Parsha Paragraphs
Rabbi Naftali Kassorla
Parshat Vayeishev 5778
The Measure of Holiness
The D’var Torah for this week is dedicated in memory of:
ר׳ אלחנן יעקב ז״ל בן מורי וחמי ר׳ שמואל פנחס
ר׳ אלחנן יעקב ז״ל בן מורי וחמי ר׳ שמואל פנחס
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In this week’s parsha we learn the tragic event of the selling of Yosef, by his brothers no less. This was spurred by Yosef sharing his dreams with his brothers, which engendered negative feelings from them, as the brothers assumed them to be dreams of grandeur. Additionally, Yaakov gives Yosef a special coat signifying Yaakov’s love for him. Fearing Yosef to be a threat, the brothers decide to dispose of him, initially wanting to have him killed. But due to Reuven’s intervention, the brothers decide to instead sell Yosef to merchants heading down to Egypt.
Thus begins the the arduous exile of the Jewish people in the land of Egypt. Yosef is thrown into servitude in the house of Potiphar. Quickly proving himself to be capable, Yosef is appointed to a position of authority in the household. Potiphar’s wife is drawn towards him and seeks to tempt him. Yosef overcomes this test and commits no crime, but in response to the wife’s accusations, he is nevertheless imprisoned.
There is a fascinating Gemara in Sotah (36b) which contrasts this episode with another from the sedra: that of Yehuda and Tamar. Tamar cunningly leads Yehuda to father a child through her, and Yehuda openly admits to being the father. He does so despite severe embarrassment, having already sentenced Tamar to death for her actions and subsequently needing to retract his condemnation in full view of all. Thus he was given the זכות that his name יהודה contain the letters of G-d’s ineffable name, י-ה-ו-ה. The Gemara goes on to say that this differs from Yosef’s name, which only includes part of Hashem’s name: י-ה-ו (based on תהילים 81:6, where the Gemara explains that the letter ה was added to Yosef's name, spelling יהוסף). The Gemara then elaborates with great detail the story of Yosef and the wife of Potiphar, how difficult a challenge it was and the extent to which Yosef went not to succumb to temptation.
In juxtaposing this with Yehuda’s act of strength, the Gemara seems to imply that Yosef somehow fell short! As such, he was not granted a merit as high as Yehuda’s. On the other hand, the Gemara appears to be praising Yosef for his great accomplishment. How then is that an explanation for why Yosef was not as meritorious to have G-d’s name fully reflected in his name?
I would like to provide an answer to this question. In a discussion on the topic of יחוד, Rav Aharon Lopiansky שליט״א, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Gedaliah in Silver Spring, quoted his Rebbe Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz זצ״ל saying: When it comes to the world of עריות (licentious behavior), the measure of success is not based on whether one falls prey in the moment or not. Rather, the true test is to have the wisdom and foresight to plan accordingly to take the necessary precautions, not to put ourselves in a precarious position to begin with. Thus, says Rav Chaim, this is the depth of the prohibition of יחוד, for it guarantees that a person will not even find himself in a challenging situation in the first place. One who is careful with these halachot itself has already passed the test.
With this in mind, we can now attempt to understand Yosef Hatzadik, who is known throughout Rabbinic and Kabbalistic literature and the paragon of holiness and purity, and the Gemara’s apparent critique despite his having overcome his Yetzer Harah. For perhaps we can say (in our incredibly superficial understanding of his motives and actions) that Yosef should not have allowed himself to be in the situation to begin with. The fact that he overcame the temptation, while showing great strength and surely deserving of praise, does not exempt him from making sure he does not find himself in a place where he is tempted. A true showing of success in this area would have been the extent to which he went to avoid such circumstances.
Perhaps this may be what the Gemara is addressing in telling us that Yosef was not meritorious as to have his name fully reflect that of G-d’s. *
It is important to reiterate that we cannot fully ascertain the true understanding of both the Gemara and Yosef's actions, but we can take this as lesson to internalize: we must not allow ourselves to be placed in precarious situations where we are likely to be tested. Post facto, if G-d forbid we have indeed succumbed, the correct course of action is not to wallow in sadness, for clearly, once in the situation, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the challenge may have been too great for us to handel. Rather, at that point the real test is to take a lesson for the future, to make the proper סייגים (precautionary measures) to ensure that it will not happen again.
This message is surely timely with the myriad of accusations of inappropriate behavior in the news daily by supposedly“prominent” public figures, this should spur us to both strengthen our behavior and increase our respect the clairvoyance of our Chazal. May Hashem grant us the strength to resist any negative temptations that come our way, and may we all have the wisdom to always put ourselves in places that will be conducive to growth, happiness and greater avodat Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom
*In fact, the Gemara [ibid.] quotes an opinion that interprets the verse: …ויהי כהיום הזה ויבא הביתה לעשות מלאכתו “And it was on that day that he entered the house to do his work” (39:11) – he went to fulfill his “needs” with her, i.e. to have relations with her. Meaning that he indeed went with the intention of sinning. Even according to the alternate opinion, that he went to do actual work, he still should not have been alone, having known Potiphar's wife had tried to seduce him in the past.
However according the above, one could ask: Yehuda himself also should not have put himself into the situation with Tamar! So what is the great praise of Yehuda, in comparison to Yosef? Seemingly, Yosef is even more praiseworthy, for he didn't succumb to temptation, while Yehuda did in fact “give in” in being with Tamar. Perhaps we then need to take into consideration the explanation of Yehuda’s actions according to the Midrash and the דעת זקנים, which says that an Angel forced Yehuda to pursue Tamar, thus by removing his free-will, he is not held accountable.
The great act of strength we are highlighting about Yehudah is not whether he gave in to temptation of עריות, but rather the fact that he later admitted to his sin, and for that he is rewarded.
