Miller's Musings Parshas Vayeshev: Excuses, Excuses!
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We believe that our illustrious ancestors were people of a level way beyond our comprehension. They were human beings of such saintly magnitude, that we are simply unable to fathom the scale of their greatness. Yet when we see an episode such as the one in this week’s Parsha, where ten of the men from whom all the Jewish nation would originate seem to commit an act of callous vengeance, it is incredibly difficult to comprehend. How could it be that the founders of our people, the roots of the ten tribes, could have been willing to at first kill Yosef and then sell him into slavery, plunging their aging father into utter despair and sorrow?
Of all the many proofs that point to the Torah’s truth, one of the most powerful is its willingness to reveal the times that our greatest Torah personalities erred and sinned. Be it Moshe hitting the rock, the people serving the golden calf or Dovid and Bas-Sheva, the Torah never shies away from or hides their faults and failings. But as compelling a testimonial as it may be, it still leaves us with questions as to how such righteous individuals could have committed such heinous errors. The answer is found in a principle expounded by Reb Mordechai Miller, that there are times when Hashem has deemed it necessary that certain events should take place. That being the case, there may be occasions where Hashem takes a person’s slightest thought of sin and, owing to wider considerations, needing this wrong to occur, magnifies that thought until a person is unable to overcome the urge. The initial desire to do wrong or flaw in their character would not have been sufficient to lead to the final act were it not for Hashem’s intervention. They will of course only face the consequences of their initial minor imperfection for it is Hashem that has forced the final result upon them. In answer to our question, Hashem had foretold that His people would descend to Egypt and He therefore took the brother’s tiny element of hatred and prejudice towards Yosef and amplified it so that they acted as they did.
Even as we consider this profound idea, there could be a danger of trying to use this as one more excuse for our mistakes. However the brothers surely understand the truth of what had actually transpired and how Hashem had forced their hands, yet they did not use this as an opportunity for justifying their actions. They recognised that there was a sin in their actions and that they were “guilty concerning our brother.” If ever there was one, they surely had the perfect excuse for absolving themselves of the sin. It was not them! It was all part of the divine masterplan orchestrated by Hashem. And yet deep down they knew that the root cause of it all, however distant from the final product, was their incorrect attitude towards their brother. How often do we look for anything at all that we can somehow use as a justification for our actions? How often do we blame everything and everyone but ourselves? We must learn to accept what we have done and make right whatever and whoever we have wronged. Take ownership, say sorry, look to correct yourself, but most importantly begin to move upward.
*May this Shabbos bring us to a full awareness of where we must go*
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