Wipe Your Tears

These days it is easy to fall into despair and to bemoan the situation.  There is so much suffering around us, lots of fear.  

My friend, it’s time to wipe your tears.  Well not all of them.  Just YOUR tears but not the tears you shed for others.

We read about crying events many times in the Torah portions we read these weeks. This week in particular two cryings stand out.  Joseph and Benjamin crying on each other’s necks at their long awaited reunion.  Again Joseph crying on Jacob’s shoulders when they reunite after 22 years.

What’s interesting is that the Torah tells us that Joseph was crying for Benjamin and Benjamin crying for Joseph.  That is why it says they were crying on each other, ie. for each other.

Again interesting is that Jacob is not crying even though Joseph is crying.

Our Sages explain this volume of tears.  Joseph is crying for the Temples that would be destroyed in Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin, and Benjamin is crying for the Mishkan of Shilo that would be destroyed in the territory of Joseph.

Conversely, Joseph is crying on Jacob’s shoulders, for all the Temples that would be destroyed in his (Jacob’s) territories, since by extension any territory belonging to any of the Tribes belongs to their father from whence they cometh.

But why isn’t Jacob crying for Joseph?

The answer is as simple as it is powerful!  When it comes to another’s suffering, we can cry. We can lift our eyes to heaven and plead with G-d to remove the others suffering.  When it comes to our own suffering however, crying and praying is not enough.  We must do something to help ourselves out of our situation. (That is not to say that we aren’t to help another out of their tzuros.  But, A. when it comes to the other they are the one primarily responsible to help themselves and B. even after we have helped them we can’t walk away and throw our hands up.  At the least, we must raise our voices to heaven to pray and cry on their behalf.)

Joseph and Benjamin cry on each other’s neck, for each other, but they don’t cry for themselves.  Because for themselves action is demanded.

Conversely, Joseph cries on Jacob’s neck, for Jacob.  But Jacob doesn’t cry for Joseph because that which is Joseph’s is Jacob’s and he must take action to rectify the situation.

In summation: times are tough.  Cry for the other (after you have done what you can to help them).  Don’t cry for yourself.  Get up and do something (and pray as well).

Best wishes for an easy journey and a good Shabbos! 

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