Dvar Torah for Parshat VaYechi

“Please don’t bury me in Egypt.” (Genesis 47:29)
“So that the Egyptians won’t worship me after my death.” (Rashi)

It is a rare person that doesn’t enjoy being the center of (favorable) attention, that doesn’t enjoy hearing his name, that doesn’t enjoy seeing his name in print or “up in lights.” One doesn’t have to be an actor (or politician) to feel a thrill when an audience applauds for him. It’s downright hard not to feel a sense of greatness when people stand up for you when you enter the room. The desire to be honored is often so strong that people want to be honored even after death (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories p. 313). So it is no wonder that the pharaohs and other monarchs had magnificent monuments built in their honor.

Now, imagine living a life in which you are worshipped. Imagine living a life in which you are thought of as all-wise, all-knowing, in which your every wish and whim is fulfilled and gifts are brought to you without your even asking. Tempting. Nice work, if one can get it. It should come to us as no surprise then if we hear about charlatans cloaked in religous garb, or about good people who succumbed to the adorartion of their followers. It should also teach us to be cautious when selecting a spiritual mentor.

When he was still alive Yaakov Avinu (our Patriarch Jacob) was able to prevent any worship of himself. However, he understood the Egyptian mentality and knew that their appreciation for spirituality, however sophisticated, was faulty. They would think that since he was the possessor of tremendous spiritual gifts he must be the source of those gifts (cf. Rabbi Nachman’s Stories p. 288). Yaakov Avinu had no desire to cause any slight to Hashem’s (God’s) honor, even through no fault of his own. Thus, he asked his son Yosef HaTzaddik (Josef the Righteous) to not bury him in Egypt.

What does a desire for honor indicate about a person? In one lesson Rebbe Nachman writes that it indicates that the person is lacking seikhel (sense), for the less seikhel one has, the more he desires honor (Likutey MoHaran I, #202). In another lesson the Rebbe puts it more bluntly: A desire for honor indicates that one is a fool (Likutey MoHaran I, #194).   The Rebbe gives an analogy.

A bureaucrat was once sent by the governor to handle the affairs of a far off village. When the bureaucrat arrived the peasants assumed he was the governor and acted towards him accordingly: they would bow upon entering his presence and would address with all the titles reserved for the governor.

The governor came to visit the village to see how it was faring. He questioned the bureaucrat as to why some of the peasants were not doing their jobs. Then the governor called in one of the local constables. The good officer recognized the bureaucrat, but not the governor. He fell at the bureaucrat’s feet and gave him all the honor due to governor. Then he addressed all his his answers to the bureaucrat. The bureaucrat was so ashamed his face turned red as a beet.

If this is not enough to deter one from pursuing honor, consider the following: “Anyone who actively seeks honor will not wind up with Godly-honor, but with kingly-honor. Of kingly-honor it is written (Proverbs 25:2), ‘The glory of kings is an investigated matter’ — everyone inquires about him to see if he is deserving of such honor, asking (Esther 7:5), ‘Who is he and what is he’ that he is given such honor? And they oppose him, saying that he is not deserving of such honor” (Likutey MoHaran I, 6:1).

On occasion, however, a person is honored, for one reason or another. May he accept it? How? One may, and should, but carefully. Honor is the spiritual root of the nefesh (soul). Generally, when one receives a new honor it serves as the vehicle for a new nefesh. To receive honor carefully means to receive it for God’s glory and to not use the honor for one’s personal benefit (Likutey MoHaran I, 67:1). [Samson, who was a leader of the Jewish people for 40 years during the period of the Judges, never asked anyone to bring him his cane, even though he was mobility-impaired.]

One may, and should, take pride in a job well done, for we see that God Himself does so (Likutey MoHaran I, 5:2). A feeling of humility does not mean feeling worthless or viewing oneself as a sad sack. It means recognizing that one’s talents are God-given gifts. Use yours well.

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!