In Shishi of Parashat Vayeshev, the pasuk testifies that Yosef was very successful. Where? In jail. And I was wondering: successful in jail? What exactly is he successful in? He can’t do business in jail. He can’t become a big Rosh Yeshiva or Rosh Kollel. He can’t be successful in building a family and having children. What is his success all about?
Also in Potiphar’s house it says he was very successful: וַיַּרְא אֲדֹנָיו כִּי ה’ אִתּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה ה’ מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ (Bereishit 39:3). Successful doing what? He was Potiphar’s servant. What’s the success? I couldn’t understand it; I couldn’t put it together.
I looked at the pesukim again, and they both send the same message. In Potiphar’s house: ki Hashem ito, and everything he did, Hashem made successful. The success of Yosef was that Hashem was with him. And the same in jail: אֵין שַׂר בֵּית הַסֹּהַר רֹאֶה אֶת כׇּל מְאוּמָה בְּיָדוֹ בַּאֲשֶׁר ה’ אִתּוֹ וַאֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה ה’ מַצְלִיחַ (39:23). The success was that Hashem was with him.
Our biggest success in life is not doing very well in business, having a beautiful family and great children, or becoming a big Rosh Yeshiva or Rosh Kollel. These are all wonderful, beautiful things. But the highest success of all is to have Hashem together with you, walking with you step by step, and to feel it even in the lowest places. You could be in jail, chas v’shalom, and feel that Hashem is together with you.
And a person can feel that in anything he does during the day, even simple things: Hashem sends you a message, I’m here with you. Even in the darkest places a person can feel Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and that is the biggest success. That is what the pasuk says, va’asher hu oseh Hashem matzliach: the success of Yosef was Hashem ito, Hashem was with him.
Based on Rabbi Shay Tahan’s class “Shnayim Yomi (Vayeshev Shishi) Yosef Was Successful In…..Jail??” (Parashat Vayeshev): watch the class.
