Yosef's Two Trials: Wealth, Poverty and Fear
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 39:2
וַיְהִי יְהֹוָה אֶת־יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ וַיְהִי בְּבֵית אֲדֹנָיו הַמִּצְרִי
Hashem was with Yosef, and he became a successful man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
1“Hashem was with Yosef, and he became a successful man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.”1 The wording is precise: why does the verse say vayehi, “and it was”? Vayehi, as is well known, is an expression of distress.2 But what distress is there here? On the contrary, “Hashem was with Yosef” would seem to be a cause for joy! The Midrash already raises this point.3
וַיְהִי ה׳ אֶת יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ וַיְהִי בְּבֵית אֲדוֹנָיו הַמִּצְרִי (לט, ב). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק אוֹמְרוֹ ׳וַיְהִי׳ שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן צַעַר כַּיָּדוּעַ (מגילה י, ב), וּמַה שַׁיָּיךְ כָּאן עִנְיַן צַעַר, אַדְּרַבָּה ׳וַיְהִי ה׳ אֶת יוֹסֵף׳ הוּא עִנְיָן שֶׁל שִׂמְחָה לִכְאוֹרָה (וכבר עמדו בזה בבראשית רבה מב, ג).
- Bereishis 39:2. ↩
- Megillah 10b, where Chazal teach that wherever vayehi appears, it signals trouble. ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 42:3. ↩
In shortWhy does a verse of joy, “Hashem was with Yosef,” open with vayehi, a word that signals distress?
2A little further on the Torah says, “His master saw that Hashem was with him.”4 Rashi explains that the Name of Heaven was always on Yosef's lips. The Ramban challenges this: how do we know it? So he explains the verse according to its plain meaning, that Yosef succeeded in all his ways. What, then, led Rashi to explain that the Name of Heaven was always on Yosef's lips?
עוֹד לְהַלָּן (שם, ג) ״וַיַּרְא אֲדוֹנָיו כִּי ה׳ אִתּוֹ״, וְכָתַב רש״י ז״ל, שֶׁהָיָה שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו. והרמב״ן ז״ל הִקְשָׁה, זֹאת מִנָּלַן, וְעַל כֵּן פֵּירֵשׁ כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה מַצְלִיחַ בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מָה רָאָה רש״י לְפָרֵשׁ כֵּן, שֶׁהָיָה שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו.
- Bereishis 39:3; Rashi and Ramban there. ↩
In shortWhy did Rashi read “his master saw that Hashem was with him” as Hashem's Name on Yosef's lips, when the Ramban takes it as success?
3aWe can explain this with a teaching of Chazal on the verse “These are the generations of Yaakov: Yosef”: everything that happened to the one happened to the other.5 As is known, there are two great trials in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, the trial of wealth and the trial of poverty. About Yaakov Avinu the verse says, “Yaakov made a vow, saying: If God will be with me … and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear.”6 The holy sefarim, among them the Toldos Adam in the name of the holy Rebbe of Lentshna, ask why the verse adds the words bread “to eat” and clothing “to wear.”7 Is it not obvious that bread is for eating and clothing for wearing?
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר, עַל פִּי מַאֲמַר חז״ל (בראשית רבה פד, ו) ״אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף״ (בראשית לז, ב) שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶׁאֵירַע לָזֶה אֵירַע לָזֶה. דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ שֶׁיֶּשְׁנָם שְׁתֵּי נִסְיוֹנוֹת גְּדוֹלִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, נִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹשֶׁר וְנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹנִי. וְהִנֵּה אֵצֶל יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית כח, כ) ״וַיִּדַּר יַעֲקֹב נֶדֶר לֵאמֹר אִם יִהְיֶה אֱלֹקִים עִמָּדִי וְכוּ׳ וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ״, וְהִקְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (תולדות אדם ויצא בשם הרה״ק מלענטשנא), מַהוּ יִתּוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן לֶחֶם ׳לֶאֱכוֹל׳ וּבֶגֶד ׳לִלְבּוֹשׁ׳, הֲלֹא מִילְּתָא דִּפְשִׁיטָא הִיא שֶׁלֶּחֶם הוּא כְּדֵי לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ.
3bBut we may say that Yaakov Avinu served Hashem with his great holiness in every area of life, and so he prayed to stand firm in his holiness in both trials. The first was the trial of poverty, and we do find that he was tested in it. As he said, in Rashi's explanation of his words, “I have lived with Lavan, and I did not learn from his evil deeds.”8 Even in his days of poverty, when he was with Lavan, he stood firm in his righteousness and holiness. He prayed further that when he came to the trial of wealth, which, as is known, is harder, he would withstand it too. That was his prayer here: “and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear.” He prayed that when Hashem gave him wealth, he would withstand this trial and not be parted from his holiness, but would guard himself to be content with little, using his wealth only for “bread to eat and clothing to wear.”
אַךְ יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה עָבַד ה׳ בְּגוֹדֶל קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ בְּכָל הַבְּחִינוֹת, וְלָזֶה הִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁיַּעֲמוֹד בִּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ בִּשְׁנֵי הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת, הֵן בְּנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹנִי, וְכַאֲשֶׁר מָצִינוּ בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁנִּתְנַסָּה בָּזֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (רש״י בראשית לב, ד) ״עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וְלֹא לָמַדְתִּי מִמַּעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם בְּתוֹךְ יְמֵי עוֹנְיוֹ בִּהְיוֹתוֹ אֵצֶל לָבָן, עָמַד בְּצִדְקוֹ וּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ. וְהִתְפַּלֵּל עוֹד, שֶׁגַּם כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא לְנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹשֶׁר שֶׁהוּא קָשֶׁה יוֹתֵר כַּיָּדוּעַ, יַעֲמוֹד בּוֹ. וְעַל זֶה הָיְתָה תְּפִילָּתוֹ כָּאן, ״וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עוֹשֶׁר, יַעֲמוֹד בָּזֶה הַנִּסָּיוֹן וְאַל יִפָּרֵד מִקְּדוּשָּׁתוֹ, וְיִשְׁמוֹר עַצְמוֹ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּמִידַּת הַהִסְתַּפְּקוּת, לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּעָשְׁרוֹ רַק בִּבְחִינַת לֶחֶם לֶאֱכוֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבּוֹשׁ.
- Rashi on Bereishis 32:5 (the sefer has 32:4). ↩
In shortYaakov prayed to withstand both great trials: poverty, which he passed with Lavan, and the harder trial of wealth, using riches only for his needs.
4We also find that Yaakov Avinu, amid all the good Hashem had done for him, said, “I have become small from all the kindnesses,” because he feared that perhaps sin would cause him to lose that good.9 Although he had every good thing and was always rescued from trouble, even in his wealth he lived in constant fear and distress that perhaps sin would cause him to lose it. The explanation is that the sin he feared was this very failure: perhaps he would not be privileged to withstand the trial of wealth.
וְהִנֵּה מָצִינוּ עוֹד בְּיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ כָּל הַטּוֹב שֶׁהֵטִיבוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, אָמַר ״קָטוֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים״ (בראשית לב, יא), שֶׁחָשַׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִגְרוֹם הַחֵטְא (סנהדרין צח, ב). שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ כָּל טוּב וְנִיצַּל תָּמִיד מִן הַמְּצוּקָה, גַּם בְּמַצָּב שֶׁל עוֹשֶׁר הָיָה תָּמִיד בְּמוֹרָא וּבְצַעַר אוּלַי יִגְרוֹם הַחֵטְא. וְהַבֵּיאוּר בָּזֶה הוּא, שֶׁהָיָה יָרֵא מִזֶּה הַחֵטְא גּוּפָא, שֶׁמָּא לֹא יִזְכֶּה לַעֲמוֹד בְּנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹשֶׁר.
- Bereishis 32:11; Sanhedrin 98b. ↩
In shortThough blessed with abundance, Yaakov lived in fear that sin might cost him that good, for he feared failing the trial of wealth itself.
5So it was with Yosef: he was privileged to serve Hashem and stand firm in his great holiness in both trials, poverty and wealth, because Hashem was with him and helped him. Both trials are hinted in our verse: “And he became a successful man” hints at the trial of wealth, and “and he was in the house of his master,” [as a slave,] hints at the trial of poverty. Now we understand why the verse uses vayehi, an expression of distress: Yosef lived in fear and distress, in order to guard his soul from sin.
וּכְמוֹ כֵּן זֶה הָעִנְיָן הָיָה אֵצֶל יוֹסֵף, שֶׁיּוֹסֵף זָכָה לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ וְלַעֲמוֹד בְּגוֹדֶל קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ בִּשְׁתֵּי הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת נִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹנִי וְנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹשֶׁר, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁה׳ הָיָה אִתּוֹ וַעֲזָרוֹ. וּשְׁתֵּי הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת מְרוּמָּזִים בְּפָסוּק זֶה, ׳וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ׳ רוֹמֵז לְנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹשֶׁר, ׳וַיְהִי בְּבֵית אֲדֹנָיו׳ רוֹמֵז לְנִסָּיוֹן הָעוֹנִי. וּלְפִי זֶה מוּבָן מַדּוּעַ נִזְכַּר כָּאן לְשׁוֹן צַעַר ׳וַיְהִי׳, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיָה יוֹסֵף בְּמוֹרָא וּבְצַעַר, לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ מִן הַחֵטְא.
In shortLike his father, Yosef withstood both trials, both hinted in the verse, and vayehi is the fear with which he guarded himself from sin.
6Rashi wrote his comment to explain how Yosef HaTzaddik reached so great a level. It was because “Hashem was with him,” which means that the Name of Heaven was always on his lips. That is, Yosef held fast to trust and faith in Hashem constantly, at every moment, and so he was privileged to stand firm in both these trials without wavering, remaining in his righteousness and holiness.
וְעַל זֶה כָּתַב רש״י ז״ל, לְבָאֵר אֵיךְ הִגִּיעַ יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק לְמַדְרֵגָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּזֹאת, וְהוּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁה׳ אִתּוֹ ׳שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם שָׁגוּר בְּפִיו׳, וְהַיְינוּ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה מַחֲזִיק בְּמִידַּת בִּטָּחוֹן וֶאֱמוּנַת ה׳ תָּמִיד בְּכָל עֵת, וְעַל כֵּן זָכָה לַעֲמוֹד כַּסֵּדֶר בְּאֵלּוּ שְׁתֵּי הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת, וּלְהִישָּׁאֵר בְּצִדְקוֹ וּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ.
In shortHashem's Name always on Yosef's lips means constant trust and faith, which kept him steady through both trials.
7May Hashem grant that we be able to serve Him in every situation and every trial. Amen, may it be His will.
יְזַכֵּנוּ ה׳, שֶׁנּוּכַל לַעֲבוֹד אוֹתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּכָל הַמַּצָּבִים וְהַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortMay we be able to serve Hashem in every situation and in every trial.
Takeaway
Poverty and wealth are both trials, and wealth is the harder one, so Yaakov prayed to use his wealth only for “bread to eat and clothing to wear,” and he and Yosef lived with a healthy fear of sin even in success. What carried Yosef through poverty and wealth alike was constant trust and faith in Hashem, so that His Name was always on his lips. In easy times and hard ones, we too can hold fast to that trust and ask Hashem to help us serve Him in every situation.
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.