A thought on Parshas Miketz
"...v'Yosef hu ha'shalit al ha'aretz...""...and Yosef was the ruler over the land..." (42:6)
The Torah has described how Yosef HaTzadik rose to power in Egypt. This verse relates how he was in charge of providing food to all who sought assistance, but it prefaces with yet another reference to his being the ruler of the land. It is not clear what is being added here.
It is clear to the Recanati, however. He notes the wording of the verse. "Yosef was the ruler over the land." Generally, we think about a person ruling over other people. The verse says that he ruled "over the land." Now, we could argue that this is just a colloquialism, with "land" being the populace rather than the terrain. Still, says the Recanati, the Torah selects words for a reason. He offers a reason.
You may have noted that I referred to Yosef as "the righteous", or as Yosef HaTzadik. Where did that term come from? In profound Kabbalistic thought, Yosef takes on the role of Yesod, which reflects the Divine influence known by the same name, Yesod or Foundation. Yesod is that emanation which we attribute to the Above of permanence and durability. It is the presence which does not waver and can remain constant so that the rest of the entire universe and eternity can operate, building on that secure yesod foundation.
Yosef represented the mortal epitome of the yesod quality. He did not waver when faced with threat, challenge, temptation, isolation, poverty, humiliation, slavery or grandeur. He also grew and evolved as a result of his resolve and decision to endure. This is even seen within his name Yosef which means to add on and to increase. He grew with each test that he passed.
Yosef remained Yosef because he ruled over himself. He did not allow himself to give up his inner identity, as we see time and again in our parshios. In Mishlei (10:25) we read, "When the storm passes, a wicked person is no more, but a righteous person is the foundation of the world - v'tzadik yesod olam." Many of us have heard that expression, v'tzadik yesod olam, but not all of us knew its origin until now. It is a verse, but it is also a reference, says the Recanati, to Yosef. Yosef is called Yosef HaTzadik because he serves in this world as the yesod olam, the foundational presence from among humanity. A yesod olam is, according to that verse, a tzadik. Hence, Yosef as the yesod is Yosef HaTzadik.
Ruling over the self in those ways is a way of bringing into this lower world a trace of that Higher attribute called Yesod. One who succeeds in ruling over himself in this manner becomes a source to bring bracha to the rest of the world. In that way, Yosef was indeed the one who was ha'shalit al ha'aretz, the one who ruled over the land, or lower world. His role was not limited to being a leader of nations. It was being responsible for establishing a yesod presence on the earth which could inspire others to resonate with that quality of Yesod so that people could grow spiritually, adding on and increasing their sense of closeness to HaShem.
We can all grow by learning to rule over the inner domain. Good Shabbos. D Fox
The Torah has described how Yosef HaTzadik rose to power in Egypt. This verse relates how he was in charge of providing food to all who sought assistance, but it prefaces with yet another reference to his being the ruler of the land. It is not clear what is being added here.
It is clear to the Recanati, however. He notes the wording of the verse. "Yosef was the ruler over the land." Generally, we think about a person ruling over other people. The verse says that he ruled "over the land." Now, we could argue that this is just a colloquialism, with "land" being the populace rather than the terrain. Still, says the Recanati, the Torah selects words for a reason. He offers a reason.
You may have noted that I referred to Yosef as "the righteous", or as Yosef HaTzadik. Where did that term come from? In profound Kabbalistic thought, Yosef takes on the role of Yesod, which reflects the Divine influence known by the same name, Yesod or Foundation. Yesod is that emanation which we attribute to the Above of permanence and durability. It is the presence which does not waver and can remain constant so that the rest of the entire universe and eternity can operate, building on that secure yesod foundation.
Yosef represented the mortal epitome of the yesod quality. He did not waver when faced with threat, challenge, temptation, isolation, poverty, humiliation, slavery or grandeur. He also grew and evolved as a result of his resolve and decision to endure. This is even seen within his name Yosef which means to add on and to increase. He grew with each test that he passed.
Yosef remained Yosef because he ruled over himself. He did not allow himself to give up his inner identity, as we see time and again in our parshios. In Mishlei (10:25) we read, "When the storm passes, a wicked person is no more, but a righteous person is the foundation of the world - v'tzadik yesod olam." Many of us have heard that expression, v'tzadik yesod olam, but not all of us knew its origin until now. It is a verse, but it is also a reference, says the Recanati, to Yosef. Yosef is called Yosef HaTzadik because he serves in this world as the yesod olam, the foundational presence from among humanity. A yesod olam is, according to that verse, a tzadik. Hence, Yosef as the yesod is Yosef HaTzadik.
Ruling over the self in those ways is a way of bringing into this lower world a trace of that Higher attribute called Yesod. One who succeeds in ruling over himself in this manner becomes a source to bring bracha to the rest of the world. In that way, Yosef was indeed the one who was ha'shalit al ha'aretz, the one who ruled over the land, or lower world. His role was not limited to being a leader of nations. It was being responsible for establishing a yesod presence on the earth which could inspire others to resonate with that quality of Yesod so that people could grow spiritually, adding on and increasing their sense of closeness to HaShem.
We can all grow by learning to rule over the inner domain. Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 10:04 PM
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