Among the many episodes in this week’s Sedra is the story of Yosef and Potiphar’s wife. The Torah tells us that Potiphar’s wife incessantly tried to seduce Yosef.  The latter just as persistently refused her advances.  Despite Yosef’s daily rebuffs, she would not relent. Finally, one day came when everyone was out of the house so that Potiphar’s wife and Yosef happened to find themselves alone with each other. The Torah tells us that Yosef had come to the house to do his מלאכה – his work.  The Gemorah discusses whether Melacha in this context means work, or whether it means that Yosef came in with the intention of yielding to the temptation.  The story ends with Yosef abandoning his coat in Potiphar’s wife’s hands – the end result of her failed attempt to prevent his escape. as she was trying to prevent him from fleeing her advances. She then spreads the word that Yosef tried to assault her.

Whether or not Yosef came with the intent to give in to temptation, it seems that he definitely ended up coming close to succumbing. How was Yosef Hatzadik actually able to pull himself out at the last moment?

Chazal tell us that as Yosef was about to succumb to temptation (Sota and Medrash) the image of his father appeared to him and told him: “Yosef if you sin you will lose your place as one of the Shivtei Kah” (twelve tribes). Upon seeing and hearing this, Yosef pulled back and stopped himself. While this little anecdote answers our question it leaves us wondering: why is it that we don’t see such images before we succumb to sin?

When we examine this incident more closely we see a very interesting aspect. Potiphar’s wife had been trying to seduce Yosef for quite some time – as the Torah states ‘Yom-Yom’ (on a daily basis). The Torah tells us that she even tried to entice him simply to engage in conversation and that to that as well he replied in the negative.  The Torah informs us that Yosef told her that it wouldn’t be ethical for him to cheat with his master’s wife.  Yosef Hatzadik went further, however, and added that even by socializing with her he would also be sinning to Hashem. By speaking thus, Yosef placed the focus solely on himself: he didn’t say that it would be a sin to Hashem, but rather “I will be sinning to Hashem”.

The Kol Simcha explains that the very manner in which Yosef said that it would be a sin indicated that he didn’t want to associate himself with her by implying that they would be sinning together.

Chazal tell us בדרך שאדם רוצה לילך מוליכין אותו – a person is led in the direction in which he wishes to go. Chazal explain that if one wishes to sin, Hashem makes it all that easier to sin, while if one wishes to do what is right and abstain from sin, Hashem helps him to stay on the right path and to be good.  Yosef Hatzadik found himself facing an incredibly hard Nisayon, and his initial reaction was to do everything he could to distance himself from it.  Despite enormous and persistent efforts to resist, he finally found himself trapped at the Nisayon’s most intense, and without Hashem’s Divine intervention he would have given in. However, as Yosef Hatzadik had made it abundantly clear that he truly wished not to sin, Hashem intervened and prevented him from sinning אלמלא הקב”ה עוזרו לא היה יכול לו.

We live in a world in which our evil inclination entices us to give in – not just here and there, but on constant, continuous basis. Ultimately, without Syata Dishmaya it would be impossible not to give in. If, however, if we remind ourselves of what is at stake and make it clear that our allegiance is to doing Retzon Hashem, we will then surely obtain Divine intervention and inspiration.

A very warm Good Shabbos, Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski