Parshas Vayeishev
Chaos Theory or Control Reality?
By: Daniel Listhaus
“They sat to eat food; they raised their eyes and they saw, behold! - a caravan of Yishmaeilim was coming from Gillad, and their camels were bearing spices, and balsam, and birthwort – on their way to bring them down to Egypt.”
-Vayeishev 37:25
The Torah1 tells us that Yaakov loved Yosef more than all his other sons. It is hard for us to understand how Yaakov could make this extra love so apparent in front of Yosef's brothers by doing things such as making a special garment – the kesones pasim – for him. After all, Yaakov himself grew up in a house of sibling rivalry and should have certainly realized the type of danger he was putting Yosef in. Yet, as if this was not enough, Yosef seems to go out of his way to make the tension even worse. When Yosef dreamt about his brothers bowing down to him, he told it over to them multiple times2. Despite the additional hatred which Yosef seemed to have caused between him and his brothers, it does not appear that even this was the reason for all of the troubles which were soon to come to him3.
The passuk4 says, “...And Yosef would bring evil reports about them (his brothers) to their father.” Rashi5 there explains that Yosef made three accusations against his brothers. He claimed to have seen his brothers eating eiver min ha'chai6 (a limb from a live animal), degrading the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah7, and having immoral relations. Rashi continues to comment that it was because of these three evil reports Yosef told Yaakov that caused him to be be thrown into a series of unfortunate events. The shevatim killed a goat to dip Yosef's clothing into its blood, as to deceive Yaakov and say that Yosef was devoured by a wild animal. This was a middah k'neged middah (measure for measure) punishment for his accusal of the shevatim eating eiver min ha'chai. Rashi then explains that because of his telling Yaakov that the shevatim would mistreat the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, Yosef himself was sold as a slave. Lastly, Yosef's claim that the brothers had immoral relations resulted in the later episode with the wife of Potifar, at which point Yosef himself was framed for such a thing.
When the brothers sold Yosef as a slave, the Torah8 seems to go out of its way to describe the type of merchandise that the caravan happened to have been carrying – nice smelling spices. Rashi9 comments that even though the Arabs were known to always be transporting foul smelling petroleum, this particular caravan which Yosef was going to end up on, happened to have been carrying nice-smelling spices. From here, Rashi says that we see the reward of the righteous.
This Rashi is very difficult to understand. From here we see the reward for the righteous? Yosef was in the middle of being punished! He was being sold as a slave. The last thing on his mind was what the back of an Arab caravan smelled like. Why was it so important that the Arabs be carrying these spices, and how does Rashi see the reward for the righteous from here?
A very similar question could be asked later in the parsha by the third middah k'neged middah punishment that Yosef received. After the episode with eishes Potiphar (wife of Potiphar), Yosef ended up in jail. One could imagine that such an event would make it to the headlines of The Egyptian Times, The Royal Daily, and The Sphinx Speaks. However, not long after the event, the Torah10 relates that the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim got into trouble by Paroah. A fly was found in the king's cup, and a pebble was found in his bread. For this, both the Sar HaMashkim and the Sar HaOfim found themselves in the same prison that Yosef was in. Rashi11 states that the reason these occurrences happened to the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim was because people had been gossiping about the story of Yosef and eishes Potiphar. In order to prevent Yosef from being the center of discussion, Hashem caused this royal scandal to take place.
Let us think about this for a moment. Yosef was just put in jail after making an embarrassing escape from the house of Potiphar. Jails then were not as they are today. Someone put into an Egyptian jail could certainly not expect to live long in the cramped disgusting conditions it had to offer. Yosef's life was on the line, and he had no communication with the outside world. Did he really care that his name almost made it to the headlines? He most definitely did not even receive the local newspaper while in jail. Yet, it sounds from Rashi that the reason the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim were put in jail was to redirect the spotlight away from Yosef. What is the point of Hashem involving Himself in this world and literally changing history in order to appease Yosef in ways which Yosef probably did not care too much about, considering his situation?
The Derech Hashem12 writes that the world we live in is so complicated and intricate that it is extremely difficult for man to even begin to grasp the general concepts Hashem uses when directing the world, and impossible to understand the details. There are so many cheshbonos (calculations) which must be considered. Everything that happens to a person could really be divided into two general categories: means and ends. Some times, Hashem puts us into situations which we are supposed to be in to accomplish our missions. Other times, we might find ourselves in a situation which is only there to lead us to yet another. Yet, this is only one dimension of the complicated world we live in. Now, add in one other person into the world and suddenly the whole equation becomes more complex. Some of your ends might be a necessary means for someone else. Multiply this exponentially by the seven-billion people in the world13 and we start getting a little better of an idea. However it does not even stop here. Next, one must consider the concept of gilgulim (reincarnation) and the specific types of situations which must be set up for a gilgul to finish its tasks. Then we must take into account the fact that Hashem uses this world to punish and reward us for certain things we have done.
These are only five of the most basic dimensions built into the incredible world we live in. Each person has a unique role in the world, and it is of utmost importance that each individual is given exactly the correct life settings, environments, talents, and interactions with others necessary for one to be able to achieve one's tasks. The fact that Hashem is not only the borei (creator), but also the manhig (director) is a fundamental belief of Judaism14. Hashem literally conducts the most intricate symphony – a seven-billion person orchestra – with countless parts and pieces. This is done with no mistakes. We believe that Hashem directs in an absolute perfect way. This is the meaning of the mishna in Sanhedrin15 which states that every person is obligated to declare, “The universe was created for my sake”. Hashem watches over the world and directs it with both general and individual providence. Every single thing we do and everything that happens to us are all part of a master plan. When we “flap our butterfly wings” in one place, it is not only based on a means or an end that we are meant to be in, but simultaneously based on the effects necessary for other people – near and far – to deliver various people the situations that they are supposed to find themselves in.
The next time you are driving down the highway stuck in traffic because of everyone rubber-necking to look at an accident, take a moment to think. What is the probability that these two cars happened to have crashed into each other? Imagine if one of them would have left his house a second later because of a sneeze, it might have ultimately made a difference between making that green light or red light at the end of the block. There are countless events Hashem puts into place to create the most complicated cause and effect system in the universe.
This idea is often referred to as the Chaos Theory. However, the truth is that it is anything but that. In our eyes events seem random, incomprehensible, or part of nature – defining the future as a product of chaos. Really, though, everything is in perfect control with Hashem directing middah k'neged middah absolutely perfect individual and general providence.
With this understanding, perhaps we could now comprehend why Hashem caused the Arab caravan to be carrying nice-smelling spices on that particular day, and why the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim found themselves in the situations they did to take away the headlines from Yosef. After the brothers decided to sell Yosef, Hashem did not allow the chaos theory to take effect and just let the future play out. There is a unique mission for each person and a specific environment one is supposed to be in. These calculations are exact to even the most seemingly minor details, such as what type of spices a caravan is carrying when being sold as a slave, or what the country is talking about while one is in jail.
At the end of this week's parsha, the Torah16 relates the story of Yosef interpreting the dreams of the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim. Yosef said that the Sar HaMashkim would be released from jail in three days, whereas the Sar HaOfim would be hanged. After interpreting the dreams, Yosef asked the Sar HaMashkim, “When Paroah will return you to your post...and you will do me a kindness if you please and...mention me to Paroah, then you would get me out of this building.”17 However, as the Torah tells us a few passukim later, “Yet the Sar HaMashkim did not remember Yosef, and he forgot him.”18 Rashi19 explains that because Yosef depended on the Sar HaMashkim to release him from prison, Yosef was punished with an additional two years of imprisonment.
On the surface, one could ask that Yosef did nothing wrong. He was in jail and was doing all in his power to get out. Is there something wrong with that? He had a “get out of jail free card” and decided to play it. This is a reason for Yosef to be imprisoned for another two years? He was redeeming himself from jail! He had the rare chance of doing the mitzvah of pidyon shvuyim (redeeming prisoners) for himself. Why was Yosef punished?
With everything we have said so far, perhaps this story is now much clearer. Yosef HaTzadik was someone on a tremendously high spiritual level and was extremely close to Hashem. He should have realized the preciseness of Hashem's plan which had been with him until this point, and applied it to his current situation as well. Is it possible that the Hashem who had made the Arabs happen to be carrying nice-smelling spices, and who brought the Sar HaMashkim and Sar HaOfim to jail to distract people from talking about Yosef, not have a detailed plan as to how and when Yosef would be released from jail? Someone as righteous as Yosef should have placed himself completely in Hashem's hands with full bitachon and not worry about what the next step would be.
We must keep in mind Hashem's precise general and individual providence. There is no such thing as the Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory is a caconym, it should be called Control Reality. This world is operating on so many interrelated dimensions in order to ensure that every individual be put into the environment he or she needs to be in, according to Hashem's master plan.
With this realization, let us hope to achieve the level of, “Fortunate is the man who has placed his reliance upon Hashem, and has not turned to the arrogant ones.”20
1Beraishis 37:3
2He told his brothers after having both dreams. Additionally, when he told the dream to Yaakov, Rashi (Beraishis 37:8) says that it was again in the presence of his brothers.
3The Peirush Ha'Rosh explains that Yosef had to tell his brothers his dream because his dreams were considered to be nevuos (prophecies) and a navi (prophet) who does not say his nevuah is chayav meesah (subject to death penalty).
4Beraishis 37:2
5Ibid.
6This is something that even b'nei Noach (non-Jews) are prohibited from doing.
7The maidservants of Rachel and Leah.
8Beraishis 37:25
9Ibid.
10Beraishis 40:1
11Ibid.
12Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lazatto, Derech Hashem, 2:3:1-12
13To be exact: 6,981,339,492 according to the U.S Census Bureau .
14This is the first of the Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith
15Sanhedrin 4:5
16Beraishis 40:8-19
17Beraishis 40:14
18Beraishis 40:23
19Ibid.
20Tehillim 40:5, brought by Rashi in Beraishis 40:23
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