Perek Lamed Tes Flashcards
Sefer?
Parshas?
Perek?
Bereishis
Vayeshev
Lamed Tes
Did ayshes potifar have good intentions
Yes it was לשם שמים
For she saw through astrologers that her descendants would come from Yosef
And she didn’t know if it would be from her or her daughter
What is it meant “except the bread which he would eat from”? (3 answers)
1) Literal Anawer: potifar didn’t think a single thing except his menu
2) wife = potifar wife, but saying it inappropriately 
3) that Yosef took from the entire household only the bread that he needed to eat (didn’t take advance of situation or become caught up in physicality)
What did Yosef do to overcome his yetzer hara (doing relations with ayshes potifar)
Since Yosef and Yaakov look identical when he saw his father - he saw himself in the future. He saw his own potential and when he realized how great he could be, he overcame it.
Who did potifars anger flare at?
1) literal -> mad at Yosef
2) there are opinions that say his anger flared up at the situation/his wife
He fully believed Yosef knowing, he was a man of HaShem. He just had to do something to appease his wife, so he puts him in jail to start
How did potifar show Yosef favoritism as he was punished
He didn’t hand him over to his servants or officials to lead him away in humiliation and shame to prison. Rather the master himself took him by hand to walk him there. This shows how dear he was in Potifars eyes.
Summarize the story
Yosef is bought from Potifar, who became successful bad a servant in potifars house. Yosef became the second in command and was allowed access to everything in potifars house, except the bread (wife). The bread begins to bother him, to engage in a physical relationship, but the bread had good intentions for it. Yosef fights the bread - his yetzer hara in disguise, but the bread grabs ahold of his clothing telling on him. Since Yosef was respected in Potifars eyes, potifar walked him to prison rather he walked in shame with the guards
True or false was Yosef successful on his own
False
The way Yosef became successful was because of HaShem. Yosef always had HaShem on his mind - in the zechus, he was successful
Life lesson from HaShem providing yosefs sucess due to Yosef having HaShem on his mind
When we depend upon and fear bosses or human beings we put ourselves on the path of nature
But when we fear only HaShem we become above nature and will always be successful with HaShem
Two themes of the perek
1) how to overcome your yetzer hara
2) how to be successful in galus
Life lesson about dealing with the yetzer hara
When dealing with it don’t try to explain or give excuses, when you know what’s right just set your mind to it and explain to others after
What did Yosef began to do as the ruler of the entire household
Began to eat drink and curl his hair
What did Yosef do as he saw himself as the ruler of the house hold
How did HaShem respond
1) began to eat drink and curl his hair
2) HaShem said “your father is mourning and you’re curling your hair? I will let loose a bear (potifars wife) against you.”
