5786/2025
IIn this week's Parashah, there is a truly inspirational story that every Jew can and should apply in their own lives. For some backstory, Yosef was taken by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold to Yishma’eli/Midyani merchants, taken down to Mitzrayim, and finally sold to Potiphar, a very prestigious man who is close to Paroh, and serves as his Sa’ar HaTabachim. Hashem is with Yosef throughout this journey and allows him to move up the rankings, finding favor in Potiphar’s eyes, and becoming in charge of Potiphar’s home.
Let’s try to understand everything that has happened through Yosef’s perspective: he was abandoned by his family; he is away from his home; surrounded by goyim who have no Yirat Elokim; he is a good looking guy as stated, “Yifei Toar Vifei Mareh,” “Now Yosef was well built and handsome” (BeReishit 39:6). Not only that but Yosef was also successful, and trusted by his master. This leads to the climax of the story of Yosef, when only Yosef and Eishet Potiphar are in the house, and Eishet Potiphar asks Yosef to lay with her. Yosef has no one to stop him. He is no longer in the home of Yaakov Avinu. He is not connected to Torah and Mitzvot. It may have seemed to him that Hashem had left him - letting him be taken to Mitzrayim, and Yosef is given what might be the greatest Nisayon in Jewish history. And instead of Yosef succumbing to his burning Yetzer Harah pushing him to do a heinous Aveira, what does Yosef do? He refuses. As the Pasuk says: VaYimaen. Yosef is Mitgabeir, overcoming his urges!
The Ramban explains that the Pasuk says that Yosef refused “his master's wife” in order to teach us that while Yosef feared Eishet Potiphar, he feared HaKadosh Baruch Hu even more. Rashi also comments that in that moment Yosef wanted to sin but it was only because he saw the image of his father appear before him that he was able to stop himself, Ra’ah Dimut Diyukno Shel Aviv - He saw his father’s image. The Baal Shem Tov adds to Rashi that he was looking at the reflection of a mirror and since he looked like his father, Yosef saw him appear before him.
So what should we take away from this story? First, you are never alone in life, Hashem is always there and you should act as you are before Him in all that you do. Second, as Mesilat Yesharim says that Hashem puts us through the most difficult Nisyonot and we must overcome them to become close to Him. This is why I believe we call Yosef - Yosef Hatzadik because he is truly an inspiration being able to be Matzliach in the most difficult of circumstances and always retaining Emunah in Hashem, that He has a plan. As Zusha says in his famous Chanukah song, Chanukah Is Here, “It’s dark outside but it’s light in here,” there is Pritzut and other challenges everywhere in the world. It is our job to make sure that we don’t succumb to our Yetzer Hara and keep our Neshamot full of light and purity.