Friday, December 12, 2014
Parshas Vayeshev: Let G-d Run the World
12:44 AM | 
Posted by
Rabbi Chaim Coffman |
"Yet the chamberlain of the cupbrarers did not remember Yosef, but he forgot him" (Genesis 40;23)
If the chamberlain did not remember Yosef, doesn't that mean that he forgot him? What is the purpose here of saying the same thing seemingly twice?
Yosef is punished and had to wait several years before he was remembered by the chamberlain of the cupbearers. It would seem that Yosef lacked faith in G-d that He would save him by reminding the chamberlain to remember him. Isn't Yosef just putting his best foot forward to get himself out of his predicament?
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe tells us that Yosef understood through this trial in jail that he would be a free man through these people, therefore he should not have asked them to remember him. He should have understood that this was not a chance happening meeting with these two individuals but they were his ticket out and he should have realized that.
Yosef was on a very high level spiritually and was given this test to work on him emunah in G-d. He should have continued living his life focusing on G-d's interaction with the world and his purpose in it. Because he failed in this way, G-d punished him.
This is hard for us to understand. We are not on the level of Yosef or even close. At the same time, it is a timely message for future generations. We have an obligation to keep the Torah and mitzvos to the best of our ability.
We are also obligated to believe in G-d through knowledge and that He runs the world. The problem is that we live in a world of G-d's hiddeness and is very difficult to fathom the chaos that the world is in. Even through the chaos, there is order; we are just not privy to see exactly how that order works.
At the end of the book of Job, Elihu tells Job that G-d is not going to reveal himself to him and explain all the workings of the world. He can't understand it but has to realize that G-d has a purpose for how things are done. We have to try and make sense of it but still have to live our lives!!
This can be challenging when we see terrible things go on around us without having any control whatsoever. We have to let go and let G-d run the world as He sees fit! Our small minds cannot understand the bigger picture. We have to take everything in stride trying to make sense of it and continue to serve Him no matter what.
Yosef taught us a valuable lesson in emunah. It is always something that needs to be strengthened. On our level, we have to constantly strive and put our best foot forward. We are not on the level to sit back and watch as things unfold and let G-d take care of what He needs to do.
Yosef was on a higher level and judged accordingly. He should have understood the message of relying on G-d and letting Him run the world. When we all do this and become subservient to Him, the world will be a better place, bringing godliness to the world!
Shabbat Shalom
If the chamberlain did not remember Yosef, doesn't that mean that he forgot him? What is the purpose here of saying the same thing seemingly twice?
Yosef is punished and had to wait several years before he was remembered by the chamberlain of the cupbearers. It would seem that Yosef lacked faith in G-d that He would save him by reminding the chamberlain to remember him. Isn't Yosef just putting his best foot forward to get himself out of his predicament?
Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Moshe tells us that Yosef understood through this trial in jail that he would be a free man through these people, therefore he should not have asked them to remember him. He should have understood that this was not a chance happening meeting with these two individuals but they were his ticket out and he should have realized that.
Yosef was on a very high level spiritually and was given this test to work on him emunah in G-d. He should have continued living his life focusing on G-d's interaction with the world and his purpose in it. Because he failed in this way, G-d punished him.
This is hard for us to understand. We are not on the level of Yosef or even close. At the same time, it is a timely message for future generations. We have an obligation to keep the Torah and mitzvos to the best of our ability.
We are also obligated to believe in G-d through knowledge and that He runs the world. The problem is that we live in a world of G-d's hiddeness and is very difficult to fathom the chaos that the world is in. Even through the chaos, there is order; we are just not privy to see exactly how that order works.
At the end of the book of Job, Elihu tells Job that G-d is not going to reveal himself to him and explain all the workings of the world. He can't understand it but has to realize that G-d has a purpose for how things are done. We have to try and make sense of it but still have to live our lives!!
This can be challenging when we see terrible things go on around us without having any control whatsoever. We have to let go and let G-d run the world as He sees fit! Our small minds cannot understand the bigger picture. We have to take everything in stride trying to make sense of it and continue to serve Him no matter what.
Yosef taught us a valuable lesson in emunah. It is always something that needs to be strengthened. On our level, we have to constantly strive and put our best foot forward. We are not on the level to sit back and watch as things unfold and let G-d take care of what He needs to do.
Yosef was on a higher level and judged accordingly. He should have understood the message of relying on G-d and letting Him run the world. When we all do this and become subservient to Him, the world will be a better place, bringing godliness to the world!
Shabbat Shalom
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment