Yosef through the Eyes of HaRav Yosef-Timeless Recipes for National and Personal Greatness
This past year, at the advice of a friend, I began learning Chumash through the eyes of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik one of the great legal, philosophical, theological minds of the 20th century. Each week, my eyes have been enlightened through his teachings on the parsha.
Using the powerful narrative of the Yosef saga, his discussions in the past three weeks’ readings are timeless lessons for each of us--both in our individual strivings and in how we work with others to work toward greatness. Through Yosef’s dreams and Yaakov’s vision, the Rav teaches and how to bring holiness into the “real” world.
Yosef’s Two Dreams:
R. Soloveitchik writes, “How did the Torah portray Joseph? His first dream involved bundles of wheat: he was an individual with a prosaic practical vision. There was another dream, however, of stars in the heavens. Both dreams were found in Joseph’s personality. He was pragmatic, but he also looked to the stars. He was a visionary, imagining the limitless goals that he could achieve in aiding his nation. (p. 347)”
We often overlook the fact that Yosef had two dreams, one of the land and one of the heavens. We, too, also need to keep two dreams with us at all times--we must live in the delicate balance of the real and in the ideal. Being realistic is critical as we sometimes must make compromises and “settle” in order to actually achieve results on the ground. Yet, at the same time,being idealistic keeps us focused on our life’s goals as we must always stay reaching and striving for more.
What makes a “Great Nation” :
“In Genesis 46:3, God reminds Jacob of the promise that God will make of Jacob a great nation, a goy gadol- a Great Nation. Rav Soloveitchik states that there are two necessary ingredients to accomplishing this status.
1-”If a nation approves of injustice, it cannot lay claim to greatness...Real greatness consists of the innate quality of fairness and righteousness, in the spontaneous indignation when one is confronted with hypocrisy and selfishness.” (p. 338)
Any great person, community or nation must work, work and work more to keep focussed on the importance of what is correct, good and just -- keeping her, his or their eyes on that prize without distraction.
2-”A great nation is a prayerful nation, a nation that knows the secret of prayer...A great nation consists of many praying individuals who feel each other’s pain and who suffer and pray in community.” (p. 338)
I have always wondered why it was that people are concerned with leaders’ religious lives. Rav Soloveitchik’s statement here sheds light on this phenomenon. A great leader and a great community can only be great when feeling empathy for others and having the humility to know that greatness cannot be done alone. As R. Jonathan Sacks said, “Prayer changes the world because it changes us.”
May our dreams and our goals transform who we are and, in turn, help to grow those whom we are blessed to love and whom we are given the sacred task to lead.
This past year, at the advice of a friend, I began learning Chumash through the eyes of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik one of the great legal, philosophical, theological minds of the 20th century. Each week, my eyes have been enlightened through his teachings on the parsha.
Using the powerful narrative of the Yosef saga, his discussions in the past three weeks’ readings are timeless lessons for each of us--both in our individual strivings and in how we work with others to work toward greatness. Through Yosef’s dreams and Yaakov’s vision, the Rav teaches and how to bring holiness into the “real” world.
Yosef’s Two Dreams:
R. Soloveitchik writes, “How did the Torah portray Joseph? His first dream involved bundles of wheat: he was an individual with a prosaic practical vision. There was another dream, however, of stars in the heavens. Both dreams were found in Joseph’s personality. He was pragmatic, but he also looked to the stars. He was a visionary, imagining the limitless goals that he could achieve in aiding his nation. (p. 347)”
We often overlook the fact that Yosef had two dreams, one of the land and one of the heavens. We, too, also need to keep two dreams with us at all times--we must live in the delicate balance of the real and in the ideal. Being realistic is critical as we sometimes must make compromises and “settle” in order to actually achieve results on the ground. Yet, at the same time,being idealistic keeps us focused on our life’s goals as we must always stay reaching and striving for more.
What makes a “Great Nation” :
“In Genesis 46:3, God reminds Jacob of the promise that God will make of Jacob a great nation, a goy gadol- a Great Nation. Rav Soloveitchik states that there are two necessary ingredients to accomplishing this status.
1-”If a nation approves of injustice, it cannot lay claim to greatness...Real greatness consists of the innate quality of fairness and righteousness, in the spontaneous indignation when one is confronted with hypocrisy and selfishness.” (p. 338)
Any great person, community or nation must work, work and work more to keep focussed on the importance of what is correct, good and just -- keeping her, his or their eyes on that prize without distraction.
2-”A great nation is a prayerful nation, a nation that knows the secret of prayer...A great nation consists of many praying individuals who feel each other’s pain and who suffer and pray in community.” (p. 338)
I have always wondered why it was that people are concerned with leaders’ religious lives. Rav Soloveitchik’s statement here sheds light on this phenomenon. A great leader and a great community can only be great when feeling empathy for others and having the humility to know that greatness cannot be done alone. As R. Jonathan Sacks said, “Prayer changes the world because it changes us.”
May our dreams and our goals transform who we are and, in turn, help to grow those whom we are blessed to love and whom we are given the sacred task to lead.
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