Weekly Torah Portion

Do you feel stuck?  Not just any stuck, but a stuck that feels hopeless.  Maybe you feel financially choked with bills and expenses just piling up and not enough income to cover them.  Perhaps a relationship has spiraled out of control with no foreseeable resolution. Trapped in an emotional or physical confine can be severely debilitating. What can we do if we are faced with this situation? Or what encouragement can we provide for someone else who might be going through hardship? How does one find any hope when all hope seems lost?

In this week’s Torah portion we read about Yosef’s climb from a lowly servant being held in an Egyptian prison to becoming the second-in-command of the entire country. This climb from “rags to riches” does not take place in the natural and logical time frame of years or decades. It happens in but a few moments. Yosef is summoned from the “pit” to interpret Pharoah’s dream, Pharoah is satisfied, impressed by Yosef’s wisdom and humility, and immediately appoints him to the second highest position in power. How does this happen?

Yosef’s circumstances symbolize what it means to be trapped. He was betrayed by his very own family, sold into slavery in foreign country, and then imprisoned in the Alcatraz of the world. Hopeless would seem to be the understatement of the year.

Yet, as our Rabbis explain, Yosef never gives up. He understands that there is no obstacle or barrier that can get in the way of Hashem’s rescue. There does not have to be a logical process and progression to salvation. In fact, the way Hashem operates is similar to “the blink of an eye.” The process goes from complete darkness to an illuminating light in a split second. Yosef is transformed from the lowest member of society to the most powerful one in just a few moments.  In other words, everything can completely change in an instant.

Having this understanding can be quite comforting. We must know that all is not lost. Things can shift and change in a moment! Of course we must seek advice and use effective strategies while in difficult situations. But we must always keep in mind that immediate relief can in fact happen. This is precisely how Hashem brings about liberation. The more we bring Hashem into our life, the easier it will be for us to maintain this perspective.