דבר תורה - פרשת וישב

דבר תורה - פרשת וישב

Are we all messengers from Hashem? Put here on earth for a specific purpose? 

When Yosef was sent to check in on his brothers in Shechem, he meets a man. The man asks Yosef what he is looking for and offers guidance in finding his brothers. 

 וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה תֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר מַה-תְּבַקֵּשׁ.

Who was this man?

Rashi explains that this was גבריאל, an angel sent from Hashem to direct Yosef to his brothers. Hashem needed Yosef to reach his brothers in order that events of Yosef going to Mizrayim could unfold. To that end, Hashem sent גבריאל down to the field to make this happen. 

The Ibn Ezra explains this pasuk in a different way. That Yosef found a passer by, a regular person like the word implies, איש.   This man helped Yosef find his way and started the course of events that led to Bnai Yisrael going to miztrayim.  What lesson can we learn from this man? 

For one, we can learn that Hashem is guiding the events in our lives. We might not always understand the reason, but Hashem has a plan and an overall purpose for each one of us. Lesson number two, that we can learn from the explanation of the Ibn Ezra, is that all of us can be and are agents of, or messengers from, Hahsem.  This " Man " was an example for all of us. We are here for a purpose and every interaction could alter future events.  We need to step up and be the "man" in each situation - perhaps that is why Hashem put us in that situation.

Chanukah is coming up very soon, and we see that there is a connection from that story to this week's parsha.The chashmoniam recognized that they were placed in a situation that could alter history, and they took the opportunity that was presented to them. Had no one stood up and said "מי לה' אלי", the story, and our history would have unfolded completely differently.

We should all look at the situations and opportunities awe are put in, and  choose to be the man. Do the right thing, say the right thing, and help that person because maybe that is why Hahem put us here.