It's the Other Way Around | Rabbi Nachum Binder

Much has been said about the tremendous benefits that one acquires by being עומד in the Nisyonos of Shmiras Einayim, the tremendous amount of השפעה that one can be zoche to in Ruchnius and in Gashmius from his holding strong and not falling to temptation, being עומד בניסיון. And we tend to look at it as a side benefit that comes out of being עומד בניסיון. The Nisayon is there, but if we overcome it and we're strong, then we're zoche to tremendous השפעה. Recently, I was at an event in Chicago and someone shared with me a beautiful thought. The Medrash in Parshas Vayeshev tells us that the brothers hated Yosef HaTzaddik because he had a כתונת פסים. And the Medrash says, The word פסים can be read as פס ים, the splitting of the sea, the קריעת ים סוף, which came in the zchus of Yosef HaTzaddik, that's why וישנאו אותו, that's why the brothers hated him. And the Mefarshim find it very hard to comprehend. Why would the brothers hate him because of the קריעת ים סוף that's going to come out of his actions, because of his Tzidkus, because of his Kedushah? And this fellow shared with me a beautiful thought. It's not the Pshat that the brothers hated him because of the Kedushah. What the Medrash is telling us is that Yosef HaTzaddik had to have a כתונת פסים and that כתונת פסים had to arouse a שנאה, a hatred from his brothers, in order that he should go down to Mitzrayim and be sold to Mitzrayim. And being in Mitzrayim, with the tremendous Nisyonos that it came with, afforded Yosef HaTzaddik with the opportunity to be Misgaber on the Nisyonos. And that opportunity is what caused קריעת ים סוף. But the Medrash is telling us, It's not the Pshat that there's a Nisayon, there's a reality, and if you overcome it, then you will be zoche to the tremendous Bracha. The Medrash is telling us it works just the opposite. The reason why the Ribono shel Olam gives us Nisyonos is in order that we should get that tremendous השפעה, and that tremendous Bracha that comes from being עומד בניסיון. A Nisayon is not only to prove to ourselves and to prove who we are and how strong we are. The Ribono shel Olam gives us the Nisayon and He stands over us and He says, Mein kind, I want to give you Bracha, I want to be משפיע on you. This is the way, this is the מהלך that I'm going to do it. I will give you a Nisayon and your strength will bring you the Bracha. מוריי ורבותיי, next time that we're faced with a temptation to look or not to look, let us have a clear perspective. The two options are not to look or not to look. It's will I be zoche to the Bracha or won't I be zoche to the Bracha. The Ribono shel Olam is begging us: Mein kind, be strong. I want to give you the Bracha. And if we stay strong, we'll all be zoche to that Bracha, אם ירצה השם.