פרשת וישב
This week’s Parsha opens with the verse telling us how Yaakov dwelled in the land of his fathers. Rashi brings a very enigmatic Midrash which says the that when the verse tells us that Yaakov dwelled there, it was telling us that Yaakov just wanted to settle down to a peaceful life of learning Torah. But instead, Hashem brought about the entire episode with Yosef in order to show Yaakov that his peaceful existence which he envisioned was not meant to be. The Midrash goes on to say that Hashem commented, “Is it not enough that the righteous are promised eternal bliss in the afterworld that they also try to have a nice life in this world?”
This Midrash requires explanation. Certainly Yaakov’s only desire for a peaceful existence was in order that he should be able to learn Torah and do God’s will without being disturbed. Was this such a terrible request that he deserved the heartrending incidents which were to follow?
R’ Leib Chasman offers a very interesting explanation of this strange Midrash. He explains that a person must realize that every situation that he is placed in is, by definition, the best possible situation he can be in because God put him there. To attempt to look for ways to enjoy this world excessively is, in a certain sense, a denial of God’s ability to run the world. The Alshich Hakadosh explains this concept in further detail. He says that had Yaakov merely wanted to have a peaceful life, it would not have been a problem, but the fact that he went and asked for it was problematic. Yaakov was on a lofty enough level that he should have realized that Hashem wanted him to work under not such comfortable circumstances and should not have tried to remove these unpleasant circumstances, recognizing that this was God’s will.
R’ Chaim Shmuelevitz would also expound on this point. He used to say that very often we find a person who seems to have all of his needs met in this world, yet he continues to look for ways to improve his lifestyle. R’ Chaim would say about such a person a very scary statement. He would say that although such a person may be successful in enjoying every comfort that this world has to offer, he should just be aware that these comforts come at the expense of his enjoyment in the world to come! R’ Chaim would bring a Midrash to buttress these strong words. The Midrash in Shmos Rabbah, (52;3) says that there was an incident with R’ Shimon Bar Yochai in which one of his students went out to Chutz L’aretz in order to try to eek out a living for his family. When this pupil returned he was extremely wealthy and living very comfortably. When all the other students saw how dramatically their lifestyles could be improved, they too requested permission from their Rebbe to go outside of Israel to seek their fortune. R’ Shimon responded in a fascinating way. He brought them all out to a certain valley and he began to pray. When he finished they all opened their eyes and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The valley, which had been empty a few moments ago, was now filled with gold and silver as far as the eye could see. The students were about to run out as fast as they could to gather this unimaginable treasure. R’ Shimon however warned them by saying, “You are welcome to take whatever you like, but just know that whoever partakes of this treasure is eating out of his portion in the world to come! R’ Chaim concluded his proof as follows: Clearly all the students who remained in Israel with their Rebbe were “making it”, otherwise they too would have gone to Chutz L’aretz. So any gold that they would have accrued would have been extravagance. It comes out from this Midrash, that whoever enjoys the luxuries of this world without justification diminishes his lot in the afterworld.
Obviously on our level, we are not expected to live with the bare necessities, but how does one reach this level of being happy with the minimal amount that he needs to survive? R’ Chaim would offer a practical piece of advice in order to help us reach this lofty level. The Gemorah in Nedarim (50a) relates how R’ Akiva married the daughter of the rich and powerful Kalba Savua. At that time R’ Akiva was just a simple shepherd and when Kalba Savua heard about the proposed marriage, he warned his daughter Rachel angrily that if she were to go through with the marriage, he would disown her permanently. But she, being the incredibly wise girl that she was, foresaw the potential in the seemingly simple shepherd and married him anyway. During their first years, they had it really rough. Due to their poor financial situation, they were forced to sleep in a bed of hay at the back of a stable with the horses. This was obviously a big step down, especially for Rachel who had grown up in the house of Kalba Savua. One night Eliyahu Hanavi appeared to them as a beggar and knocked on the door of their stable asking if perhaps they could spare a bit of hay because he had none. R’ Akiva turned to his wife and said, “You see how lucky we are, there are those even less fortunate then ourselves who can’t even afford some hay”. The Ran explains that Eliyahu purposely appeared to them at this time in order to comfort them slightly and generate in them a feeling of gratitude for their blessings. R’ Chaim concluded his profound lecture by saying that this Gemorah is teaching us a fundamental understanding in happiness. A person must always be looking at what he has, and not at what he doesn’t have, and must always be aware that there are those less fortunate then him, and only this will give him peace and inner bliss.
Perhaps we could conclude with the powerful Mishna in Avos (6:4). The Mishna says, “This is the way of Torah, eat bread and salt, drink small amounts of water, sleep on the floor, live a life of discomfort, and make sure to toil in Torah and if you do these things, you will have a fantastic life in this world, and the next”. This Mishna is teaching us two poignant lessons. Firstly, that the only way to be successful in Torah and to acquire large amounts of Torah, is by subsisting on meager means, and not partaking of too many luxuries. And the second message is even more ironic. When one limits his pleasures in this world, ironically, his sojourn here is actually much more pleasant. Why is this true? We know that no one dies in this world with even half of his desires fulfilled. So if one spends his entire life pursuing physical pleasure and financial comfort, it is like he is chasing a rainbow which can never be reached. There is nothing more frustrating than chasing an unattainable goal. Furthermore his life is consumed with jealousy and passions for those things, which is a very unpleasant feeling. However, if he lives a life in which he is committed to not pursuing these things, and has decided to be happy with his lot, none of these things like business reversals and failed ventures can irk him because he is completely impervious to them. He has chosen a life in which he is not susceptible to the unpleasant feelings like jealousy and frustration. It comes out that indeed, such a person has a great life not only in the next world, but in this one as well.
May Hashem help us to reach this level of happiness with our lots and thereby give us a great life in this world, and the next!