Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto’s talks are known throughout the Jewish world. They combine chassidic teachings and philosophy, along with tips for a better life. We have collected pearls from his teachings that are relevant to our daily lives. This week he comments on the Torah section of Miketz.
"And Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph and they rushed him from the dungeon. He shaved and changed his clothes and came to Pharaoh" (41:14).
We see an astonishing thing in this week's Torah section. Joseph suffered twelve years of humiliation in an Egyptian dungeon. He was living under the same roof with all the lowlives and criminals. He was out of touch with the outside world for twelve years. He didn't know what was happening in the world at large.
Suddenly Pharaoh summons Joseph and Joseph is taken out of the dungeon in a state of total dishevelment. Some of our Rabbis say that for twelve years, he did not cut his hair. He had the pathetic appearance of a vagabond. Pharaoh then tells Joseph, “I dreamed a dream. Can you explain what it means?” Joseph solves the dream for Pharaoh, and Pharaoh immediately exclaims, "After God has informed you of all this, there is no one as perceptive and wise as you." He appoints him viceroy to the king, effectively putting the entire land of Egypt in his hands. This mystifying course of events requires an explanation.
Egypt was the largest and richest country in those years, the superpower of the ancient world. Pharaoh, who was an intelligent political leader, appointed a man who had been isolated from the world for 12 years to be the second most powerful man in the land of Egypt. He tells him, "You will be over my house and whatever you tell my people they will do. I will only be greater than you in my throne.” In effect, Joseph ruled all of Egypt while Pharaoh was merely a king figurehead.
How could Pharaoh take a man who had been isolated from the world, who hadn’t the faintest idea of what had transpired in twelve years, and immediately give him absolute power over all of Egypt? We would think that at least, let him slowly become familiar with the country’s affairs. After all, he was totally secluded for a very long time. How is it possible to raise a person from such a wretched status to such lofty pre-eminence without first giving him training in government and national affairs? How could Pharaoh elevate Joseph considering his background?
To understand this we must realize an important principle. Joseph had introduced a new paradigm that would become part of the Jewish people’s DNA. When God decides to elevate a person from a low situation, there is no need for him to recover, prepare himself and acquire skills. The moment it was decreed on a person to attain greatness, he will be elevated to the highest position without need to understand and become familiar with his new status. In one moment the person was in a wretched state, and in the next moment God elevated him to the loftiest station. Yosef established a paradigm that a person can go from the abyss to the sky in one moment.
A person who was poor and it was decreed that he become wealthy, will apprehend what he has to do in one moment. He will know what to accept and how to act. He will know how to conduct himself and how to manage everything he is in charge of. If it was decreed that he bring about a salvation, he is already mentally prepared with the resolve to do it. A person who had suffered a miserable existence in prison does not need time to recover. The Almighty has endowed the Jewish people with the strength to soar in one moment to the greatest capabilities.
The Israelites lived in utter degradation in Egypt, but within a few days of leaving their oppressive environment, they soared to outstanding spiritual greatness to the point that they saw exalted spiritual visions. As our sages tell us, a slave girl saw more at the sea than the prophet Ezekiel ben Buzi saw in his chariot vision (Mechilta D’Shira 3). The Gemara narrates in Tractate Avoda Zarah (17a) that Elazar ben Dordaya was originally evil incarnate, but as soon as he resolved to repent, he heard a heavenly voice saying Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya is deserving of life in the Hereafter.
Joseph set the pattern for the Jewish people’s mindset and capabilities. They do not need an adjustment period to go from a low state to an exalted one. In one moment, a Jew ascends and receives all the capabilities to deal with his new situation. "[God] made Joseph a testimony when he presided over the land of Egypt" (Psalms 81:6). Joseph’s example became a testimony which has become part and parcel of the Jewish people of Israel. No matter how low a person is - even if he is poor or in the deepest abyss - if God decrees to elevate him, he will be lifted to the heights in a moment. He will discover he has the strength and the potential to stand at the highest level. Every Jew has these capabilities latent within him. As soon as God decrees that the time of salvation has arrived, he is ready to succeed.
All a person has to do to extricate himself from his grim state is to light the spark of heavenly blessing. Once he lights the spark, there is no limit to how much he can soar. This is because he already has the inner abilities and potential to achieve the greatest and most loftiest accomplishments.
A person should know that as soon as Heaven’s blessing devolves upon him, he has the power to be great. It’s all there inside of him.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel