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Vayeshev- Wisdom
For this year’s Parsha Lesson I will be applying the lesson that can be derived from the Dvar Torah to the world as we know it today.
Background
At the beginning of this week’s parsha we learn about the tragic episode whereby 10 of the sons of Yakov sold their brother Yosef into slavery. This episode had grave and long lasting ramifications in the history of our people. Immediately, this was the impetus for the Jewish people being enslaved in Mitzrayim (Egypt) and further out this was the reason why the famous ‘10 martyrs’ (great sages- Rabbis and leaders of our people, during the time of the second Beis Hamikdash/ Holy Temple) were killed.
In the leadup to this unfortunate misdeed by the brothers of Yosef, the Torah sets the stage in order to provide the context for understanding the story properly. The Torah tells us that Yosef was 17 years old and he was the head shepherd and directed his brothers as to how they should care for the sheep properly. It seems that Yosef was a child prodigy, he was particularly precocious and brilliant and he rose up over all of his older brothers and became the leader and manager of their father Yakov’s very extensive estate and holdings.
This scenario repeats itself a few times in this parsha and in next week’s parsha. In this week’s parsha we learn about Yosef quickly rising through the ranks of the other slaves and being appointed by Potiphar, his master and one of the most powerful men in Egypt, to be in charge of his entire estate and all of his dealings. After Yosef is framed of a crime by Potiphar’s wife and Yosef is thrown in jail, Yosef is quickly recognized for his capabilities and takes over the administration of the jail itself! And finally, as we will learn in next week’s parsha, Yosef was recognized by Pharoah for his tremendous capabilities and was appointed the second to the king and the director of the entire land of Egypt- which was at the time the wealthiest, most advanced and sophisticated country in the world.
In the second passuk of this week’s parsha, the Torah says that Yosef was a naar or a young man, with his brothers. What is the meaning of this? Especially in light of the Torah having already told us that Yosef was 17 years old!
The Seforno explains that the Torah is trying to convey to us that Yosef’s youthfulness is part of what led to the events that are about to follow. Yosef was brilliant, but he didn’t have wisdom- which is associated with adulthood and maturity. Yosef was excessively critical of his brothers in his sincere efforts to ‘straighten’ their behavior and because he cared so much about what was right and good. Yosef saw various flaws in their behavior and conveyed these ‘bad reports’ to their father, Yakov, in the hope that the brothers would improve.
Yosef didn’t ‘see the future’ and contemplate what would be the outcome and result of his behavior. Because of this flaw of Yosef’s, he antagonized his brothers excessively and that is what led to him being sold as a slave.
Question
What could possibly have been wrong with what Yosef did? Yosef was a completely righteous person who was excessively focused on proper behavior and doing that which is right. And, the other brothers were similarly righteous and focused only on being as pious and serving Hashem properly. In such a context, what would be wrong with Yosef reprimanding them and trying to get their father Yakov to straighten them out as well?
Pious and righteous people love mussar (rebuke)! As such, what was wrong with the judgement of Yosef in this situation? He should have foreseen that his righteous and pious brothers would make such a severe error and attempt to have him killed!? Undoubtedly, Yosef thought that even if his brothers were somewhat upset at him in the moment, they would inevitably come to appreciate his efforts and thereby come to love him as being someone who helped them to become better people!
Why should Yosef have foreseen such noble and righteous people making such a grave mistake of such epic proportions? It would seem that there was nothing wrong with what Yosef did and that his brothers are entirely to blame.
Answer
The Seforno is teaching us an amazing insight into what it means to be truly wise. A truly wise person has the ability to see the outcomes of situations- even ones that are preposterous and seemingly unthinkable. A wise person, who trains themselves to constantly foresee and focus on where actions lead to and how outcomes can be traced back to certain factors and certain ‘triggers’, such a wise person would never have behaved in the way that Yosef did. They would sense, even when dealing with such historically righteous and good men as the sons of Yakov, that such a mode of behavior and incessant rebuke will not lead anywhere good.
And even though Yosef had excellent judgement, he was of the most outstanding managers and directors in history- which necessitates an ability to foresee which decisions will be most successful in the long run- he nevertheless lacked the wisdom necessary to appreciate the outcome of his actions and their consequences. This lack of wisdom, stemming from Yosef’s not properly focusing on and contemplating the causes and effects of actions and reactions, are what led Yosef into a dangerous place of being labeled, by righteous people, as an attempted murderer who needs to be stopped.
Lesson for our world
Wisdom, the ability to have one’s focus on what is the outcome of one’s actions and what are the consequences and far reaching effects of one’s behavior, is something which is greatly lacking in the world today. This lacking is particularly acute when one notes the sorry state of leadership in the world today.
Talmidei Chachamim or ‘wise’ scholars, are often referred to in Torah literature as the ‘einei haeidah’ or the ‘eyes’ of the nation. The reason for this is that one who is expert in Torah learning and trained in the proper way to derive halacha or Jewish law, becomes exceedingly wise and capable of being able to see far in advance the consequences and outcomes of their actions. This is why on a communal level the Yeshiva world does not make any decisions of import without consulting ‘daas Torah’. These are people who may not be technically apprised of the specifics of a given field of study (medicine, science, politics, etc.) but are nonetheless valued for their insight and decision-making, which is the result of incomparable wisdom- or the ability to see the results and consequences of actions and behavior. Someone who is a Talmud Chacham is an expert in the actions, reactions and far reaching and unforeseen consequences of a given course of action.
As they say in the hockey world- ‘goalies stop 100% of what they see, the measure of a great goalie is how much he stops of what he doesn’t see.’ Similarly, truly wise people know how to position themselves and others around them to be in the best position for success- even with regards to the unknown.
How incumbent it is on each of us, individually, to hone ourselves in this type of thinking. To not stumble into our own destruction and danger but rather to be aware, well in advance, of how situations will play out and what will be the reactions to our actions and the reactions of those reactions and so on and so forth. And when one does have such foresight they will be able to take the necessary precautions well ahead of time and ensure that they are best positioned for even that which is unforeseen.
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
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