Rashi says that the Shevotim were M'vazeh Pinchos. They said: “Someone who descended from Yisro, a person who fattened calves for Avoda Zara, now has the Chutzpa to kill a Nasi B'yisroel?” Imagine if all the Shevotim are M'vazeh you, causing you to feel that you aren’t on a high enough Madrega to do the lofty things you do or plan to do. [We don’t need the Shevotim for this. Our own Yetzer Hara is loaded with unending negative self-talk telling us how no-good we are, and how so many people are better than us!].
Rashi says that Putiel also refers to Yosef: ֶשׁ ִפּ ְט ֵפּ ְבּ ט ִי ְצ וֹר who made a joke out of his Yetzer Hara. Pinchos came from Yosef HaTzaddik who made fun of his Yetzer Hara when he avoided the wife of Potiphar. Notice how people are always involved in the negative! They mentioned only his [unflattering] Putiel association to Yisro, while ignoring his illustrious Putiel lineage from Yosef. [Parenthetically, it’s better not to believe that people are negative about you. And even if they are, don’t be Gores them! You only know about your positive side or positive roots].
There will always be two sides to you; positive and negative:
- You learn, but you also Battel
- You smile, but you frown plenty also
- You can be nice, but you have a mean streak
- You can be calm, but there is still plenty of Ka'as in your system
- Simcha and Atzvus
- Z'rizus and Atzlus
- saying smart things, and making a fool out of yourself
- your Frum side and your many Kulos
Keep aiming at the positive! And have the Velt “Farpocked”! [Actually, the Velt may think of you much more than you realize. Watch what they say at your Levaya or Sheva Brachos. You may hear Maalos that you don’t even know about. But your Dimyon loves negatives so much, that you think they are lying or exaggerating].
R’ Yerucham Levovitz says that the first Mussar a person must learn is to constantly be aware of his Maalos. People can change drastically if they are persistent in realizing their greatness. Avrohom was first a Ram high person, and only then was he able to say: רֶפֵאָו רָפָﬠ יִכֹנָאְו זכ חי אריו I am but dust and ashes, since he realized that he owed all his greatness to Hashem. There is usually no hope for people who think they are worthless.
Many, many of us, have to live by a principle: וּליִפַא לָכּ םָלוֹעָה םיִרְמוֹא עָשָׁר ,הָתַּא הֵיֱה ˃יֶניֵﬠְבּ קיִדַצְכּ Even if the whole world says: You are a Rasha, look at yourself like a Tzaddik! This is exactly what Pinchos did, and he was Zoche to become one of the greatest men in our history. Those who aren’t impressed by their own negative nature, move on to greatness!
