Weekly Torah from Jewish Everything. Net

A Thought On Parshas MiKetz

"...va'yomer el'eihem Yosef ba'yom ha'shlishi..."
"...and Yosef told them on the third day..." (42:18)

After holding his brothers prisoner, Yosef, maintaining his disguise, released them on the third day. One must wonder what his thinking was, waiting for three days before freeing them. Moreover, one must ask why the Torah sees fit to mention this detail of "three days."

The Rambam (commentary on Megillas Esther 5:1) writes that we first find this transitional interval of three days at the akeida of Yitzchak (22:4), when HaShem ordered Avraham to travel with Yitzchak, and then reveals the destination to him on the third day. Subsequently, we find mention of three days as the turning point in other events which started off tense or frightening, and then are granted relief or reversal of circumstance. This occurs at Shechem (34:25), at Sinai (Shmos 19:16), within the whale (Yona 2:2) and in Shushan (Esther 5:1).

This principle of Divine mercy for the righteous being manifest after three days was a sod known to our great leaders and patriarchs. Yosef had known of this tradition as well. In his designing a strategy for addressing his brothers, he sought to follow the patterns which are apparent to us in our experiencing the Ways of HaShem ka'va'yachol. This tradition guided his plan in how to handle the situation with his contrite and confused brothers.

He held them in suspense and uncertainty but, in approximating the Ways of HaShem in His addressing the righteous among our people, Yosef needed to facilitate that same transition after three days. This may have paved the way for his brothers to realize that there were no coincidences in their plight, but rather that there was Divine involvement. Moreover, it was essential that Yosef in his own right remain within the structure and protocol which HaShem wishes us to emulate. When salvation is granted the righteous after three days, this is a clue that there is focused Divine hashgacha.

The Rosh offers a depth perspective on this construct. Throughout our history, we have seen signs that, despite the strife and stress which besets the world, HaShem looks after the righteous. The lives of Avraham, of Yitzchak, of Yakov and later the lives of Eliahu and the prophets and pious of our nation, have been graced with Divine protection, or Divine intervention.

In turn, our greatest leaders have emulated that protective stance in their guiding our people during times of hardship. The paragon for this selfless caring was Yosef. He looked out for those in need. Moreover, he planned carefully in assuring the welfare of his brothers, even during their times of conflict, as we see from our verse. Yosef protected his brothers, and he intervened on their behalf in ways which were deft and concealed yet were nonetheless in the manner of imitatio Dei.

That reality, says the Rosh, is captured by Dovid HaMelech in Tehillim 80:2 - "Roeh Yisroel, ha'azina! Noheg ka'tzon Yosef..." Oh Shepherd of Israel, guide the flock as did Yosef." Dovid HaMelech makes one of his occasional reverse comparisons, as if asking HaShem to imitate the goodly acts of a good person (compare "k'rachem av al banim" in Tehillim 103:13 and in our prayers, where we "ask" HaShem to have compassion on us in the way which a father has pity on his children!) Yosef is cited by Dovid HaMelech as the model for how Jews were lead with compassion, caring and mercy and he asks that HaShem do the same.

Yosef paved the way for future leaders to intuit the forms of care and compassion which HaShem wants for us. He was both an exemplar of how HaShem wants us to treat our fellow Jews, and of how we long for HaShem to treat us.

Good Shabbos. D Fox