Vayeshev: Chapter 10

"And a certain man found him"

Synopsis

This section addresses the role of providence in the sale of Joseph to the Egyptians and illustrates our inability to interpret events and their causal relationships as positive or negative, since we are ignorant of their role in God's preordained design.

Relevance

The selling of Joseph into slavery, and his subsequent rise from the status of prisoner to the second in command of Egypt, alludes to our ability to take control over the physical reality and triumph over our most base desires, thereby freeing our souls. The strength to accomplish this is aroused within us by the liberating Light set aflame by these Kabbalistic verses. In addition, we become more cognizant of our limited perspectives on life, particularly when hardships strike. Just as Joseph's imprisonment was a dire and tragic predicament that was eventually turned into triumph, our afflictions can be transformed into conquests given the right state of enlightened consciousness. That is, the foresight and wisdom to see beyond the immediate circumstances. Enlightenment is thus awakened in us by the lessons and Light emitted through the luminous letters of the Hebrew language appearing in this passage.