 |
 Judaism
has always maintained that a strong family life is the most
important ingredient in creating and sustaining a person
of character and integrity. The Torah spends an entire book
detailing the family life of our founders so we can learn
from their examples and at times, even learn from their
mistakes. If we are fortunate the lessons learned from our upbringing will be
so strong that they shape and guide us throughout our life.
There is no better example of this than that of Yosef. Joseph
left home, never to return, at the tender age of 17 under
the most tragic of circumstances. Yet despite being sold
as a slave into captivity he so impresses his master, that
he is soon put in charge of running the household of a prominent
Egyptian officer. The painful memories of the cruel treatment
he received at the hands of his brothers is something he
no doubt tries to blot out of his mind. In fact he makes
no effort to contact his aging father a sure sign that he
has every intention of starting a fresh life in his new
land. While he forgets the past, the moral traits instilled
in him at home remain thankfully a part of him. He is thus
able to reject the sexual advances of his masters’ wife. Our sages tell us that Yosef was willing and perhaps even eager to succumb as he came home early to do “his work”. What prevented him from doing so, our sages teach was the image of his father that appeared to him at that moment. The vividness of the image and its voice of morality that it projected, (and who knows when it last appeared) allowed Yosef to retain his place amongst the Bnei Yisroel.
Joseph did, however, have to pay the price for his attempt at sinning. Falsely accused of harassment, Yosef is imprisoned. Through a “lucky break” Yosef is given an opportunity to act as a “sleep therapist” for Pharaoh an opportunity he uses to full advantage. Pharaoh is so impressed by his recommendations that he immediately appoints him Viceroy and interestingly, marries him to Poti-Phera a scion of a prominent family and they have two children. Yet the Torah deviates from its norm and does not mention the birth of the children at this point, but first tells us that there were seven years of plenty and that Joseph was accumulating the excess food in preparation for the eventual downturn in the economy. Only at this point, in the midst of Joseph’s busy schedule are we told of the birth of his children.
The Torah, it seems to me, is hinting at a very important message. No matter how great the person, no matter how important his task, it is the family that must come first. Yes Yosef was literally saving the world but his greatness lay in the fact that despite his busy schedule he found time to properly raise his children. The greatness of Yosef was not that his economic policies averted a looming catastrophe. His greatness was that he was the father of Ephraim and Menashe, the first Jewish children born and successfully raised in a foreign environment, the first Jews to have actual contact with their grandfather and the only grandchildren of Yaakov who merited to become part of the twelve tribes. It is no wonder that Jewish parents have for thousands of years been blessing their children that they should be like Ephraim and Menashe.
The importance of family first is a difficult one for many of us as we struggle to balance our many tasks and often just to make ends meet. This is especially true of people involved in crucial work that benefits society as a whole, be they Doctors, teachers, or government officials. While important and perhaps even a tremendous mitzvah we must realize that our greatest task is assuring the proper values and role models are passed on to the next generation. Like Yosef we must realize that in world affairs while we must do our part ultimately it is “not by my own power. But G-d may provide an answer”(41:16). We may not be able to solve all the world’s problems but we can try to ensure that family comes first. Shabbat Shalom!
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