Parshas
Vayechi
What
Does the Fox Say?
By:
Daniel Listhaus
וַיֹּאמֶר
הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ
וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ
הַמִּטָּה
“And
he [Yaakov] said, 'Swear to me,' and he [Yosef] swore to him; and
Yisroel [i.e – Yaakov] prostrated himself toward the head of the
bed.”
-Vayechi
47:31
At
147 years old, Yaakov understood that his time on Earth was running
out. The Torah1
tells us that at this point he became concerned that Pharoah and the
Mitzriyim
(Egyptians)
would
give his family trouble when it would come time to taking Yaakov's
body out of Mitzrayim
(Egypt)
to bury in Ma'aras
Ha'machpeilah
(Cave of Machpeilah).2
He therefore called for Yosef who had the ability to act in order to
make sure that Yosef would take the responsibility to ensure that
there would be no issues.3
The Torah4
tells us that after Yosef swore to Yaakov that he would take care of
the burial, Yaakov bowed to Yosef. Rashi5,
quoting the Gemara6,
comments that when a fox is at his time of greatness, bow to him.
What
is the lesson that Rashi
here
is teaching us? Certainly Rashi
is
not teaching us that it is okay to “kiss up” to people in high
positions. Presumably, such a suggestion would be counter to the
Torah's perspective. The Orchos
Tzadikkim7
writes
that usually we are tasked to be humble, however when it comes to
standing up to people doing inappropriate things we do not hesitate
to firmly stay with the Torah and do whatever it takes to show that
we disagree. Furthermore, the Orchos
Tzadikkim8
writes
that to stay silent or to encourage such behavior is a form of
horrible flattery and is as if you are condoning the actions done.
So, clearly this expression of bowing to the fox at its time of power
cannot refer to where the fox is in a position he does not belong or
in a case where the fox is doing something improper, for in such
scenarios it would not be permissible to humble oneself. So, what is
this Rashi
telling
us? What does Yosef have to do with a fox in a position of power? And
why is it at this particular point that Yaakov bows to Yosef, as
opposed to when Yosef first enters into the room when Yaakov called
for him?
The
Gemara9
states that Rebbe Meir had 300 parables that he used to say, but now
we only have three. Rashi10
there combines the parables into one big one and describes it as
follows: There was once a
fox
who tricked a wolf into going into the local Jewish community on a
Friday and told him to try to help them prepare for Shabbos
and then join them for a meal. When the wolf entered the city, the
people began throwing sticks at it. The angry wolf returned to the
fox ready to kill it. However, the stealthy fox convinced the wolf
that he did not mean to set him up. In fact, the fox continued to
explain, the sticks being thrown should not be taken personally
because the reason why the people tried to hurt the wolf was because
of something that one of its ancestors did – that there was once a
time when the wolf's father also claimed to try to help out but ended
up eating all their food. The wolf asked the fox, “Could it really
be that I was beaten up for the sins of my father?” The fox
replied, “Yes”, and proceeded to quote a passuk
(verse).11
However, the fox continued, “I do know a place where you could get
plenty of food.” The fox led the wolf to a well which had two
buckets hanging over a beam attached to each other by a rope. The fox
jumped into one of the buckets and its weight took him down to the
bottom. The wolf called out, “Why did you just go down there?”
The fox replied that there was plenty of cheese and meat down in the
well and he showed him the reflection of the moon and told him it was
a delicious piece of cheese. The fox told the wolf that all he has to
do is jump into the bucket that was still hanging at the top of the
well. The wolf did so and in doing so its weight carried it down
while at the same time lifting the fox's bucket up. The fox then
jumped out to safety and while the wolf was screaming from the bottom
of the well, “How am I supposed to get out of here?!”, the fox
replied, “The righteous one is delivered from trouble and the
wicked one comes in his place.”12
The
Maharsha
explains
that in the first story the wolf represents a rasha
(wicked person) and really, when he went to the city to “help out”
on erev
Shabbos he
too was doing it with the same intention of his father before him who
instead of helping out with the preparations and then joining
together for the meal on Shabbos, wanted to steal the food early on
Friday itself.13
This, explains the Maharsha,
represents the rasha
who
would rather benefit from this world – symbolized by Friday, a
regular weekday – and not willing to hold back from desires and
ultimately get rewarded in olam
habbah – symbolized
by Shabbos.
Regarding
the second story, there is a difficulty which first must be cleared.
Why was the fox willing to jump into the bucket and be trapped at the
bottom of the well? How could it have been so sure that the wolf
would follow? The Maharsha
answers
that really the fox put a stone that was heavier than himself in the
other bucket, and then brought with it a stone of equal amount in its
own bucket, this way it would be able to be weighed down. This way,
in case the wolf would decide not to come, it would be able to just
throw its stone out, making his bucket weigh less than the other and
he would be lifted back up to safety. However, indeed once again the
wolf lured by pleasures of the world was willing to follow. As the
wolf jumped into the bucket, the fox threw away his stone and was
raised to the top of the well as the wolf was trapped below. This
demonstrates how tzadikkim
(righteous
people) have a yetzer
hara (evil
inclination) –
symbolized
by the rock – which they throw away in this world in order to be
able to be rise and enjoy olam
habbah.
The rasha,
though,
stays trapped down in the well lured by the physical attractions of
olam
hazeh.
Rav
Hai Gaon is quoted14
to offer yet another version of the fox parable being referenced by
the gemara.
He writes that there was once a lion which was about to attack a fox.
However. the fox reasoned to the lion, “How full do you think you
will be after you eat me? I'm a waste of your energy. Instead, come
with me and let me show you a person who you could eat that will
satisfy your hunger.” The lion followed but then told the fox that
he was too afraid to attack the innocent person because perhaps the
person will daven
and the lion will be killed. The fox calmed the lion by convincing
him that although it is true that the person has the power of
tefillah
(prayer),
in this particular case the tefillos
would not affect the lion or the lion's children. Rather, the lion's
misdeed would only start to have an effect on the lion's
grandchildren. The lion realized that it would indeed take a long
time for any suffering to kick in so he decided to go for the kill.
As the lion approached the man, it fell into a pit-trap which was
camouflage on the ground, covered with leaves and branches. As the
fox leaned over to take a look at the captured lion, the lion angrily
shouted at it, “I thought you promised that the punishment would
only affect my grandson?” The fox answered, “Indeed, what I said
was true. You were not captured because of what you just tried to do,
but rather for what your grandfather did.” When the lion said back
that that was not fair, the fox just retorted that he should have
thought about that earlier when he decided that it was okay to do
something that would only start to affect generations later. Like the
mashal
(parable) with the wolf, the lion too demonstrates its selfishness
and unwillingness to look into the future.15
The
mishna16
quotes
Rebbe Masya as saying, “Better be a tail to lions, and not be a
head to foxes.” The meforshim
(commentaries)17
explain that there is nothing better than to position oneself in the
company of great talmidei
chochimim where
you could learn a tremendous amount from just by being around and
watching their actions and listening to the advice they give.18
One could choose to instead be a leader of foxes, but such a person
would be short-selling himself because he cannot advance in his
learning. Rather such a person will merely stay the same or drop down
to the level of the pack he is leading. As the meforshim
explain,
at the end of the day, the tail of a lion is a lion, and the head of
a fox is a fox. If one is presented with the choice of accepting a
leadership position versus staying a student among talmidei
chochomim (Torah
scholars), it seems that remaining as the recipient of advise is
greater than becoming the giver of advice.
At
the same time, however, this must be balanced with yet another
teaching found in Pirkei
Avos.
The mishna19
quotes
one of Hillel's many mantra's that in a place where there are no
leaders, strive to be a leader. As Rashi20
points
out, if there are those around us who we could learn from we should
do so, but if there are no community leaders or people in niche
positions, then certainly one is tasked with filling the role.
What
better example of a fox is there than Yosef Ha'Tzaddik.
He remained pure despite his years spent as a slave, in jail, and as
a ruler of Mitzrayim.
He had the opportunity to do aveiros
(sins),
going down into wells with heavy stones. However, Yosef passed his
tests and threw the proverbial stone away and rose back up to safety
and greatness, leaving everyone else behind. These qualities of
perseverance and recognition of Hashem being behind a master plan is
precisely what B'nei
Yisroel required
to be down in Mitzrayim
first
in order to set the stage and example of how to raise a frum
and
kosher
home
in galus
(exile)
to
the extent of being able to raise children equivalent to shevatim
(tribes)
in
the house of Yaakov avinu!21
Yosef demonstrated in full color that despite what is going on
outside, the purity of the home and care for the future that parents
could have for their children and grandchildren are the only
necessary components needed to pass the torch to the next generation.
This is what Yaakov realized when discussing with Yosef the plans of
bringing his body out of Mitzrayim
and
into Eretz
Yisroel
– that because of Yosef setting the foundation in galus,
Yaakov is sure of the future geulah
(redemption)
to
Eretz
Yisroel.
During
our time in galus,
it has become more and more difficult for Jews to keep their
identity. Even those Jews who had been willing to throw most of
religion away except one or two ties to Judasim such as showing up to
shul
on
Rosh Hashanah
and Yom
Kippur,
may have thought they were doing themselves a favor, but where are
their grandchildren now?
The
Gemara22
relates that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, Rabbi Yehoshua,
and Rabbi Akiva were all once walking through Yerushalayim. When they
arrived to where the Beis
Hamikdash once
stood they witnessed a fox emerging from where the Kodesh
Hakadashim (Holy
of Holies)
used
to be. Immediately, three of the tannaim
started
crying. However, Rabbi Akiva started laughing. They asked Rabbi
Akiva, “Why are you laughing?” Rabbi Akiva countered with a
question of his own, “Why are you crying?” They answered, “What
do you mean why are we crying? Here is a place where if a non-Kohen
would walk, he would be put to death, and yet now foxes walk here,
and we should not cry?” Rabbi Akiva explained that the reasons he
was laughing was because now that he saw that the one nevuah
(prophecy)
was
fulfilled, he was comforted because that means that the other nevuah
will
come true as well. The nevuah
they
witnessed was that Yerushalayim will become heaps and the place where
the Beis
Hamikdash stood
will be like a forest.23
Rabbi Akiva though realized that just as the first nevuah
came
true, so too will the ones which describe the future happiness we
will experience during the era of Mashiach
and
the third Beis
Hamikdash..24
Upon hearing this, the Rabbis told Rabbi Akiva that with these words
he had succeeded in comforting them.
It
is interesting to point out though that the animal that was used to
symbolize the beginning of galus
with
its promising end of a geulah,
is
the fox in the Kodesh
Hakadashim.
Perhaps, with our explanation we could understand that the fox was
chosen to represent the minor leaders we are all tasked to be through
galus
in
ensuring that the mesorah
(tradition)
continues to the next generation.
Perek
Shirah25
records that the fox says, “Woe to him that builds his house
without righteousness and his attic without justice; he employs his
fellow with no wages, and will not pay him his due.”26
Perhaps beyond the conventional explanations offered for this passuk,
we could understand another tier of what the fox is saying. The fox
stresses the importance of establishing a house with righteousness,
and not chasing after desires like the wolf, by using others to
inappropriately get benefits. Just as the wolf and the wicked only
care about what they want, and are not willing to pay or wait, so too
will the wicked not be paid in olam
habbah,
like the wolf trapped at the bottom of the well.
Asarah
b'Teves is
no doubt an extremely sad day – the day that Nevuchadnetzar began
the siege of Yerushalayim. It was the beginning of what ultimately
led to the destruction of the first Beis
Hamikdash,
and we therefore fast even when it comes out on erev
Shabbos.
However, while it is definitely a time of reflection and mourning,
perhaps it is also a time to restart for the future with the lessons
of the fox in the Beis
Hamikdash that
there is another nevuah
which
promises an incredible and awesome geulah
(redemption)
in the near future. However, we must ensure that we are properly
passing down the mesorah
down
in a way that is not only for ourselves, but for the generations to
come. The job of the fox, as Yosef demonstrated, is to realize that
he is in charge of the future. The role model he chooses to be for
his family, friends, and community is vital in galus
to
ensure the continuation of the Jewish people.
May
Hashem help us take these ideas to heart and just as we experience
Asarah
b'Teves leading
straight into Shabbos this year, may we very soon experience the
galus
leading
into a time of geulah.
1Beraishis
47:29-30
2
It is referred to the cave of couples because of the several couples
which are buried there, This is where Adam and Chava were buried as
well as Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka, and Yaakov and Leah.
3See
Rashi Beraishis 47:29
4Beraishis
47:31
5Rashi
ibid.
6Megillah
16b
7Orchos
Tzadikkim: Sha'ar Ha'Gaivah
8Orchos
Tzadikkim: Sha'ar Ha'Chanifus
9Sanhedrin
39a
10Ibid.
11Yechezkel
18:2 “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth
are set on edge.”
12Mishlei
11:8. See Maharasha
who asks that according to
Rashi's explanation there seems to be only two parables and not
three.
13See
Gemara Berachos 7a which
discusses that a wicked person is “punished for the sins of his
father” when he follows in the same path.
14See
Teshuvos Ha'Gaonim by Rabbi
Yaakov Musafyah (section
30)
15This
is contrary to the fox, who is a wise creature and has the future in
mind. Similarly we find in Koheles (2:14) – “The wise man
has eyes in his head, but the fool goes in the darkness”
16Avos
4:20
17See
Rashi, Rambam, Rabbeinu Yonah, and
others.
18See
also Avos 1:4
19Avos
2:6
20Ibid.
21See
Beraishis 48:5 and Rashi
there.
22Makkos
24b
23Michah
3:12 See Tosfos
Makkos 24b as to why it is
referred to the Nevuah of
Oriyah if it is in Michah
24Zecharyah
8:1-5
25Perek
Shirah Chapter 5
26Yirmiyahu
22:13.
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