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a Tzadik, a truly righteous person; that is
Noach. But there is one other person who is known
as a Tzadik, though the text does not say so.
That, of course, is Yosef. But what constitutes being a Tzadik?
I suggest that there are 3 essential requirements
to reach this elevated & rare achievement, & Yosef had all three.
The first quality is abundant love of others.
While Yosef may seem to be arrogant & conceited,
in truth he wants desperately to "bond" with his
brothers. He says as much just before his
kidnapping, when he tells the angel Gavriel, "Et
achai anochi m’vakesh, I seek my brothers." He
then befriends the prisoners incarcerated with
him in Egypt, & he not only will forgive his
brothers, he supports them in literally royal fashion in Goshen.
The 2nd quality of a Tzadik: "M’sirat nefesh,
self-sacrifice." Yosef & all his descendants,
down to the future Moshiach ben Yosef, are
willing to give up their own needs & desires for
the greater good. Thus Yosef refuses Mrs.
Potifar’s advances, so as not to disappoint his
father, & Yosef is the first of the Shvatim to die.
Finally, there is humility. If you meet someone &
ask if he is a Tzadik, & he answers "yes," then
he probably isn’t one. Yosef ascribes all his
talent & ingenuity to Hashem. "Biladay," it is
not about me; only G-d has all the answers," he
tells Paro, even though this might have caused
Yosef to be sent back to prison.
All three attributes come together in Yosef, with
one more virtue: growth. For even those who see
the young Yosef in a negative way, claiming he’s
immature & self-serving, by the end of his life
all would agree that he has become a towering, imposing figure.
So my question is this: "Are there Tzadikim
today?" My answer: "Absolutely!" But sadly, we
generally only know the truth about them when
they are gone. And so, I want to share a truly
amazing, holy "last testament" by one of our holy
chayalim, Ben Zussman HY"D, who fell in battle
last week. Here is a paraphrased portion of Ben’s
letter to his family before he died:
"I write these words on my way to base. If you
are reading it, then something must have happened
to me. But I couldn’t be happier; I feel
completely fulfilled now. My dream was always to
fight for Israel; there can be no greater merit
than to defend this beautiful country & its people.
"I don’t permit you to be immersed in sadness. I
fulfilled my mission & now I am surely looking
down upon you from above with a huge smile,
sitting with my departed relatives. If you are
now sitting shiva, let it be with friends &
family, with food & drink & upbeat – ‘kef.’ Joke,
tell stories & meet my comrades."
"But one important point: If I will fall into
enemy hands, dead or alive, I insist: I do not
want any campaign held for my release or any
terrorists freed in exchange for me. If I must
die, I am proud that it was in the course of my
protecting others, and the State."
So, do Tzadikim, like Yosef HaTzadik, still exist
today? They sure do, & we are humbled to be in
their presence every single day.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
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(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Rabbis in Midrash
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(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
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(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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