A thought on Parshas Miketz
"...mi'ketz shenosayim yamim...""...at the end of two years..." (41:1)
Yosef remained in the dungeon for two long years after having interpreted the dreams of his two fellow prisoners. A well known explanation given by Chazal is that this was a form of punishment for having made two requests of those men that they mention him to Pharaoh so that he be given a reprieve (40:14).
We must be very careful about "interpreting" the thoughts and behavior of our great and holy Avos. They were very close to HaShem. They understood the laws and structure with which the world is governed and with which people are judged. We can certainly appreciate Yosef's asking for help and urging the Egyptian prisoners to see to it that he be released from captivity. We can also understand at first glance how one must be most careful not to place trust in people, but in HaShem alone. However, it is naive to assume that Yosef haTzadik made an error and forgot this principle of utter trust. Moreover, we need to realize that some form of hishtadlus, display of effort, is customary when we turn with trust to HaShem for help. It is fair to say that most of us, given such captivity, would take advantage of the chance to call in a favor if it would mean getting in a good word on our own behalf. Clearly this event in Yosef's life is deeper than it seems.
Let us make our own hishtadlus and look at Rabbeinu Bachya for help. He explains that Yosef without a doubt had complete faith in HaShem. He trusted that HaShem would get him rescued when the time was right. When he was approached by the two dreamers in the cell, he took this as a sign that something miraculous was in store. He saw the odd event as a sign from Above that his rescue was in progress. He then turned to the men, and asked that they put in a good word for him, so that he be taken out of the dungeon. Rabbeinu Bachya understands that this last move, that of trying to plot out the exact method with which HaShem would bring about his rescue, was the Tzadik's error. He writes that while people who trust in HaShem might have made this very same hishtadlus effort, for a great tzadik it was an unnecessary concession, given the faith he was expected to display. One has bitachon in their bitachon, not bitachon in their hishtadlus. A Tzadik is very strong with his or her bitachon and frugal with the degree of hishtadlus they undertake. A great tzadik is expected to make sure that whatever effort he makes does not imply that HaShem's ways and means are limited in any manner.
It seems that a person of faith, of full faith, remembers that HaShem has no shortage of "methods" and ways with which to bring about events. When we have trust in HaShem, our faith is that He will do whatever is perfect. When we try to anticipate the method, we are projecting our own limited sense of what is needed and how it should happen. This is why when we pray to HaShem, our prayers are seldom specific or for specific things. We do not say, for example, "please G-d let it rain for ten minutes about 1.3 inches next Tuesday on the West side of the farm." We pray for rain in its season and we trust that HaShem knows exactly what we need, how much, when and where. Hence, when Yosef haTzadik impressed upon the men that he needed them to bring word to Pharaoh so that he be rescued from captivity, Chazal tell us that the consequence of those two requests were that Yosef remained isolated for two more years, where he renewed and strengthened his faith in full.
My father-in-law, Rabbi Dovid Rebibo shlit'a, has often said that whatever schemes we come up with as to how we want HaShem to respond to a crisis or problem, there is no point in putting a rush order in with our well thought out requests. Because, whenever HaShem choses to intervene, His response is always better timed and more creative than anything our imagination might have created.
Wishing you a good Shabbos and Chanuka someach. D Fox
Yosef remained in the dungeon for two long years after having interpreted the dreams of his two fellow prisoners. A well known explanation given by Chazal is that this was a form of punishment for having made two requests of those men that they mention him to Pharaoh so that he be given a reprieve (40:14).
We must be very careful about "interpreting" the thoughts and behavior of our great and holy Avos. They were very close to HaShem. They understood the laws and structure with which the world is governed and with which people are judged. We can certainly appreciate Yosef's asking for help and urging the Egyptian prisoners to see to it that he be released from captivity. We can also understand at first glance how one must be most careful not to place trust in people, but in HaShem alone. However, it is naive to assume that Yosef haTzadik made an error and forgot this principle of utter trust. Moreover, we need to realize that some form of hishtadlus, display of effort, is customary when we turn with trust to HaShem for help. It is fair to say that most of us, given such captivity, would take advantage of the chance to call in a favor if it would mean getting in a good word on our own behalf. Clearly this event in Yosef's life is deeper than it seems.
Let us make our own hishtadlus and look at Rabbeinu Bachya for help. He explains that Yosef without a doubt had complete faith in HaShem. He trusted that HaShem would get him rescued when the time was right. When he was approached by the two dreamers in the cell, he took this as a sign that something miraculous was in store. He saw the odd event as a sign from Above that his rescue was in progress. He then turned to the men, and asked that they put in a good word for him, so that he be taken out of the dungeon. Rabbeinu Bachya understands that this last move, that of trying to plot out the exact method with which HaShem would bring about his rescue, was the Tzadik's error. He writes that while people who trust in HaShem might have made this very same hishtadlus effort, for a great tzadik it was an unnecessary concession, given the faith he was expected to display. One has bitachon in their bitachon, not bitachon in their hishtadlus. A Tzadik is very strong with his or her bitachon and frugal with the degree of hishtadlus they undertake. A great tzadik is expected to make sure that whatever effort he makes does not imply that HaShem's ways and means are limited in any manner.
It seems that a person of faith, of full faith, remembers that HaShem has no shortage of "methods" and ways with which to bring about events. When we have trust in HaShem, our faith is that He will do whatever is perfect. When we try to anticipate the method, we are projecting our own limited sense of what is needed and how it should happen. This is why when we pray to HaShem, our prayers are seldom specific or for specific things. We do not say, for example, "please G-d let it rain for ten minutes about 1.3 inches next Tuesday on the West side of the farm." We pray for rain in its season and we trust that HaShem knows exactly what we need, how much, when and where. Hence, when Yosef haTzadik impressed upon the men that he needed them to bring word to Pharaoh so that he be rescued from captivity, Chazal tell us that the consequence of those two requests were that Yosef remained isolated for two more years, where he renewed and strengthened his faith in full.
My father-in-law, Rabbi Dovid Rebibo shlit'a, has often said that whatever schemes we come up with as to how we want HaShem to respond to a crisis or problem, there is no point in putting a rush order in with our well thought out requests. Because, whenever HaShem choses to intervene, His response is always better timed and more creative than anything our imagination might have created.
Wishing you a good Shabbos and Chanuka someach. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 10:50 PM
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