Parashat Vayeshev: I’m Here and Ready

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The sefer Vaveh Amudim brings a story that a man named Yaakov told him, which took place when he was younger. Yaakov said his father once asked him to take out the garbage and he replied, "Why are you asking me? I did it last time. There are many other capable people in this house who could do it." Yaakov's grandfather was in the room at the time and was very disturbed by Yaakov's response. He gathered Yaakov and his siblings together to teach them a life lesson. He opened a Chumash to this week's Parasha, Vayeshev, and he showed them the pasuk in which Yaakov Avinu told Yosef to go check up and see how his brothers were doing in Shechem. Yosef knew that his brothers had a certain hatred towards him, and it was extremely dangerous for him to go, yet he told his father הנני – I'm ready to go right now. Yosef could have given his father many excuses why he shouldn't listen, but he didn't. His father told him to do something and Yosef was going to listen. (As a side note, the Mefarshim do ask how Yosef went, knowing how dangerous it was, in light of the command ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם – to protect our lives as best we can. The Chida writes in his sefer Rosh David in parsahat Toldot that although it is not forbidden for a child to respectfully refuse a parent's request if the request involves danger, however if the child wants to be strict and listen to his parents no matter what, he has the right to do so. He brings a proof how Yosef knew that, and one can see more about it in Sefer Chassidim , siman 341.) The grandfather then told them a personal story that happened to him when he was younger. He rolled up his sleeve and showed them the numbers that were tattooed on his arm by the Nazis, yimach shimam . He said, "My precious grandchildren, this number on my arm was determined for me to have by Hashem from the six days of Creation. Hashem wanted me to go through the seven levels of Gehenom in this world, for the best reasons, reasons which I cannot fathom. When the Nazis came to our town, they instructed all of the Jews to gather at the train station. We were only allowed to bring a few essentials with us. When we arrived there, they were separating the men from the women and children. I can still hear the bitter crying and screaming that was going on at that time. They put me, my brother and my mother on one train and my father on the other. Right before our train was getting ready to pull away, my mother saw that she had my father's tefillin with her. Immediately, she said to me, 'Berel, what is Daddy going to do without his tefillin ? He has to have them. Quickly, bring them to him on the other train.' It was very scary outside. The Nazis were strolling the area with vicious dogs. But I didn't think twice about it, my mother told me to go and so I went. I managed to get on to my father's train and, the moment I did, the train closed its doors and pulled away. My father and I were taken to a labor camp. I found out later, the other train was taken straight to the gas chambers. I am only alive today because I was ready to listen to my mother. "I want you to take this as a life lesson. When your parents ask you to do something, it's a golden opportunity. You will be fulfilling a mitzvat aseh from the Torah. Don't argue with them. Just say, הנני – I'm here and ready." Shabbat Shalom.