As we mentioned last week, Yosef was the king of Bitachon and we learn many Bitachon lessons from him. The Or HaChaim Hakadosh expresses one such lesson:
When Yosef says אני יוסף אחיכם I’m Yosef your brother, the one you sold, the pasuk says,נבהלו מפניו.
The brothers were in shock. The Or Hachiam explains that Yosef told them, “Don’t worry. I’m your brother. I’ll continue to act like a brother, like nothing happened. Forget the past.” Yosef Hatzaddik completely believed the line he told them:
לא אתם שלחתי
“It wasn’t you who sent me. It was Hashem.” Yosef clearly understood that no one could have done anything to him unless Hashem decided it. The Maharal adds a beautiful thought. Some commentaries are bothered that it says in last week’s Parasha, when the brothers left the city, they left
הם והחמורים -them and their donkeys. Why stresses the donkeys?
Similarly, it says, when Yosef sent for his father, he sent them with
עשרה חמורים- -ten donkeys, loaded with the good of Mitzrayim.
What’s with the donkeys? Why is this important? The Maharal explains that it was Yosef showing his father that he understood that his brothers were like no more than donkeys, doing their job. They had no power or control over the situation. Donkeys get loaded up by the owner without knowing where they’re going, what they’re carrying or why. It’s all Hashem’s plan. That’s the greatness of Yosef. And it wasn’t only the negative things that he understood were controlled by G-d, but all his successes as well. When he sent a message to his father via his brothers, he told them to go fast and tell him that,
שמני אלקים לאדון בכל מצרים
“G-d made me the boss over Mitzrayim.” But when they got there, they told him “Od Yosef Chai- Yosef is still alive, and he’s the leader.” It says that Yaakov didn’t believe it. This can mean, simply speaking, that it was a shock. But the commentaries explain that he couldn’t believe that this was the way his son would talk- He’s the boss??
Later on, it says,
וידברו אליו את כל דברי יוסף
when the brothers finally told Yaakov the whole story, with all the details, that it was Hashem who made him king, it says,
ותחי רוח יעקב אביהם
Now Yaakov knew that it was his son Yosef talking. That was the Yosef he knew, who at all times was able to recognize that it’s Hashem who leads and directs us.
Before Yaakov Avinu left to go down to Mitzrayim, Hashem told him not to worry, “I’ll go down with you and bring you back up
ויוסף ישית ידו אל עינך
and Yosef will put his hands on your eyes.”
What does that mean? The Zohar says, דא קריאת שמע. This is referring to keriat shema. What does that mean?
Our rabbis tell us that when we say Keriat Shema, we put our hands on our eyes. Why? Because when we say that Hashem is One and the only One in charge, and that everything He does is for the good, it’s very hard to perceive this. It’s especially difficulty to do so with our eyes open. So, we close our eyes and believe. The Zohar says that Hashem saying, “Yosef will put his hands,” means that the story of Yosef Hatzadik will enable you to say Shema better. The story of Yosef seemed like a tragic story, with him seemingly getting killed or kidnapped, but all of that was the Hashem Echad. Making Yosef the viceroy and making our trip down to Mitzrayim and our Galut that much easier. All the difficulties were really good. Yosef will give you the ability to put your hands on your eyes and say Keriat Shema, even if you don’t understand what’s going on. The story of Yosef will remind you that Hashem is ultimately doing everything for good, even when we have no idea how, when or where. Yaakov Avinu, the greatest of men, didn’t understand it. That’s our lesson. Every step of the way, Yosef understood, and Yaakov Avinu understood, that it’s all Hashem dealing with us and getting us where we have to go in the best possible way.
Shabbat shalom.