What was wrong with Yosef's asking for help? (Rabbi Kahane's explanation).

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Explanation why and how Yosef made a mistake by the way he asked. (short video)

[muman613]

I have not listened to the video yet, and I hope to soon.... But I will offer my explanation first...

From my understanding Yosef was wrong to depend on the Butler because he should have had faith that Hashem would rescue him without the help of the Butler and his society. Although it seems a big question because we also know we should not depend on miracles, and thus we should attempt to bring about our redemption through real-world means (not relying on supernatural help).

[muman613]

http://www.tfdixie.com/parshat/mikeitz/001.htm

At the end of last week's Torah portion, Pharaoh's butler had asked Joseph to interpret a dream for him. Joseph obliged, determining that the dream meant the butler would be reinstated to his former position in three days time. After granting the butler this favor, Joseph asked that the butler return the favor by asking Pharaoh to release him from jail (Genesis 40:8-15). The Midrash explains that because Joseph relied on the butler to free him, and not Hashem, he was punished with another two years in prison.

The Beis HaLevi, one of the most brilliant Talmudists of the 19th century, asks why Joseph is faulted for requesting the butler's assistance? The Torah allows us to do hishtadlus to exert effort in order to accomplish our goals, and doing so is not considered a lack of reliance on Hashem. Why was Joseph's request not simply considered hishtadlus to be freed?

The Beis HaLevi answers that in order to understand Joseph's error, we must first understand the philosophy behind the concept of hishtadlus. Behind the scenes, Hashem carefully and lovingly orchestrates everything that happens in our lives. The people who help us, hurt us, or give things to us are all messengers from Hashem, who decreed that these things should happen.

Because everything is in Hashem's hands, our own actions really make no difference. Ideally, we should just do what is right and trust that Hashem will make everything work out for us. In an ideal world, we would not go to work. We would rely entirely on Hashem to bring us our income. However, the Beis HaLevi points out that we are not all on the spiritual level where we can trust entirely in Hashem. Therefore, Hashem allows us to do hishtadlus as a tactic to supplement our trust in Him. It is not because our efforts and jobs bring us our salaries, for Hashem is still the source of our incomes. However, by working we can feel a sense of security, trusting Hashem to bring us those salaries. Because of this, the extent of each individual's hishtadlus differs. The more a person is able to genuinely trust in Hashem without the effort, the less effort he would need to personally exert.

This is why the Torah faulted Joseph for asking the butler to remember him. Joseph was on a tremendously high level of trust in Hashem. Therefore, for him, even this minimal effort was considered too much. Joseph should have relied entirely on Hashem and not exerted any effort, because he was on the right level to do so. In a similar manner, Rabbi Isaac Sher, a great Torah thinker of the past generation, warned that overdoing one's personal efforts could be harmful. Doing so can lead a person to forget Hashem's involvement and make him feel that his own strength and exertion causes his success.

When analyzing the balance between trusting in Hashem and exerting our own efforts, we enter a very delicate area. On the one hand, our efforts are necessary in order to enable us to trust in Hashem. We are not capable of feeling entirely secure without any personal efforts. So, we do act to a degree, but not because those actions make any difference to the outcome of the event. On the other hand, too much action will defeat this purpose because we will feel that our own efforts provide our successes, and not Hashem. The balance between the two is very delicate and requires a personal, internal introspection to correctly evaluate.

I hope to learn Rabbi Kahane's thoughts on this Torah lesson...

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

I have not listened to the video yet, and I hope to soon.... But I will offer my explanation first...

From my understanding Yosef was wrong to depend on the Butler because he should have had faith that Hashem would rescue him without the help of the Butler and his society. Although it seems a big question because we also know we should not depend on miracles, and thus we should attempt to bring about our redemption through real-world means (not relying on supernatural help).

 This is what is sually is said by some, but its not what Rav Kahane pointed out. It was because he lowered himself in front of him and pleaded instead of more or less demanded what was supposed to be his. And its a lesson for today as well of how Jews and Israel lowers itself in front of the nations and comes as beggars instead of taking what is ours.

[muman613]

This is what is sually is said by some, but its not what Rav Kahane pointed out. It was because he lowered himself in front of him and pleaded instead of more or less demanded what was supposed to be his. And its a lesson for today as well of how Jews and Israel lowers itself in front of the nations and comes as beggars instead of taking what is ours.

I certainly will listen to it... It sounds like an interesting concept. I would like to hear the sources also...

[muman613]

Just watched it. It is a good lesson in my opinion. Indeed we should not beg the nations for anything. The Jewish people can survive on their own, we can thrive in our own culture and do not need them. We have more to give than we need to receive from the nations. The nations should be thankful for the Jewish nation.

Jews should never beg from the gentiles. We have Hashems promise and with our faith in it we can prevail in every situation.