Bitahon"
means that if we trust in God, then everything will work out exactly the
way we want. This is very far from true. Even the greatest Sadikim
endure hardships, as we see throughout the Book of Bereshit, in the
stories of the righteous patriarchs. The Talmud also tells of great
Sages who suffered from illness and family tragedies. "Bitahon" means,
quite simply, trusting that God knows what He's doing, and accepting
every situation that we confront as His will. This outlook will give us
the serenity, joy and peace of mind that we all long for. Once we
realize that everything that happens was ordained by God for a purpose,
we will accept even life's most difficult challenges calmly and
patiently, and not allow them to cause us grief and heartache.
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