Are you struggling?
Life is hard and it seems like there is always something getting between us and our goals. Always these inconvenient or even painful difficulties hounding us at every turn.
Few can see that as clearly as Joseph could in this weeks Torah portion. As a young man full of potential and aspirations, his own brothers turned on him and cast him into a pit. After some deliberation, they sold Joseph into slavery to spice merchants on their way down to Egypt.
You can imagine what Joseph must have been thinking during all of this. In a single day, his entire life was obliterated. He lost everything and everyone he cared about. He was being taken to a foreign land where he would likely never see them again. What’s more, as a slave he and his descendants would probably forever be poor and oppressed. And on top of everything the manner of his departure seemed to indicate that his family didn’t love him so much in the first place (with an option of killing Joseph outright even suggested).
If anyone has struggles, Joseph had struggles.
Rashi is bothered by something interesting in this story though. He wonders why the Torah needs to mention that the merchants had spices on their caravan. It’s a seemingly trivial detail to the story.
Rashi explains that most such merchants carried naphtha and tar which smell awful. Hashem arranged that THIS caravan have spices so that it would smell nice for Joseph.
But why should Joseph care if it smells a little nicer on this day that is the end of life as he knows it?
Because it shows that Hashem is still with him in his darkest hour. And if Hashem is still with him, maybe he won’t always oppressed. Or a slave. Maybe he won’t always be estranged from his family. Maybe they’ll even have a change of heart and love him again and regret what they’d done.
Maybe.
In your darkest times, through your toughest struggles, keep your nose open for the subtle sent of sweet smelling spices. It’s so often there, if we have our minds open to notice.
If you remember that Hashem is with you and you stay true to Him the way Joseph was, your story might just have a happy ending too.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Altonaga and the JET Team
