JACK OF ALL TRADES!?!
MY MASTER IS ONE!!!
ויתן שר בית הסהר ביד יוסף את כל האסירים אשר בבית הסהר
ואת כל אשר עשים בבית הסהר הוא היה עושה
And the prison warden gave in the hands of Yosef all the prisoners whom were in the prison,
and all that they do in the prison, he did do.
Falsely accused, Yosef is thrown into prison. And yet, perpetual achiever that he was, Yosef finds success even there. That very Yosef who had reached the pinnacle of success in his father’s home only to be sold as a slave, then climbed to the top once again as chief butler only to be knocked off his pedestal once again, got right back at it again. In short order, tells the Torah, he won favor in the warden’s eyes, “and the prison warden gave in the hands of Yosef all the prisoners whom were in the prison”.
Simple enough. The next few words, however, get tricky. “And all that they do in the prison”, says the Torah, “he did do”. What exactly is meant by that? Is the Torah simply telling us that Yosef did not shirk his share of prison work despite his position? Perhaps. Yet if so,couldn’t it simply state “and he did all that is done in prison?
Considering the context of these words, Rashi contends the intent here is, that everything done in the prison, was done on Yosef’s command.
Yet if so, we wonder, wouldn’t it make more sense to say “and all that they did in prison, he did do”, i.e. was under his command? Why would the Torah say that everything “they do in prison, [Yosef] did do”?
Yosef holds the rare distinction of being called an “Ish Matzliach”, or “successful person”, by no less than the Torah itself. “And God was unto Yosef, and he was a successful man”. [Bereishis 39:2]
And indeed, wherever life brought him, Yosef somehow managed to reach the top of that particular pyramid. (For all we know, he might have even built the occasional pyramid).
How? What was the secret to his success?
Simple. Wherever and whatever life brought him, he adapted, adjusted, and excelled.
One of the Tribes building the Jewish nation? Let me be the best.
Stuck being a slave in Egypt? Well then, if God so wills it that I be a slave, let me be the best slave that I can be.
In prison?
“All that they do in prison, he did do”.
Whatever defines being successful in prison, whatever one does in prison, I do.
Not “I guess I’ll do if I have to”.
Not “I don’t really do these type of things, but by some mistake of fate I have to do it now, even though it’s so not me”.
None of that.
If God put me in this position, then as of now, this is what I do. Period. And if this is what I do, I’ll do it well. Period.
And with that attitude, God is bound to send success our way.
“And all that he did, God made successful” [ibid. 39:33]
We are not what we think we are good at. We are what God thinks we are good at. And if God put us in a certain situation, there can be no greater proof that God thinks we are good at what that position requires. We must set aside our preconceived notions, and set out excelling at our preordained task.
Because on God’s team, even the secondary is meant to be first-rate.
And so whatever card God may deal us, we must make sure to become an Ace.
