Parshas Vayeishev
How Yosef's concern for two imprisoned officers, despite his own suffering, became the key to his rise to power.
Part of Bereishit
When Yosef notices that the butler and the baker look distressed in prison, he asks what's wrong, even though he himself was suffering far more, wrongly imprisoned and torn from his family. That simple act of caring about someone else's pain, regardless of one's own circumstances, is what set in motion his rise to viceroy of Mitzrayim. The lesson: showing genuine interest in another person's situation, no matter your own level or struggles, is what ultimately helps you as well.
Audio Transcript
A vort from the Rebbe on this week's 驻专砖讛, 驻专砖转 讜讬砖讘. In the end of 驻专砖转 讜讬砖讘, we learn that after Yosef was put into prison, also two officers of the government of Pharaoh were also put into prison. And they are the 砖专 讛诪砖拽讬诐 and the 砖专 讛讗讜驻讬诐, the baker and the butler. And then the Torah continues that one day, Yosef saw that their face looked sad. And Yosef asked them, \"Why are you sad?\" Basically asking them, \"Why are you sad? What's the reason? How can I help you?\"
And the Rebbe asks a question: It's strange, because Yosef himself was in pretty bad shape. Yosef was in prison, was put there for no reason, he was kidnapped from his parents' home, etc., etc. So he was probably sad. So a regular person would be sad the whole time, and basically almost like being angry at the whole world. Certainly, he would be angry at Pharaoh and his people, because these are the ones that put him into jail. So why would he care if he sees the two officers of Pharaoh, the two people that they're sad, why would he even care about why they're sad? Nevertheless, that's not what happened. What he did was, he says, \"Why are your face 驻谞讬诐... 驻谞讬讻诐 专注讬诐 讛讬讜诐, why are you sad? I could see on your face you're sad.\" Basically asking them, \"What can I do to help you?\" And what happened at the end? The end was that just because he did this, and they told him the problem, and he interpreted the dream, that's what, in 讚专讱 讛讟讘注, that was the reason he became the 诪砖谞讛 诇诪诇讱, he became second to the king. All because he showed interest, regardless of his own situation, he showed interest in another person.
So the Rebbe says, from here we take a very important lesson: We should always show an interest in somebody else, no matter what level you are, how you feel, but if you're able to help somebody, or you think you're able to help somebody, you should show interest in that person, why that person is in a certain situation, and see how you can help him. And that helps you yourself. Just like over there, by helping them, showing interest in them, that helped him to become the 诪砖谞讛 诇诪诇讱 in Mitzrayim, so that will help. By every person who does it, this is going to help him to make it better for him, too.