Providence for $1200 - Daily Double: Parasha Vayechi, Genesis 47:28-50:26

Every Friday afternoon I would visit Ethel in her home, a feisty 96 year old Jewish woman who was a pleasure to be with but even more so to know.  One Monday morning I received a call from my office that at the request of Ethel’s son, Brian, asking me to go see Ethel, who upon my arrival was in bed with her eyes closed and had labored breathing.  After a few moments Brian looked at me for words of comfort, yet the words that came out of my mouth were, "Brian is there anything you need to say to your mom?   Once he finished whispering in his mom’s ears, maybe within five minutes, Ethel breathed her last breath and quietly passed away.  After a bit I asked Brian what he said that made his mom pass so quickly? Brain simply said, “I apologized” with no details, details that I felt no need to know.  While this may be viewed as an underlying forgiveness issue forgiveness is never a one way street; making amends for a wrong, by you or against you, or even an apology of empathy.  But I think it was about their mutual contentment to accept that it was Ethel's time to leave this physical world, but as we shall see contentment has a partner.  

In this final parasha of Genesis, Vayechi, Joseph makes a comment that can only come from a place of contentment.  We know in the past that Joseph swore loyalty to his brother’s despite everything (see Gen. 45:5), and this week we learn that after their father dies (Gen. 49:33) the brothers are still burdened that Joseph may avenge what happened to him (Gen. 50:15-18).  In response to his brothers Joseph simply says, “Have no fear! Am I a substitute for God?  Besides, although you intended me harm, God intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people. And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your dependents.” (Gen. 50:19-21).  Tradition teaches that Joseph recognized what happened was according to the hand of Divine providence, so per Rashi Joseph says to his brothers, “How can I do you harm?” But was that about obligatory forgiveness or some type of found contentment?  Remember, Joseph lived in what he called a land of affliction.
  
A Midrash (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael) teaches “'do not hate your brother in your heart.’ And of Joseph it is written (Gen. 50:21), ‘he counseled them and he spoke to their hearts.’”  As far as Joseph was concerned his brother’s t’shuvah (repentance) was complete; their ambivalence was now between themselves and God.  Joseph was looking beyond that moment or how else could he, with conviction, utter the words “although you intended me harm, God intended it for good.” This is a statement about providence, or everything happens for a reason. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto in his “The Way of God,” writes extensively on this idea of providence, saying that “all things created” either “above or below” is needed to further “the purpose of creation as a whole.”  R’Luzzatto goes on to say that while the providence of God in creation is set, i.e. leaves fall off the trees in Autumn and grow back in the spring, for the human race the providence of God is tied into their “given free will and the ability to involve itself with both perfection and deficiency.” Joseph chose the former, he wanted to be a part of the solution so to speak, believing that the providence of God in his situation led to his own “Contentment of mind [that] surpasses riches.” 

Likewise, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks seeing Shemot (the book of Exodus) on the horizon questions the providence of God and Israel’s future in light of this shaky brotherly relationship.  R'Sacks asks "if brothers cannot live together, how can nations," which leads to his conclusion, “only now, with the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers can the story of Israel [truly begin]."  Joseph elected the road of perfection (ala R’Luzzatto) that had everything to do with tomorrow instead of yesterday because he could, he was already passed his hurt and pain and now it was about his family and the future of Israel.  Yet, in his today, Joseph found contentment in the midst of life even though things did not go according to design, enabling himself to say to his brothers, "God intended it for good."  This was no obligated sense of duty more so than the words of a man who recognized the providence of the Divine and was content with his world.
  
The Sim Shalom prayer of the Amidah in the Sim Shalom Siddur interprets the Hebrew word uv’v-racha, or blessing as “contentment,” which makes sense; if a person feels blessed they will feel contentment.  In part, parasha Vayechi is asking us the same question; can we speak words of providence and therefore be content like Joseph?  That tandem fueled his desire to bless his family as part of God's plans, or the Universe if that fits your world view better, because he was not a prisoner to the past and enthusiastically welcomed the future.   What on earth does this have to do with Ethel?  Well, in the same way Joseph could only move on and embrace God’s providence after he heard the healing words of his brothers, the same was so with Ethel.  Ethel needed to hear the words that her son Brain spoke, words that allowed Ethel to journey in one direction while Brian traveled in another, both finding contentment in their next steps but never far apart.  Either in life or death or even work or play; Providence and its Contentment - the Daily Double!

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Adam