"And Yosef said to his brothers...I am Yosef your brother whom you sold
to Miztrayim. And now
do no be sad and don't be upset with yourselves that you sold me here,
for Hashem sent me
here before you to preserve life... Do not get angry on the way"
Is Yosef telling his brothers after he reveals his identity to them
that they need not be upset or
sad for their act, for everything worked out for the best? How
is it possible that Yosef so
quickly dismisses the grave act of the shvatim of selling him to slavery?
Even if everything
worked out to be a blessing, for thus Yosef came to his position and
provided sustenance for
the entire hungering world, what of the deed itself? A person
enters a restaurant and orders
chazir, but is served kosher meat. Do we say that he has done
nothing wrong because his wish
wasn't fulfilled??? Of course he is liable for his wrong and bad intention!
Also, Chaza"l teach us
that the death of the Asara Harugei Malchus was an atonement for the
selling of Yosef.
Atonement, thus, was still required for complete teshuvah was not yet
done. Why does Yosef
seem to be smoothing things over by telling his brothers not to be
sad or upset or angry at
themselves for what they did?
A closer look at what Yosef is really communicating reveals that he
is not diverting his brothers
from their sin, but urging them and guiding them in these very words
to do complete teshuva on
a most sublime level. Yosef HaTzaddik was fully aware of the
pending debt that would have to
be paid by the Asarah Harugei Malchus. He gives his brothers
in these words a formula for
teshuvah shelamai.
al taiahtzvu - We find the root "etzev" used in the Torah for
negative emotions concerning the
past.
ve'al yichar b'eineichem - We find "charon" used in the Torah for negative
emotions concerning
the present.
ve'al tirgezu baderech - We find "rogez" used in the Torah for negative
emotions concerning the
future.
What is the source of negative emotions?
Negative feelings are a result of a distorted perception of reality.
When one views all reality
which he experiences as manifestations of Hashem's presence, whether
they be pleasant
experiences or otherwise, there is no place for negative emotions.
These are only manifest
when one misperceives what goes on around him and about him. Regarding
the past he then
could carry with him anger, frustration,melancholy, resentment, pain,
guilt, etc.. Regarding
the present and future, he could experience anxiety, fright, tension,
etc.
Yosef urges his brothers:
Drop all the heavy load of difficult memories of past experiences that
so weigh down upon
you!! Abandon all of your personal calculations and ambitions
and worries for the future! As
long as one allows himself to indulge in personal calculations and
negative emotions, it is
impossible to be b'achdus with others!!
Once you soar above manifold personal calculations, you can achieve
the sublime joy in achdus.
And all the sins will be forgiven.
Ki l'michya shelachani - Leave the calculations to Him. For ultimately,
Hashem is leading us at
every moment in our lives towards true, real bracha.