Vayeshev: Crying Out to Hashem, and to Hashem Only
Parshat Vayeishev - Reuven, as the oldest brother, didn't want to take a chance, so he "rescued" Yosef from their hand. Instead of rescuing Yosef...
Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand…And Reuven said, "Shed no blood! Throw him into this pit in the wilderness (Bereishit 37:21–22).
The above passages don't seem at all logical. Yosef (Joseph) was at the mercy of his brothers – they might have killed him, and yet might not have. Reuven, as the oldest brother, didn't want to take a chance, so he "rescued" Yosef from their hand. Instead of rescuing Yosef, however, Reuven threw his brother into a pit full of snakes and scorpions. Halachically speaking, a pit full of snakes and scorpions is considered certain death, even worse than being thrown into a den of lions (see Shulchan Oruch, Even HaEzer 17:29). How can the Torah call this a rescue?
Reb Natan of Breslev writes (Likutei Halachot, Yorah Deah, Orla 3:16) that a son or daughter of Israel should never despair, even if he or she has committed the worst sin in the Torah, for Hashem's mercy and compassion are without limits. Therefore, no matter what happens to us until the end of time, we should never lose hope, even if a sharp sword rests on our neck, Heaven forbid. Crying out to Hashem from the inner depths of one's soul is beneficial not only before a harsh decree, but even after a harsh decree has been issued. As such, one should never stop crying out to Hashem, and to Hashem only.
Rav Shalom Arush, shlita, explains that Reuven knew that Yosef was a tzaddik with complete faith in Hashem. He knew that the instant that Yosef would be exposed to the poisonous snakes and scorpions, he'd pierce the Heavens with his prayers to Hashem. Reuven also knew that Yosef would cry out with every last ounce of his physical, emotional, and spiritual strength; Hashem would answer such prayers, and would surely rescue Yosef. Yet, Reuven wasn't fully confidant how his brother Yosef would perform in a test of faith against his brothers. Would Yosef bend under pressure, plead and grovel before his brothers? Would he beg for his life, as is they were responsible for his fate? (Garden of Emuna, chapter one.)
Reuven was concerned that if Yosef would depend on logic in the slightest and appeal to the mercy of his brothers, then his complete faith in Hashem might be compromised. Since complete faith enhances a person's chances to be saved from any peril, a breach in faith is the gravest danger of all. Therefore, in order to be saved, Yosef had to cry out to Hashem and to Hashem only.
With Hashem's loving guidance, the following parable will help us understand the difference between crying out to Hashem and between appealing to flesh-and-blood:
Chaim Yankel was a prankster and a loafer that was allergic to a day's work. His beady eyes were always searching for an easy way to make a few kopecks, honest or otherwise.
The village had received its first telegraph line. Now, the locals wouldn't have to wait an entire three weeks until their letters reached their destinations in Warsaw or Lvov. Telegrams reached their destinations the same day, and one could receive an answer within a few hours or a day at the most. The only problem was that the telegrams were very expensive; a mere ten-word telegram cost twenty times more than a stamp for a regular letter. As such, one would only find the wealthy merchants of the area in the telegraph office. The butchers, bakers, and wagon-masters couldn't afford such a luxury.
Chaim Yankel decided to open his own telegraph office. He set up shop in a dilapidated store front, and advertised that "Chaim Yankel's Thrifty Telegraph Service" would send any message to anywhere in Europe for a mere fifty kopecks for ten words, less than a quarter of the two-ruble per telegram price of the official telegraph agency. He posted a crooked-lined handwritten advertisement on the bulletin board of the local shtiebel, and the results were amazing. The next morning, a line of gullible people waited to take advantage of Chaim Yankel's new communications service.
The day he opened shop, Chaim Yankel made thirty rubles, more money than he normally made in two months. A day or two passed, and his initial customers returned, asking if answers had been received to their telegrams. But no one replied because there was no telegraph line! A week later, the angry customers chased Chaim Yankel with tar and feathers, to the delight of authentic postal clerk who couldn't stop laughing at the ignorance of those who believed in the "Chaim Yankel's Thrifty Telegraph Service".
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Crying out to Hashem is like sending a real telegram: The message always reaches its destination. Even though we may not be aware of it, our cries to Hashem merit a faster answer than any other appeal to help.
Seeking the help of flesh-and-blood in times of trouble is literally as ineffective as "Chaim Yankel's Thrifty Telegraph Service".
Like an official telegram, crying to Hashem may appear to be an expensive proposition, for it requires us to observe Hashem's commandments, but it's still the best bargain in town. For with prayer, a person gives a mere pittance but receives an entire fortune. Each of us have these God-given resources, we must choose to utilize them. May we always turn to Hashem and to Hashem only. Amen
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