Parshat Vayeshev

In Parshat Vayeshev, Yosef goes through a lot. He is sold into slavery by his brothers, accused falsely by Potiphar’s wife, and sent to prison. But throughout all his trials and tribulations, he maintains his trust and faith in Hashem. Except there is a moment in the parsha, after Yosef interprets the Butler’s dream and tells the butler that he will be forgiven by Pharoah and when he is back in any position close to Pharaoh, Yosef asks the butler for help.

But "ולא זכר שר המשקים את יוסף וישכחהו" “The butler did not remember Yosef, and he forgot him.” (40:23). Because Yoseph placed his trust in he butler, he had to remain imprisoned for another two years. In Tehilim, 40:5, it says אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם ה מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃“ Fortunate is the man who places his trust in Hashem, and does not turn to the arrogant” because we must place our bitachon in Hashem. Yoseph should have continued to trust in Hashem even as he asked the butler. The butler was only a medium through which Hashem would deliver liberation.

There are times when the path is not as clear as we would have hoped. But we must always remember to have emunah and bitachon in Hashem because Hashem always comes through for us and there is a reason for everything. As it happened, Yosef waited two short years until Pharaoh had a dream that would require interpretation, and the butler remembered him for his brilliant dream interpretation abilities. Yoseph was brought before Pharaoh and Pharaoh was so impressed, appointing Yosef as viceroy of Egypt. Had Joseph been released two years earlier, the butler would not have known where to find him at the moment of Pharaoh's dream, and the entire trajectory would be changed. The parsha teaches us that Hashem’s plan is always at work; there are many layers of meaning in many situations, and it is best to find the good and best opportunity in every situation, and to always have emunah and bitachon b’Hashem.