Parashat Vayesheb- “Yaakob Sought to Dwell in Tranquility”
Rashi, in his comments to the beginning of Parashat Vayesheb, cites the following remark from the Midrash: "Yaakob sought to dwell in tranquility, but the anguish of Yosef immediately descended upon him." After many difficult trials and tribulations that Yaakob endured during his life, he had hoped to now spend the remaining years of his life enjoying peace and tranquility. These hopes were quickly shattered, however, by the "anguish of Yosef," the experience of the sale of Yosef, as Yaakob spent over twenty years mourning for his beloved son, thinking he was dead. The Midrash continues, "The righteous seek to dwell in tranquility, but the Almighty says: Is that which is prepared for them in the next world not sufficient for them, that they seek to dwell in tranquility in this world!"
The question arises, why does God deny the Sadikim the right to "live in tranquility"? After all, peace of mind is critical for the proper service of God. The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) writes that when the Torah promises health and material success as a reward for Torah observance, this does not mean that these blessings are the actual reward. Rather, good health and prosperity are necessary to help a person continue studying Torah and performing Misvot. The additional Misvot he is able to perform are the true reward; his good health and material possessions are granted to him to facilitate his performance of Misvot. A person who is ill, or who must worry about his livelihood, does not have the comfort or peace of mind needed to learn Torah or involve himself in Misvot. Therefore, the greatest reward we can earn for the Misvot we perform is health and material success, which enable us to perform more Misvot.
Why, then, does God not allow the Sadikim to "dwell in tranquility"?
Rav Mordechai Gifter (1915-2001) explained that the Midrash here does not undermine the importance or value of tranquility. Rather, it means that we should embrace and accept any situation we confront in life. We all must deal with difficult and complex problems at various points, and our instinctive reaction is usually something to the effect of, "I wish things weren’t this way." If we think about it more closely, however, we should not want the situation to change. Any situation in which we find ourselves has been directly orchestrated by God. Often for reasons beyond our comprehension, God sends us problems and difficulties to help us grow and develop. For example, he might bring illness upon a person in order to strengthen his commitment to serve God under duress. But regardless of the reason, we have to trust that God places us in every situation for a specific purpose, whether or not that purpose is identifiable – which it so often isn’t. Therefore, we should not wish that the situation was different. This situation has been ordained by the Almighty, so it is for our ultimate benefit.
We don’t know why God sometimes denies us – and even the great Sadikim – the "tranquility" we desire. But we should not "seek to dwell in tranquility" if God ordains that we should, at any stage, endure a lack of tranquility. Instead, we should accept His decision and trust that it is, ultimately, for the best. And we should embrace and welcome the opportunity granted us to grow and improve, with the belief that it is for this purpose that God placed us in this situation.
