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Parshat Vayeishev

By Rabbi Tuvia Bolton 

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This week we read about the false-imprisonment of Yosef (Josef) the eleventh son of the Patriarch Jacob. 

We also just celebrated the Chassidic Holiday of the 19th of Kislev, when Rebbe Shneur Zalman, the author of the Tanya and founder of the Chabad Chassidic movement, was released from imprisonment in Czarist prison, and we prepare for the holiday of Chanukah when the Jews won a miraculous victory over Greek domination and defilement.  

Why were hardship, imprisonment and danger necessary in these three instances? Why couldn’t G-d have just done a few miracles and make Yosef into a king, the Rebbe into a great Jewish leader, and the Jews into a joyous, light-producing people, without the troubles, opposition, darkness, imprisonment, strife and war? 

What does this teach us in our attitude toward Judaism? Must we also suffer?

I’d like to answer this with a story:  

A desperate Jew once came to a great Tzadik (Holy Jew) by the name of “The Shpola Zeidi” (Grandfather from Shpola) begging the Rebbe to save him. 

 He had been arrested, falsely accused of cheating the government, was now out on bail but only a miracle could save him from being imprisoned.

“Nu!” answered the holy Tzadik “A month or so in prison isn’t such a long time.” 

“Rebbe” he cried “Rebbe! I’m innocent! I never stole anything in my life!!” His eyes were wide in fear and almost fell to his knees as in supplication. Wringing his hands in despair he continued. “Rebbe, Rebbe! You don’t know what prison is. I’ve heard stories! Even one day there will be the end of me! Oy!! A month! They’ll kill me!! Please, please Rebbe. I heard you can do miracles! Save me!! Free me completely!” And he burst out in bitter tears. 

The Rebbe waited until the fellow had calmed down and said. “I know exactly what prison is. I myself was there! I was there and I know that sometimes prison can be a very good place! Just calm yourself, sit down and listen. 

The fellow wiped his eyes, took a few deep breaths, sat and the Rebbe began. 

“Many years ago, I was in the middle of a long journey and I stopped for the night in an inn. 

“I paid the owner, got settled in my room and was learning some Talmud before going to bed when I heard knock on my door. I opened it and there stood the owner of the inn with a religious Jew standing next to him. He apologized for the intrusion, explained that the extra bed in my room was the only one available in his hotel and asked if I minded sharing the room with this guest for the night. 

“It was already after midnight and I wanted to get back to my learning, and the fellow looked perfectly fine; long white beard and everything, so I agreed. 

“The Jew thanked me profusely, came in, put down his bags, prayed the evening prayer, said he was very tired, got into bed and went to sleep while I continued learning. After a while I went to sleep myself. 

“When I awoke in the morning his bed was empty and I concluded that he must have left before daybreak and was careful not to wake me up. Very considerate of him! 

“I prayed the morning prayer in my room and began packing my bags when suddenly the door burst open revealing the owner of the inn with two huge policemen and a third man who was pointing at me and screaming “There! There he is officer! That’s the thief!! Get him!!” 

“The police rushed at me like mad dogs. One pushed me to the wall, the other opened my suitcase and turned it upside down on the bed while the third fellow was scurrying around the oom, furiously looking in every potential hiding place and corner.”  

“I was astounded to say the least. ‘What are you looking for? What’s going on here?’ I asked innocently. Just then, the policemen lifted the mattress of the second bed and yelled, ‘Hey! I think I found something here!””  

“AHA! THAT’S IT!! MY SPOON!” Shrieked the stranger. 

“The police grabbed me, tied my hands, and began slapping and punching me while the man jumped around in the background screaming, “I knew it! I knew it! You can’t trust those Jews! WHERE ARE THE REST OF MY THINGS?” 

“Suddenly it became clear to me; that the “nice” man that spent the night in my room was a thief. He had stolen this man’s silverware the day before and planted the spoon hoping they would grab me instead of him. 

“Of course, they didn’t let me defend myself and every time I opened my mouth to say something they slapped me! So all I could do was silently pray to HaShem for help and assure myself that somehow it was all for the best. 

“They bound me up like a calf, dragged me outside, threw me in their wagon, and took me to prison where, after a ten-minute trial I was sentenced me to ten years imprisonment, or five if I would tell them where the rest of the loot was hidden. Then they took me to  large, dismal cell where there were sitting ten or fifteen other prisoners more animal than human. 

“It didn’t take long for me to find out what prison means. As soon as the guards left ten of my cellmates approached me. They were huge and fearsome and their eyes were flashing with the evil thoughts that were running through their minds.” 

“One of them, probably their leader, put his face in mine and said, ‘Listen Jew. You’re either with us or against us! Fifty rubles and you are in, but you have to do what we say. If not, you’ll regret it.’ 

“I took a step back, looked him in the eye and said that I had no money, I wasn’t interested in being one of them and in any case I trust in G-d, the creator of the heavens and earth, to protect me or to do with me what He wants. 

“Before I could say another word he pushed me to the floor, one of them grabbed my head, others my arms and legs, and another pulled out a long metal bar from under his shirt. 

“The one holding my head covered my mouth with a rag so I couldn’t scream, and the ‘executioner’, with a strange smile on his lips, raised the bar ominously and said “Not going to pay? Well, we’ll make you pay!!” 

“Suddenly his face contorted in pain, his eyes bolted out in horror as he stared at his upraised and he let out a piercing scream ‘AAAAAhg….it’s burning! AAAhh AAAaii hellllp me!!! helllllllllllp!’ 

 “The pipe had suddenly become red hot and was burning his hand, but he couldn’t release it; his arm was paralyzed in midair.” 

“HELLLLLLP! AAAAAAH!” 

“The guards heard the noise and came running, but neither they nor his friends could help him. His hand was locked around the blazing metal and they were afraid to touch it. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he pleaded to me with beseeching eyes. “Make it stop burning! I’ll leave you alone! AAAAAAAHH!!!” 

“As soon as he said that, the pipe inexplicably fell from his hand and the guards whisked him out of the room to the hospital. 

“As you can imagine, afterwards everyone left me alone. I spent the days and nights in prayer and repeating the words of Torah I knew by heart. 

“But I noticed that one of the prisoners, a young fellow that had not been involved in the fight, kept staring at me. I thought he was a gypsy at first, but I got in a conversation with him and he told me he was born a Jew.  

“He said his parents died and left him an orphan at a young age and he wandered around for a few years until he fell in with a group of criminals. He was agile and clever, and it wasn’t long before they revealed his potential as a horse thief. 

 “They taught him to sneak into farms and ranches and steal horses, and for a few years he was very successful. In fact, he became a rich man with a rosy future awaiting him. But then one day he got caught by the police in the middle of a “job” and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. And that is how he got here. 

 “He never told anyone he was a Jew and he never even cared until he just now saw the strange miracle with the pipe, it aroused his curiosity and now he had questions. We spoke for several days until he agreed to put on Tefillin that they allowed me to bring in. I taught him how to read Hebrew and even say some prayers. 

“Then one night I had a dream. Elijah the Prophet appeared to me and said: ‘Tomorrow night take the boy and leave. Just tell him to hold onto your belt and follow.’ 

 “The next morning, I told the young man about my dream, and sure enough that night Elijah appeared and led us out. It was miraculous; all the guards fell sound asleep and every door that he touched swung open. We just walked out to freedom. 

 “I sent that young boy to a Yeshiva where he sat and learned Torah for several years eventually becoming a great Rabbi. Today he leads a large Jewish community and helps thousands of people. That is the reason I was in prison. ” 

 “So, jail isn’t necessarily such a bad place. And I see that, with the proper attitude, you have nothing to worry about and will accomplish a lot there in one month.” 

This is the common lesson found in our Torah reading, in Chanuka and in Yud Tes Kislev: Sometimes blessings can only be revealed through hardship. 

Just as in our story, the good could only be acquired by effort and self-sacrifice, so too in all these three cases:

Yosef had to suffer years of imprisonment in order to reveal his true greatness (and eventually save the entire world from famine), the Jews had to overcome the ‘darkness’ of Greek culture to reveal true meaning in the world and Rebbe Shneur Zalman had to suffer imprisonment to reveal the teachings of Chabad; the light of Moshiach, to the world. 

That is why Chanuka centers around oil and the miracle of finding a bottle of pure olive oil; Just as an olive must be squeezed to release the oil hidden within it, so the Jews had to be oppressed by the Greeks in order to reveal the infinite potential in each of them. 

And because this potential is eternal and unlimited, today, thousands of years after the miracle, Chanukah is observed even by the most “non-observant” Jews… and in the MOST religious way (“mehadrin min ha mehadrin”). 

[The minimum requirement is to light, for each of the eight days, only one candle for the entire household. But the MOST religious way (“mehadrin min ha mehadrin”) is to add the number of candles each night, ending with eight. 

Because the blessing and the love of G-d hidden in each of us can and must always be increased. 

That is why Rebbe Shneur Zalman, the founder of Chabad, had to suffer in prison; only by first to being ‘crushed’ and ‘pressed’ could he reveal the light that began to shine on Chanuka (thousands of years earlier) in a permanent way through Chassidut: The teachings of Moshiach.  

But now the Lubavitch Rebbe says with certainty that the terrible sufferings of our years of exile has ended.

The time of ‘redemption has arrived’! 

Just like it was with Yosef, the Jews in Chanuka and Rebbe Shneur Zalman…. So too we will all be miraculously released from all negative limitations and all spiritual and physical potential will be revealed.

But it all depends on us: we can make it happen sooner. One more good deed, word or even thought can tilt the scales for good and bring …  Moshiach NOW!

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimm
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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