Parashat Vayeshev: When Hashem Puts Someone in a Pit, The Aim Is One: Growth

There are two opposing reasons for putting something into a pit in the ground: either to bury a deceased person, or to plant a seed to make it grow (in essence, even a person's burial aims for future growth. This is not the place to elaborate).

Each of us may find ourselves in a "pit" at some point. Each of us might experience a fall. We have the choice to view the fall as a "burial" and fall into depression and sadness, leading to spiritual decline, or to use the fall and the time in the pit to sprout, renew growth, and rise spiritually.

Yosef was thrown into a pit twice. The first time by his brothers, and the second time he was thrown into prison due to false accusations by Potiphar's wife. Yosef used both falls and directed them into a process of growth and development. Indeed, like a plant that grows slowly in stages, Yosef also succeeded in stages. Let's quote the words of the verses that describe his growth: 'And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, bought him... and Hashem was with Joseph, and he was a successful man... and his master saw that Hashem was with him, and that all that he did Hashem made it prosper in his hand... and Joseph found favor in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand... and it came to pass, from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Hashem blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of Hashem was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand...'. Note Yosef's stages of success: 'successful man,' 'all that he did, Hashem prospered in his hand,' 'all that he had he put into his hand,' 'he left all that he had in Joseph's hand.' Yosef believed that the "pit" and all the difficult situation he found himself in had but one purpose - growth.

Even the second time, when Yosef found himself again in a pit due to Potiphar's wife's lies, Yosef believed the pit's purpose was again for growth and even greater growth. There too, we can see his slow but sure growth: 'And Hashem was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatever they did there, he was the doer. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because Hashem was with him, and that which he did Hashem made it prosper.'

Yosef believes that when Hashem puts someone in a pit, the purpose is one and only – growth and development!

And here's an important point. A plant needs water. The Torah states explicitly about the first pit Yosef was thrown into – 'And the pit was empty; there was no water in it' (Genesis 37:24). The pit referred to here is not just the pit itself, but the entire difficult situation Yosef found himself in. Yosef was without anything, without his coat, even without water. How can one grow without water?

I heard an intriguing answer. Besides Yosef's inner faith, which undoubtedly was a fountain of living waters for him, Yosef was "watered" with additional waters – the many tears of his father, Yaakov. When told "Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces," the Torah writes: "And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, 'For I will go down into the grave to my son mourning.' And his father wept for him." The many tears, the abundant crying, were what watered Yosef and helped him grow.

Rashi writes on the words "and his father wept for him" that the intention was Isaac our father. Isaac cried because his son – Jacob was crying for his grandson – Joseph. Isaac knew through prophecy that Joseph was alive, but he was forbidden to reveal it to Jacob, so he cried because of Jacob's anguish. Even Isaac our father's many tears soaked the soil of the pit Yosef was in and watered him in the barren land of his entire period of exile.

When examining the portions accompanying Joseph, we can see that the Torah does not mention that Joseph spoke. The last words of Joseph were with the angel he met when going to see the welfare of his brothers: 'And he said, 'I seek my brothers, tell me, please, where they are grazing' (Genesis 37:16). From then, throughout the entire story of the sale and the episodes he went through, the Torah does not mention Joseph speaking, not even once. The first recorded conversation is with Potiphar's wife, where he explains to her: 'and how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against Hashem' (Genesis 39:9). When he does speak, he mentions Hashem in his words.

From then on, there's another silence until he is hurriedly brought to Pharaoh's house to solve his dreams, and then he says: 'And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; Hashem shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.' (Genesis 41:16). Again, Joseph mentions Hashem.

This is the intention of the Torah: 'And his master saw that Hashem was with him, and that Hashem made all that he did to prosper in his hand' (Genesis 39:3), writes Rashi: 'because Hashem was with him - he regularly mentioned the name of Hashem.' When Hashem's name is frequently on one's lips, it's likely that the follow-up 'And that which he did, Hashem prospered in his hand' is natural and understandable.

This is Yosef, and this is the secret of his success. We learned a great lesson from Yosef – turning every fall into new growth.