Parashas Vayechi - Fighting Our Yeitzer Hara

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In Parashas Vayechi, Yaakov was on his death bed. As the time drew closer, Yaakov called for Yosef and requested that his body be buried - with his father Yitzchak and grandfather Avraham - in Ma'aras Hamachpeila.

Yaakov specifically did not want to be buried in Egypt for several reasons:

• It's soil will ultimately become lice.
• The dead who are buried outside Eretz Yisroel will be resurrected only by suffering the pain of rolling through underground tunnels.
• So that the Egyptians didn't turn his body into something they worship. [1]

Yaakov felt so strong about these reasons, he made Yosef swear to him that he would fulfill his wishes. Yosef agreed and then Yisroel (Yaakov) prostrated himself at the head of the bed.

Rashi gives two reasons for Yaakov's prostration:

1. Hashem's Shechina was there. (From here we see that Hashem's Shechina hovers above the sick person's head.
2. He was glad that his bed was complete (perfect): none of his offspring were wicked. Specifically, Yosef, who was loyal to Hashem as a slave, was held captive among other nations, and became a king, yet still conquered his Yeitzer Hara and remained a Tzaddik. [2]

The second reason Rashi gave blows me away. Yaakov was really old and literally on his death bed - yet he still prostrated himself because of the honor he showed for Yosef's success in fighting off the Yeitzer Hara!

Yosef was (a) hated by his brothers, (b) thrown into a pit with dangerous creatures, (c) sold to Arabs, (d) a slave, (e) seduced by Potifar's wife but fought it out and won, (f) thrown into jail, etc...

He was put through so many tests. He could have been angry at Hashem for having make him go through all those experiences, and instead, Yosef fought the battle until he won!

Things like this happen in our daily lives; whether it's someone who has a stealing issue, shmiras enayiim issue, low self esteem issue, etc... These are all things that can be conquered. Hashem doesn't throw at us tests which we can not pass. He has 100% confidence in us that we can conquer the Yeitzer Hara, otherwise we wouldn't be put in these tests to begin with.

Praiseworthy is one who fights his battles and wins. We see from Yaakov how honorable it is for someone to fight his battles (whatever they may be) and succeed. He put in the extra effort to 'salute' Yosef's victory even in a time of weakness and frail.

Fighting the best we can, showing Hashem that we are His true soldiers and His servants is looked highly upon.

May we all live up to Hashem's high expectations of passing all His tests!

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] Bereishis Rabba 96:5
[2] 47:31