We wrote above from the Rambam that when one considers himself a rasha, this negative self-image can bring him to commit aveiros. In contrast, when one believes in his greatness, it is easier for him to pass tests. Yosef said to eishes Potiphar (39:9), בבית גדול איננו ממני, “No one in this house is greater than me.” Rebbe Moshe of Kobrin zt’l explains that Yosef said, "I'm the greatest person in the world. I’m from the tzaddikim. There is no one greater than me.” With this encouraging thought in mind, he was able to pass the test.
And these are the words everyone should tell themselves when the yetzer hara tries to convince them to sin. One should say, “I’m among Hashem’s beloved Yidden. I'm from the tzaddikim! I'm extremely distant from sin." And with such thoughts in mind, he won't commit aveiros.
This attitude is called gaavah d’kedushah, righteous pride, which one must use to overcome the yetzer hara.
Chazal say (Sotah 49:), חוצפה דמשיחא בעקבתא יסגי, "Before Moshiach comes, there will be a lot of chutzpah." The Sfas Emes zt’l says that this Gemara alludes to the era before Moshiach, when people will have the chutzpah and audacity to say, “I'm a tzaddik! I'm special!” And yet, that thought is necessary because, with pride, they will conquer the yetzer hara.
It states (37:3), ועשה...בניו מכל יוסף את אהב וישראל פסים כתונת לו, “And Yisrael loved Yosef more than all his other sons...and he made him a silk coat.” This coat, which only Yosef wore, created jealousy. The Gemara (Shabbos 10) states, "A person should never show favoritism to one son over the other because due to the extra clothing Yaakov gave Yosef, the brothers were jealous, and it led to our forefathers going down to Mitzrayim."
So, why did Yaakov give this coat to Yosef? Baalei Mussar explain that Yaakov knew that Yosef would have more difficult tests than all the other brothers when he was alone in Mitzrayim. Yaakov gave him honorable clothing to help him pass the tests.
The Baal HaTurim writes that ם"פסי is roshei teivos דיניםמ ,שמעאליםי ,וחריםס ,וטיפרפ, hinting at the four times Yosef was sold. The Baalei Mussar explain that each time Yosef was sold, he was confronted with a difficult test. The coat's purpose was to increase Yosef's self-esteem so he could pass those tests.
The Gemara (Bava Metzia 85.) relates that Reb Shimon bar Yochai had a grandson called Yossi who "went off the derech" and was initially a grave sinner. Rebbe (Reb Yehudah HaNasi) heard about this and wanted to be mekarev Reb Shimon's grandson back to the Torah. He hired a Torah teacher for Yossi, gave Yossi semichah, dressed him in a golden cloak, the type worn by rabbanim, and had everyone call him "rebbe." These measures raised Yossi's view of himself, and he gradually returned to Yiddishkeit. Whenever he was tempted to return to his old ways, his teacher reminded him, "You were made a chacham, you wear the cloak of scholars, we call you ‘rebbe,’ and you want to leave?" He would answer, "I swear, I won't ask to leave again."
Eventually, he became a great scholar, a tzaddik, even a Tana, and is called "Reb Yossi ben Reb Elazar ben Reb Shimon." The honor he received turned him around. When Reb Yossi was niftar, they wanted to bury him near Reb Elazar, his father, but a snake blocked the entrance to the cave, and they couldn't bury him there. Some thought that Reb Yossi wasn’t fitting to be near his father. A bas kol emanated and said, “It isn’t that Reb Elazar is greater than Reb Yossi. Rather, it’s because Reb Elazar suffered the pain of being hidden in a cave for thirteen years” (see Shabbos 33).
This Gemara is saying that Reb Yossi reached his father’s level! This is how high Reb Yossi rose with his teshuvah. The pivotal change began when he received semichah, was called “rebbe," and wore the golden cloak of rabbanim. Honor does that to people. It turns people around. This is how Rebbe turned Reb Yossi into a baal teshuvah and a great Tana.
Here we have a lesson in chinuch. If you want your child to reach high levels, honor him. Believe in him. Consider him to be great. This will inspire your child to grow and reach his potential.
The Or Zarua discusses lessons that can be learned from the order of the alef beis. For the letters ר 'ק 'צ, he explains that the first letter, 'צ, is written like this: י"צד, which means empty,
