At the end of the Parsha, Yosef finds himself in prison together with Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker. On the morning after they had their troubling dreams, Yosef noticed that they were looking sad. Instead of ignoring their sadness and focusing on his own worries and predicament, Yosef empathetically asked if they were okay and if there was anything that he could do to help them, even if just to listen.
This act of empathy, care and kindness, set in motion the steps that would ultimately lead to Yosef’s own liberation at the beginning of next week’s Parsha and his ascent to greatness.
When we see someone who looks down, sad or out of character, like Yosef, we should be aware, take note and reach out to see if they are OK. This is certainly so when we know that they are going through a hard time or have experienced something traumatic or hurtful.
Our sages teach that one of the reasons that the Torah was given, was to refine us and to help us develop into better people, both in our relationship with Hashem and in our relationships and interactions with our fellow man.
The word Torah comes from the term Horaah, meaning an instruction. Every part of Torah, even the stories of our ancestors, have eternal lessons that are relevant and applicable in our lives. As we read through the Parshios, we have to look for and live with these lessons and see how we can use them to better ourselves and our characters. Below are some lessons from Parshas Vayeshev in our conduct Bein Adam Lechaveiro.
