Illogical

6 Teves 5782

“The land of Egypt is [open] before you; in the best of the land settle your father and your brothers. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen, and if you know that there are capable men among them, make them livestock officers over what is mine.” (Bereishis 46:6)

On the face of it, Pharaoh’s giving the prime land of Egypt, Goshen, to strangers was illogical. Logic would dictate that such an extraordinary grant would require long preparations, getting to know each other, negotiations, but here in the Parashah we find that Pharaoh gave it just like that. One might explain that this was due to Joseph’s position as the head of state and his tremendous foresight in Egyptian economic policy.

The commentators seem to support this explanation. They say that the reason why the news of Joseph’s brothers arrival pleased Pharaoh and his courtiers (Bereishis 45:16) was that they speculated, “If Joseph’s family also settles in Egypt he will have more of a stake in the country’s future” (Sforno, Rav Hirsch). This explanation seems rational only at first glance. When we dig a little deeper, we find that Pharaoh’s positive predisposition to Joseph in the first place stemmed only from Joseph’s previous irrational success, which was, as the Torah states clearly, only because “the Lord was with Joseph” (Bereishis 39:2).

“Trust in the Lord and do good; then will you abide in the land and be nourished by faith.” (Tehillim 37:3)

“Trust in the Lord and do good.” First we have to trust in Hashem, then we begin our own work. All our doing must be imbued with the realization that nothing we do down here can bring us more success than is determined for us in Shamayim. This doesn’t mean we should be lazy. We still have to “do good.”

“The self-styled separate being does not receive its vitality from the pnimiyut, the inner aspect of holiness, from its very essence and core but from its achorayim, its ‘hind-part,’ so to speak.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 6)

However, our work should never come at the expense of our learning or connection to Hashem, for this is what enables us to draw down blessings in the first place - from the “essence and core” of holiness, not its “hind-part.”