Treasuring Responsibility

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircsa.org)

Parshas Vayeishev begins with the enigmatic episode of the sale of Yosef. Chazal teach us that all of Yaakov’s sons were righteous. It follows that their decision to kill or sell Yosef could not have been fueled by jealousy and barbarism as the verses imply. How can we understand this episode, and what lesson can we learn from it?

Chazal tell us that the brothers decided to kill Yosef based on legitimate halachic considerations. They determined that Yosef had the status of a rodef (one who is attempting murder), and they were obligated to kill him according to Torah law. Chazal tell us that even HaKadosh Baruch Hu approved of their decision.

However, as the brothers were about to execute Yosef, Yehuda stepped forward and saved his life. He said, “What gain will we have if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” This seems strange—if the brothers were acting lawfully, why was Yehuda trying to dissuade them? He himself was on the very same beis din (court of law) that had determined that Yosef was a rodef!

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz finds the answer within Rashi. When Yehuda argued against covering up his brother’s blood, Rashi says that Yehuda was not arguing over the implementation of the ruling. Rather, he was bothered about their concealment of Yosef’s execution from Yaakov. Rav Chaim explains: because they were afraid to stand behind their ruling, they were unwilling to take full responsibility for it. Yehuda was arguing that a ruling for which they would not take full responsibility must not be carried out. Therefore, he advised that they let Hashem be the final arbiter of the matter, and not be the ones to implement the death penalty.

Rav Chaim concludes that we can learn from here the importance of responsibility. A person who is not accountable for his actions cannot be not a functioning member of society. Rabbi Shimon ben Nesanel teaches (Avos 2:9) that one must keep the most distance from living like “one who takes a loan but does not pay it back.” Such a path is one of ignoring responsibility.

On the other hand, the Tosefta (Berachos 4) teaches, “Why was Yehuda fitting for kingship? Because he said ‘What gain will we have if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?’” We see that one who takes responsibility is fit for kingship. It was Yehuda’s responsibility that qualified him for greatness.

We can appreciate this further by noting that Yosef, too, merited becoming a ruler due to this trait. When Potiphar’s wife tried to entice Yosef to sin with her, he rebuffed her by listing the responsibilities he had to her husband and to Hashem. The Gemara (Sotah 36b) adds that Yosef saw his father’s image, and it helped him restrain himself. We can say that the responsibility of embodying his family values gave him the power to resist one of a man’s most challenging tests.

It turns out that responsibility is a source of strength. Most of us, though, try to avoid responsibility, fearing that we will be overburdened. How, then, can we get empowered by our responsibilities?

Perhaps we can find an answer in Rav Yechezkel Levenstein’s eulogy for the Brisker Rav. While the Chazon Ish was alive, explained Rav Levenstein, everybody came to him with their questions and problems. The great Brisker Rav would also bring questions to him. When the Chazon Ish passed away, he left behind a great void. Who would answer the Jewish people’s questions? The Brisker Rav realized that he had an obligation to do his best to take on the incredible burden of all Jewry. Rav Levenstein believed that it was this decision that allowed the Brisker Rav to become even greater than he already was.

Rav Levenstein adds that we can learn from the Brisker Rav that if we resolve to take on responsibility for others, we will be surprised to discover great powers within ourselves that we never knew we possessed.

The Chanukah story shows that Hashem can grant even superhuman strength to those who take responsibility. Rav Reuven Fine says that the only way the Maccabim could have fought a world power such as the Greeks with so few soldiers was because they felt responsible to uphold the Torah. Despite their lack of numbers, weapons, and physical strength, they prevailed over the greatest empire of the era in an openly miraculous fashion. Josephus writes that the Jews were invincible—they suffered no casualties on the battlefield! Imagine how much we could be assisted in our own lives, if only we would fulfill our responsibilities energetically instead of viewing them as a nuisance.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz brings an example of this from the Talmud Yerushalmi (Bikkurim 3). It states that one is forgiven for all his sins when he marries. Why should this be so? Rav Chaim explains that when a person takes on a new responsibility, to care for another human being, Hashem assists him in his task. By taking away his sins, the chassan can now embark on his life’s work together with his kallah with a clean slate. This peace of mind makes his new responsibilities easier to handle.

Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel served as a clear demonstration of the above principle. He struggled with the pain and limitations of Parkinson’s disease, yet he kept to his regular schedule of in-depth shiurim. He knew most of the bachurim in his yeshivah by name. He worried about every single bachur like they were his own children—even though they numbered in the thousands! In addition to this, he built the Mir into the biggest yeshivah in the world. Rav Nosson Tzvi’s lifework was all the more extraordinary in that it was achieved while suffering from Parkinson’s disease. No one would have argued if he had stepped down and passed on his burden to others, yet he took full responsibility for his yeshivah until his final day. His awe-inspiring mesiras nefesh was surely a reason why he merited such great siyatta d’Shmaya.

May we be zocheh to take on responsibility, and bring out our true greatness!