Whose Holiness Brings the Flow: Yosef and Yaakov
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 45:3
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי וְלֹא־יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו
And Yosef said to his brothers, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him.
1“And Yosef said to his brothers, ‘I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?’ And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him …”1 This verse raises three questions. First, the brothers had already told Yosef, “We have an old father.”2 Why, then, did he ask them here, “Is my father still alive?” Second, notice the wording “Is my father still alive.” The word od, “still,” is superfluous. Third, what does “they were terrified mipanav,” literally “from his face,” mean? The verse should have said that they were terrified “of him.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אוֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו וְגוֹ׳ (מה, ד). יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק, הֲרֵי כְּבָר אָמְרוּ לוֹ קוֹדֶם לָכֵן ״יֶשׁ לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן״ (מד, כ), וּמַדּוּעַ שְׁאָלָם יוֹסֵף כָּאן ׳הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי׳. גַּם יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי׳, דְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳עוֹד׳ הוּא לְמוֹתָר. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו׳, נִבְהֲלוּ ׳מִמֶּנּוּ׳ הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר.
In shortWhy did Yosef ask after a father the brothers had already mentioned, why add “still,” and why were they terrified “from his face”?
2A little further on we meet the same difficulty: “And Yisrael said, ‘Rav! Yosef my son is still alive.’”3 Here again we find the word od, “still,” and it needs explaining. We must also ask what the word rav means. The Midrash comments: “‘And Yisrael said, rav’: Great (rav) is the strength of Yosef my son, for so many troubles befell him and he still stands in his righteousness, far more than I …”4 What did Yaakov Avinu mean by these words?
וּלְהַלָּן כְּתִיב (מה, כח) ״וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עוֹד יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי״. וְגַם כָּאן שׁוּב מָצִינוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳עוֹד׳, וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מָה הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳רַב׳, וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה צד, ג) אִיתָא, ״וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב״, רַב כּוֹחוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף בְּנִי, שֶׁכַּמָּה צָרוֹת הִגִּיעוּהוּ וַעֲדַיִין הוּא עוֹמֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִמֶּנִּי וְכוּ׳. וְצָרִיךְ לְבָאֵר מַה הַכַּוָּונָה בְּדִבְרֵי יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה.
In shortYaakov's “Rav! Yosef my son is still alive” has its own puzzling “still,” and the Midrash reads rav as praise of Yosef's strength.
3We can explain that all of this points to one idea that the Torah comes to teach us. The holy sefarim, such as the Noam Elimelech, ask about the verse “And Hashem blessed Avraham with everything”: what is the point of saying “with everything”?5 The answer is this. As is well known, a tzaddik graced with the trait of Yesod, the sefirah bound up with guarding the holiness of the covenant, is the one through whom abundance, spiritual and material, flows down to the whole world. Of him it is said, “The tzaddik is the foundation (yesod) of the world.”6 It is in the spirit of the Heavenly voice that proclaimed, “The whole world is sustained for the sake of Chanina My son.”7 Such a tzaddik, who has not blemished Yesod and whose flow has not gone to waste or to places it should not go, is called, in a sense, kol, “everything.”8 He has the power to bestow abundance on the whole world, spiritually and materially.
אָכֵן אֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ כִּי הַכֹּל מְכוּוָּן לְעִנְיָן אֶחָד אֲשֶׁר הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה בָּאָה לְלַמְּדֵנוּ. דְּהִנֵּה אִיתָא בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (נועם אלימלך חיי שרה) עַל הַפָּסוּק (בראשית כד, א) ״וַה׳ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל״, מַה עִנְיַן אָמְרוֹ ׳בַּכֹּל׳. אֶלָּא כַּיָּדוּעַ הַצַּדִּיק אֲשֶׁר מְחוֹנָן בְּמִידַּת יְסוֹד עוֹלָם, עַל יָדוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ שֶׁפַע בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת וּבְגַשְׁמִיּוּת בִּשְׁבִיל כָּל הָעוֹלָם, בִּבְחִינַת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ נִיזּוֹנִין בִּשְׁבִיל חֲנִינָא בְּנִי (תענית כד, ב). דְּצַדִּיק כָּזֶה אֲשֶׁר לֹא פָּגַם בְּמִידַּת הַיְּסוֹד, וְלֹא הָלַךְ הַשֶּׁפַע לָרִיק וְלַמְּקוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר אֵין רָאוּי לָלֶכֶת, צַדִּיק זֶה נִקְרָא בְּחִינַת ׳כֹּל׳, וּבְכוֹחוֹ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ הַשְׁפָּעוֹת לְכָל הָעוֹלָם בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת וּבְגַשְׁמִיּוּת.
- Bereishis 24:1; Noam Elimelech, Chayei Sarah. ↩
- Mishlei 10:25. To blemish Yesod is to violate the holiness of the covenant through sexual sin. ↩
- Taanis 24b, said of R' Chanina ben Dosa. ↩
- In Kabbalah, kol is a name for the sefirah of Yesod. ↩
In shortA tzaddik who keeps Yesod unblemished is called kol, “everything,” and through him abundance, spiritual and material, flows to the whole world.
4So it was with Yosef HaTzaddik. He was, as is well known, complete in the trait of Yesod, “the tzaddik is the foundation of the world,” even though he lived in Egypt, “the nakedness of the land.”9 That is why abundance flowed through him to the whole world, as the verse says: “And Yosef was the ruler … he was the provider to all the people of the land.”10 In other words, because Yosef was a “ruler” over his yetzer hara and complete in his holiness, in the trait of Yesod, he was privileged to be “the provider to all the people of the land”: through him the abundance was drawn down to the whole world.
וְזֶה הָעִנְיָן הָיָה עִם יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק אֲשֶׁר הָיָה שָׁלֵם בְּמִידַּת צַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם כַּנּוֹדָע, וְאַף שֶׁהָיָה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ, וְעַל כֵּן עַל יָדוֹ נִשְׁפָּע שֶׁפַע לְכָל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ, וּכְמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית מב, ו) ״וְיוֹסֵף הוּא הַשַּׁלִּיט וְגוֹ׳ הוּא הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לְכָל עַם הָאָרֶץ״, פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה יוֹסֵף בִּבְחִינַת ׳שַׁלִּיט׳ עַל יִצְרוֹ וְשָׁלֵם בִּקְדוּשָּׁתוֹ בְּמִידַּת הַיְּסוֹד, עַל יְדֵי זֶה זָכָה לִהְיוֹת ׳הַמַּשְׁבִּיר לְכָל עַם הָאָרֶץ׳, שֶׁעַל יָדוֹ הָיָה נִמְשָׁךְ הַשֶּׁפַע לְעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ.
- Bereishis 42:9. Egypt is called “the nakedness of the land” as a place of immorality. ↩
- Bereishis 42:6. ↩
In shortYosef ruled over his yetzer hara and stayed holy even in Egypt, so he became the provider for the whole world.
5Until Yosef made himself known to his brothers, he had spoken with them through an interpreter, so they had not looked closely at the face of Yosef HaTzaddik. But now that he began to speak with them directly, they sensed at once the holiness in his face, as the verse says, “A man's wisdom lights up his face.”11 It is well known, too, that the holy Arizal could tell at once from a person's face whether he had blemished Yesod.12 Surely the holy tribes also knew how to sense this, and so they were terrified by the holiness of his face. That is the meaning of “they were terrified from his face.”
וְהִנֵּה בְּעֵת הִתְוַודַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו, אֲזַי כֵּיוָן שֶׁעַד עַכְשָׁיו דִּיבֵּר יוֹסֵף עִם אֶחָיו עַל יְדֵי מְתוּרְגְּמָן, לֹא הִשְׁגִּיחוּ הֵיטֵב בְּפָנָיו שֶׁל יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, אֲבָל עַתָּה שֶׁהִתְחִיל יוֹסֵף לְדַבֵּר עִמָּם בְּלִי מְתוּרְגְּמָן, הִרְגִּישׁוּ מִיָּד בְּפָנָיו שֶׁל יוֹסֵף אֶת הַקְּדוּשָּׁה, בִּבְחִינַת ״חָכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו״ (קוהלת ח, א), כַּיָּדוּעַ גַּם מהאר״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ (עמק המלך פרק ד) שֶׁיָּדַע לְהַכִּיר מִיָּד בְּפָנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם אִם פָּגַם בְּמִידַּת הַיְּסוֹד, וּבְוַדַּאי אֲשֶׁר גַּם הַשִּׁבְטֵי יָהּ יָדְעוּ לְהַרְגִּישׁ עִנְיָן זֶה, לָכֵן נִבְהֲלוּ מֵחֲמַת קְדוּשַּׁת פָּנָיו, וְזֶהוּ ״נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו״.
In shortOnce Yosef spoke to them directly, the brothers saw the holiness of Yesod in his face, which is why they were terrified “from his face.”
6But Yosef HaTzaddik credited this power to his holy father, Yaakov Avinu, and said, “Is my father still alive?” The word od, “still,” hints at the bestowing of abundance, for abundance keeps on flowing, more and more, od va'od. Yosef was telling them: “This greatness you see, that I am the ruler and the provider who bestows abundance, ever more (od), on all the land of Egypt, is the result of my holding fast to holiness even in ‘the nakedness of the land.’ And all of it comes through ‘my father lives,’ from the power of my father's holiness.” Yaakov Avinu, however, when he heard of Yosef's greatness, said the opposite: “Rav! Od Yosef my son lives.” That is, the od, the bestowing of abundance, comes from the power of “Yosef my son lives,” from Yosef's own holiness. Yaakov's words in the Midrash mean the same thing. He said, “Great is the strength of Yosef my son, for so many troubles befell him …” Because Yosef HaTzaddik strengthened himself in holiness, did not sin in Egypt and stood firm in his righteousness, he was privileged to draw abundance down to the whole world by his own strength, as the word od hints. And that is “Rav! Od Yosef my son lives.”
וְאַךְ יוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק תָּלָה הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה בְּאָבִיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, וְאָמַר ׳הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי׳, ׳עוֹד׳ רוֹמֵז לִבְחִינַת הַשְׁפָּעָה, שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁפַע הוּא דָּבָר הַהוֹלֵךְ וְנִמְשָׁךְ עוֹד וְעוֹד, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם שֶׁזֹּאת הַגְּדוּלָּה אֲשֶׁר רוֹאִים אַתֶּם אֵיךְ שֶׁאֲנִי הַשַּׁלִּיט וְהַמַּשְׁבִּיר שֶׁפַע לְכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בִּבְחִינַת ׳עוֹד׳, וְהוּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁאֲנִי אָחוּז בִּקְדוּשָּׁה גַּם בִּמְקוֹם עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ, הַכֹּל בָּא עַל יְדֵי ׳אָבִי חָי׳, מִכֹּחַ קְדוּשָּׁתוֹ שֶׁל אָבִי. אָכֵן יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ ע״ה בְּעֵת שֶׁשָּׁמַע מִגְּדוּלַּת יוֹסֵף אָמַר בְּהֵיפֶךְ, ׳רַב עוֹד יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָ׳עוֹד׳ דְּהַיְינוּ הַשְׁפָּעַת הַשֶּׁפַע, הוּא מִכֹּחַ ׳יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי׳, מֵחֲמַת קְדוּשַּׁת יוֹסֵף עַצְמוֹ. וְזֶה כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁאָמַר יַעֲקֹב רַב כּוֹחוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף בְּנִי שֶׁכַּמָּה צָרוֹת הִגִּיעוּהוּ וְכוּ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק הִתְגַּבֵּר בְּעַצְמוֹ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא בְּמִצְרַיִם וְעָמַד בְּצִדְקוֹ, לְכָךְ זָכָה שֶׁבְּכוֹחוֹ נִמְשָׁכִין הַשְׁפָּעוֹת לְכָל הָעוֹלָם, וְכִמְרוּמָּז בְּאוֹמְרוֹ ׳עוֹד׳, וְזֶהוּ ״רַב עוֹד יוֹסֵף בְּנִי חָי״.
In shortOd hints at the ongoing flow of abundance: Yosef credited it to his father's holiness, while Yaakov credited it to Yosef's own victory over temptation.
7May Hashem grant that we too be privileged to have even a small share of the holiness of our forefathers, to bestow only good upon Israel, and to see the coming of the righteous redeemer. Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה גַּם אָנוּ לִהְיוֹת לָנוּ נְגִיעָה מִן קְדוּשַּׁת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וְנִזְכֶּה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ אַךְ טוֹב לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנִזְכֶּה לְבִיאַת גּוֹאֵל צֶדֶק, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we share in our forefathers' holiness, bring only good to Israel, and see the redemption.
Takeaway
Yosef kept his holiness in “the nakedness of the land,” and that holiness shone from his face and made him the channel of abundance for the whole world. Yosef credited the flow to his father's holiness, and Yaakov credited it to Yosef's own struggle. We can learn from both: to lean humbly on the merit of our fathers, and still to know that our own battles for holiness truly count.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
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