CHOCHMAS NASHIM: WHO DIDN’T KNOW
By: Suri Davis
The torah portion, Shemot, starts off with the verse, “A new king came upon Egypt, who didn’t know Yosef.” Really? Joseph who was second to Pharaoh and saved the region from famine on the advice of G-d to store the grain during the years of abundance, so the region would have it during the years of famine? How can a king not know Yosef.
What does it mean to know Yosef? It is to know that his greatness is not his own, that it is founded in the greatness G-d gave him. In his life, Yosef endured the early loss of his mother, the jealousy/enmity of his brothers, who threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He was seduced by his master’s wife, and when he resisted, he was thrown into jail. It was the grace of G-d who did this all to him, AND also raised him from his lowliness to become second to the great Pharaoh of Egypt.
The word “know” is also supposed to trigger something in us. There is a Jewish concepts that throughout the Jewish canonical books, words are used to convey related ideas and concepts. Where do we learn about the word to know in Genesis, as relates to Egypt? In G-d’s revelation to Abraham about Egyptian bondage. The verse starts with the words, Yadoah taydah/you shall surely know…what should Abraham know, that the Jews will be strangers in a strange land. While this revelation directly relates to Egypt, among other ways, in the use of the word know to preface the revelation and the Egyptian bondage, it is a knowledge that this bondage is from G-d, and though the Jews will be in bondage for 210 years, where it would be difficult to see G-d and serve Him, He sanctioned it as good, though it might appear to be horrible. A personal challenge in Theodicy.
So it was that I received a call from a college friend this past Saturday night, she asked “where are you?”, I was supposed to be at the Kulanu dinner, but wasn’t feeling up to it, so I replied at home. “What are you doing?” I replied, I just completed my first shiur on Shaar Habitachon that I am giving. “Well, she said, “I have to tell you that our dear college friend and roommate died suddenly…” I had just seen her four days before, the shock was huge. I moved like in a fog to get dressed and drive to her family, to be with them and do what I could do.
On my way there, I knew I would need strength, and I let the words of the Shaar Habitachon, Rabbi Ibn Pikuah’s words wash over me. I let the words wash over me, there is a difference between Emunah/faith and bitachon/knowledge, they are part of our approach to our relationship to G-d. At an earlier stage, it is difficult to imagine that EVERYTHING is from G-d, you mouth the words to yourself that you have faith in G-d and all the evil must be for the best…Bitachon is trust, knowledge that what happened isn’t evil at all, it is good clothed in evil, as we are not on the level to understand at this point in time how what we perceive as evil, is good.
This is the age old discussion of the visions of good and evil by Rabbi Akiva and his teacher Rabbi Nachum. Rabbi Nachum was able to see the good in what other perceived as evil, i.e., Rabbi Nachum never saw evil, he saw only good, that was his level of Godly revelation and interaction with G-d, while Rabbi Akiva, first saw evil and said that it must be good. We are not on the level of Rabbi Nachum, at least many or most of us. We are pulled down by evil or what we perceive as evil, and work hard to see how it can be good.
Sometimes G-d is kind to us, and permits us to see how what we perceived as evil was good. Google the story of Rabbi Akiba and his candle, chicken and donkey, for a story how what seemed bad, turned into good, Chabad.org. But is a kindness to us when we can see revealed good, after all who are we that G-d has to justify His actions, our role, as his servants, is to know that all is good generally, and good for us.
There are those born with a defect, an inability to feel physical pain in their bodies. They don’t know if they are burning a finger, or have a tooth infection or a bleeding cut. Pain is an indication that something must be done. When we perceive pain from above, it is an indication to change, to look internally. Nevertheless, on a spiritual level aside from determining how to improve, we must know that the pain, if accepted properly, is a growing pain, a call to change, and knowledge that G-d is giving this as a learning and growing opportunity. I am so grateful that I had just delved into the Shaar Habitachon, which provides tools of growing spiritually and with knowledge that all is from a loving G-d.
Have a good Shabbos.
-Suri