Torah Portion

own land, in comfort and security. The Jewish people needed to be born in a state of natural upheaval, into miracles, amid “signs and wonders.” And, so, Joseph’s personal story, all the suffering he endured, all the great challenges he faced, ended up being nothing less than the vehicle for the unfolding of Jewish destiny. In fact, it was the reverse of what Joseph thought: he thought he had been ‘sent’ to Egypt because of the famine to prevent and save his family and the region from starvation — but God sent the famine as a catalyst to bring the family of Jacob down to Egypt. So Joseph went ahead, to be able to save them all, and to bring them all down to Egypt. And that was the plan.

This plan unfolded not over years, but over centuries. And, ultimately, it was a plan that came full circle. Joseph’s dying wish was that he not be buried in Egypt, but rather be taken with the Jewish people, when they later left Egypt, and buried in the land of Israel. His wish was fulfilled, and he was eventually buried by Joshua in a place called Shechem. Rashi notes this was the very place where Joseph was captured by his brothers and sold into slavery. And so Joseph’s journey — and along with it, God’s grand plan for the Jewish people — comes full circle.

This helps us to understand what faith in God means — to trust that whatever befalls us, it’s all for the best. The famous Talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva says our response to anything that befalls us should be: “Gam zu letova — this too is for the good.” But, this doesn’t mean everything will turn out the way that we wish it to, or even the way we expect it to. Things happen that are extremely painful and often tragic — but faith in God means to trust that there’s a plan, no matter how confusing and chaotic things seem, and no matter how hard it is to see what that plan is.

The truth is, as mere mortals, how can we see God’s plan? How can we understand a plan that spans not just centuries and millennia, but planes of reality — this world and the World to Come. How can we fathom the mind of God? These are some of the deepest secrets and mysteries of the world that even Moses — the greatest prophet who ever lived — could not understand. According to the Talmud, when he was on Mount Sinai, he asked God why it is that some righteous people suffer and some wicked people prosper. And God answered: “No man can see me and live.” In other words, to understand the answer to such a question would be going to the depths of the very essence of creation; it would be like gaining the deepest knowledge of Hashem, Himself, who is beyond human comprehension. How this world actually functions — how Hashem governs it — is not something that as mortals of flesh and blood we can properly understand. And if Moses didn’t know and God refused to tell him, who are we to be able to claim insight into these things?

This is the message of Joseph’s life. We never quite know what’s going on beneath the surface; the mysterious inner workings of the universe are beyond our understanding. But our calling is to trust that God is in control and have faith that He loves us and wants the best for us.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a PhD. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. This article first appeared on aish.com.

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Defeating Haman Through Joy

The most famous verse in the Megillah (8:16) tells that after Haman’s sudden downfall, the Jews experienced “light, joy, jubilation and honor.”

The Gemara (Megillah 16b) interprets these terms as alluding to four fundamental features of Jewish life: Torah study, yom tov celebration, circumcision and tefillin. It seems that following the great Purim miracle, these religious observances were reinstated after having been banned.

Why did Haman seek to bar the Jews from specifically these four observances?

Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg, the current Tolna Rebbe, explains that these four mitzvot are all associated with joy. Torah study brings happiness (Tehillim 19:9), and is thus forbidden during mourning. Yom tov, of course, requires joy and festivity. The Gemara (Shabbos 130a) tells that our nation accepted the command of circumcision with special joy; one of the sages is described as having been especially jovial after putting on tefillin (Berachos 30b).

Haman wanted to deny the Jews any special joy because he understood that the Jews’ most effective line of defense is joy. When we remain upbeat, optimistic and happy, we can overcome even the harshest and most trying conditions. Haman banned the observance of these mitzvot in order to sow widespread depression and despair

so his sinister plot of extermination would succeed. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 96b) states that Haman had offspring that converted to Judaism and taught Torah. According to one version of the text, this descendant was a schoolteacher, Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat. Several writers noted that Rav Shmuel taught, Mishenichnas Adar Rabbi Dov marbin besimcha — “When

Loketch Adar enters, we increase our joy.” Haman sought to elim-

Parshat inate our joy and plunge us

Vayikra: into despair; but each year,

Leviticus 1:1-5:26; Isaiah we are taught by his descendant’s directive to be joyful 43:21-44:23. and spirited. We oppose Haman’s scheme by remaining cheerful and upbeat under all circumstances. We defy Haman not only through our continued survival, but also by experiencing the joy which he wanted to deny us. This means taking a moment before entering the home after a long, aggravating day in the office to collect ourselves so we come in smiling and cheerful. It means that a boss should smile and compliment his employees even when he is under stress. It means that a teacher should enter the classroom with enthusiasm and positive energy. It means reminding ourselves of how much we have to be thankful for even when we face hardship and difficult challenges. We should generate genuine, deep-seated simchah that will stay with us throughout the entire year. Rabbi Dov Loketch is Rabbi of Congregation Agudas Yisrael Mogen Avraham in Southfield.