Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
20 Issue #8
Parshas Vayeshev
Fleet of Faith
23 Kislev 5776
Through all of these explanations, it is clear that hishtadlus is an important concept that has specific rules and protocols.
Hishtadlus and bitachon dont contradict each other, they highlight
two different approaches to a situation (which often blend together), with all of our actions based upon faith in Hashem. May
we be able to reach a level of true bitachon and entrust all of our
faith in Hashem.
Temperament and Temptations
When Potiphar's wife tempted Yosef into having relations with her, the Torah (Genesis 39:11) says, "vayehi kehayom
hazeh, vayavo habayta laasot melachto, and it came to pass on a
certain day, when he went into the house to do melachto" Rashi
cites a dispute (Sotah 36b) between Rav and Shmuel regarding
the meaning of the word melachto. One says that Yosef came to
do his actual household work for Potiphar, while the other maintains it means he went home with the mindset to have illicit relations with Potiphar's wife, a mindset which was shattered when
he saw a vision of his father's countenance. There is much discussion regarding thegemara's comment that Yosef saw a vision of his
father's face; should that be interpreted literally, metaphorically,
or somewhere in between?
Representing the middle approach, the Yefei Toar explains that Yosef saw a reflection of his own face, which was extremely similar to that of his father (Rashi on Genesis 37:3).
Looking at his reflection and noticing its similarity to Yaakov's
face, reminded Yosef of the high spiritual level with which his
father conducted his life. This realization gave Yosef the strength
to restrain himself, and he ran out of the house escaping the situation.
The Yalkutei Reuveini explains the gemara in a metaphorical manner. He quotes the passuk (Genesis 39:2)
"vayehi Hashem et Yosef, and Hashem was with Yosef." According
to the Yalkutei Reuveini, this means Yosef fulfilled the idea of
"shivti Hashem lenegditamid, I constantly have Hashem opposite
me." Kabbalists render this passuk to regard a person who should
constantly view the picture of Hashem's name in their mind's eye
in order to bolster his/her yirat Hashem and help avoid sin.
When the passuk says Yosef saw his father, it means he saw the
name of Hashem, his father, as he always did. By keeping Hashem
in his thoughts, he was able to resist the advances of Potiphar's
wife and stay free of sin. According to the Yalkutei Reuvenei, the
reason the gemara records that Yosef saw "his father's face" and
not "Hashem's name," is because the gematria (numerical value)
of "Yosef" plus the "Hashem" equals the gematria of "Yaakov,"
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or, as the gemara puts it, his father. Another reason why
the gemara selected the phrase "his father" to refer to Hashem, is
because Hashem is considered our Heavenly Father.
The Tzafnat Paneiach explains the gemara in a literal
manner. He quotes the Medrash, which in turn comments on
Yaakov's exclamation (Genesis 37:33), "tarof taraf Yosef, Yosef
must have surely been torn up!" The Medrash explains that Yaakov unwittingly predicted that Yosef would somehow be torn up
in the future. The Tzafnat Paneiach goes on to quote a
later passuk (Genesis 37:35), "ki eireid el benei aveil Sheolah, because I will descend to Sheol in mourning for my son." He explains the word Sheol to mean Gehennom, and thus Yaakov fulfilled his prophecy (Genesis 37:33) and his promise (Genesis
37:35) when he appeared to Yosef in Gehennom to liberate him
from the clutches of sin and the yeitzer hara.
Regardless of the approach taken, Yosef was able to
steel himself and eschew sin. Potiphar's wife attempted time and
time again to seduce Yosef and make him cave to the grave sin of
adultery. However, Yosef was able to overcome her temptations
time and time again. Yosef is the paragon oen who overcame the
extremely powerful yeitzer hara. When we are in a dire and
tempting situation, we should remember Yosef to ensure that we
don't fall into the Yeitzer HaRa's tempting traps.
Its All Part of the Plan
Vo l. 20 I s su e # 8
Avraham that was made in the bris bein habesarim. Really, Yaakov would never send out Yosef to find his brothers, as Yaakov
realized that his other sons hated Yosef; so Hashem manipulated
Avraham to make Yaakov send Yosef. All the bad decisions that Yaa- Rabbi Michael
kov, Yosef, and the brothers made,
Taubes
were all caused by Hashem.
There are many other exRosh Yeshiva
amples of situations that are manipulated by Hashem in order to Rabbi Baruch
fulfill the Divine Plan. One example is when the Romans besieged Pesach Mendelson
Yerushalayim; the Roman general
Rabbinic Advisor
gave Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai
the chance to ask for three wishes.
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai asked Ezra Epstein
that the city and people of Yavneh
be spared, that the family of Rabban Avi Rothwachs
Gamliel be spared, and that a docEditors in Chief
tor should be supplied to heal Rav
Tzadok [Gittin 56b]. The obvious Yehuda Goldberg
question is why Rabbi Yochanan
ben Zakkai didnt ask that the Beis Ben Tzion Zuckier
Hamikdash be spared? The answer
provided is derived from a pasuk in
Executive Editors
Yeshaya. [44:25]
Ari Hagler