VaYeisheiv (Sat. 9th December. /26th Kislev)
Trust G-d, But Do the Work
Your Weekly Mission - by Rabbi Laibl Wolf
Trusting in Hashem does not mean to sit back and wait for good things to happen. Yosef relied on the butler to intercede with Pharoah on his behalf. Being a Tzaddik he should have relied exclusively on G-d. But we, being less than Tzaddikim need both – trust in G-d as well as our own effort.
Notes:
• Towards the end of our Parsha, VaYeisheiv, we find the future viceroy of Egypt, Yosef HaTzaddik, locked up in a dungeon, with two former dignitaries of Pharoah’s court – his Chief Baker and Chief Butler.
• Being a dream interpreter par excellence, he predicts accurately the demise of the baker and the reprieve of the butler, asking the butler to intercede on his behalf with Pharaoh, which the butler promptly forgets to do and Yosef lingers in his cell another two years.
• We are taught these extra two years were added because he should have trusted in G-d and not in the butler. At the same time are we not taught not to rely on miracles?
• But the lesson here is that there are different degrees of faith and trust expected of different people. A Tzaddik, like Yosef is expected to be fully trusting of HaShem, to the exclusion of human intervention. You and I need to trust in HaShem and contemporaneously do everything needed to effect what’s needed, in a natural manner.
• But without trust and Emunah, seeds of doubt, self-doubt, and despondency can set in, despite our best efforts.
• So always do everything needed to break through challenges – but always be energised by Emuna in Hashem at the same time.