merit of this pure Torah. Furthermore, he writes that the word “taf” hints to the pure emunah of children, and the pasuk is saying that this emunah creates parnassah. He says that there have been times when parnassah was very difficult as a result of a lack of emunah. This is the meaning of the verse (Yirmiyahu 7:28): “Emunah has been lost and uprooted from their mouths.” When emunah is lost, one’s sustenance is uprooted from his mouth.
וְהִגַּדְ תֶ ּם לְאָבִי אֶת כָּל כְּבוֹדִ י בְ ּמִ צְרַ יִם וגו' (מה, יג)
And you shall tell my father of all my honor in Egypt...(45:13)
In the Merit of the Avos:
Rav Aharon of Belz zy”a (quoted in Sefer Admorei Belz) related that the Apta Rov zy”a was once traveling from town to town, and large crowds gathered wherever he went to escort him to his lodgings. In every town, he was greeted with much honor. When the Rov saw how much kovod he was being shown, he was greatly distressed. His son, Rav Yitzchok of Zinkov zy”a, saw how upset his father was, so he tried to calm him by saying, “These crowds are here to honor me, not to honor you.”
The next day, the Apta Rov asked his son, “Why are so many people coming to honor you?” Rav Yitzchok answered, “Because I am your son!” Upon hearing this, the Rov said that this explains Yosef’s words in this pasuk. He was saying “to my father, all my honor.” He meant that all the honor he was receiving was because of who his father was. He said, “This is all really my father’s honor!”
Honored for His Father in Heaven:
Towards the beginning of his tenure as Rebbe, Rav Aharon of Belz zy”a spent Chanukah in the city of Hovniv, where he was welcomed with much honor. It was Parshas Vayigash and the Rebbe related this story about the Apta Rov.
The Rebbe then stood up and said with much enthusiasm, “But I say that Yosef meant that all of the honor was really not for himself, it was for his Father in Heaven!” He concluded, “I do not envy one who thinks that honor he receives is for himself and not for our Father in Heaven!”
Honored for the One Who Flew from Honor:
Rav Avrohom Chaim Horowitz of Plontch zy”a (father-in-law of the Satmar Rov zy”a) once spent some time in the city of Melitz and, when he was leaving the town, he was escorted by all the men, women and children of the city, as is befitting for a great man like him. As he was about to leave the city, he turned to the crowds and saw the throng of people, all gathered to show him honor.
He said, “Chazal say (Medrash Tanchuma, Vayikroh 3): ‘If one flees from honor, honor will run after him.’ After I saw this huge crowd that came out to honor me, I was struck with a question. Why is honor chasing me? Have I ever run away from honor?
”I believe that the answer is that the Gemara means that honor runs ‘after’ him, meaning that it after one who flees honor is gone, honor runs after his descendants. My father, Rav Moshe of Radzamin zy”a, ran away from the honor that he deserved. That is why honor is running after me...”
Crying Because of Kovod:
The Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch zy”a once traveled to the large cities of Lithuania, where he was given much honor. The greatest talmidei chochomim came out to see him and to speak with him in learning, and they were awed by his brilliance and vast knowledge.
When he returned home, he saw a letter that one of his sons had written to his wife, in which he described to her how much he enjoyed seeing so much kovod given to his father. This upset the Tzemach Tzedek greatly and he said, “My tears are flowing like water and he is enjoying it!”
