Fox

8 Teves 5782

“And he said, “Swear to me. " So he swore to him, and Israel prostrated himself on the head of the bed.” (Bereishis 47:31)

Jacob (Israel) bowed to Joseph. Rashi brings an explanation from Talmud Megillah for this. “[Although the lion is king] when it is the time of the fox, bow down to him.” Although Jacob was in a position of superiority over his son Joseph, he nonetheless recognized when it was Joseph’s time to lead and gave him the appropriate respect.

“The most noble of the nations are gathered, the nation of the G-d of Abraham; for the protectors of the earth belong to G-d; He is greatly exalted.” (Tehillim 47:10)

Pirkei Avot 4:3 states, “Do not scorn any man, and do not discount any thing. For there is no man who has not his hour, and no thing that has not its place.” No Jew is too “small” to discount. Every person has his time, every object its place. The whole world was created by G-d. By honoring His creations, especially those of “the nation of the G-d of Abraham,” we honor him directly, making him “greatly exalted.” Every Jew is precious and has his time and place in Hashem’s grand design. No matter our current position, we must keep in mind that “when it is the time of the fox” we must “bow down to him.”

“When one eats and drinks in the abovementioned manner, then the vitality of the meat and the wine which originated in kelipat nogah is then extracted from the evil and ascends to G-d like a burnt offering and sacrifice.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, beginning of Chapter 7)

See how precious is every Jew. Every Jew elevates the minute traces of good found in creation by merely directing his animal soul towards holiness. Without him, countless hidden sparks of holiness would lie dormant in physical creation. “All Israel have a share in the World To Come, as it is stated (Isaiah 60:21): ‘And Your people are tzadikkim (righteous).’ They shall inherit the land forever. They are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which I take pride.” (Sanhedrin 90a)