CHALLENGES; IT’S ABOUT FACE
This week’s Parsha, Vayeishev, introduces us to Yosef Hatzadik. Throughout the libraries of Torah thought, Yosef is known with this title, hatzadik, the righteous one. There is nobody else in the Chumash who carries that title. What did Yosef do to achieve this?
Our Sages tell us that Yosef was exceedingly attractive and charming as well. His brothers sold him as a slave to the land of Egypt which was the world center of decadence at the age of 17 years. The challenges that he faced were exceedingly daunting and yet he never fell. His family was in Canaan and he did not have to answer to anybody. He had no support; he was alone in the world. There was nobody else in the Chumash that was exposed to that level of challenge and therefore Yosef is the ultimate tzadik. He personified righteous, he was the paradigm.
But how, in fact, did he survive those challenges and come out victorious? Our Sages give us two explanations. First, Yosef saw the image of his father’s face and from that he drew his strength to overcome the challenges that he encountered. The second; Yosef saw his name etched into the special breastplate worn by the kohein gadol, the high priest. He understood that were he to fall in his challenges his name would not be etched on it. What is the significance of these two factors?
What was so special about the image of our father Yaakov’s face? It could mean simply that he remembered his father’s teachings but why the face? The Talmud teaches us that Yaakov’s face was etched into the Throne of HaKadosh baruch Hu. In Yaakov’s dream of the ladder, the angels were climbing up and coming down. They were comparing the face of the Yaakov who lay sleeping at the bottom of the ladder to the face of Yaakov that was etched into HaShem’s Heavenly Throne and it was the same.
It is said that in 1975 two years before he died, Charlie Chaplin entered a look-alike contest assuming that he would win. He came in third! Whatever the reason, he did not look like Charlie Chaplin.
Our father Yaakov looked exactly like the Yaakov that was etched in the Heavenly Throne. When Yaakov returned to Canaan the Torah writes that Yaakov came to Shechem complete. He achieved perfection and the image of his face was not marred by his 20 years of living in the environment of Lavan, his image was not marred by his encounter with Eisov, Yaakov’s image was exactly as HaShem intended it.
Yosef knew that he was the son of Yaakov and the strengths of Yaakov were his strengths. He also knew that his name is worthy to be placed upon the breastplate of the kohein gadol. He knew that he possessed greatness and he knew that he had the ability to withstand the challenges. With the awareness of those two factors Yosef became the example of tzidkus.
Although the 12 sons of Yaakov are not considered “fathers” of the Jewish people, Yosef, as an extension of Yaakov, does carry that title. Just as Yaakov and Yosef possessed that unwavering commitment to protecting their integrity, we as their descendants possess it as well.
May HaShem strengthen us and protect us as well from diminishing the greatness that we posses.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and a very happy Chanukah.
Paysach Diskind