The Torah tells us that when Yosef became aware that his father Yaakov had come to Egypt, “Yosef harnessed his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen.” Rashi cites Chazal who explain, “He personally harnessed his chariot in order to honor his father with cheerfully and with exuberance.” Yosef did not want to be delayed in honoring his father by delegating this task to his servants. The Torah tells us that Avraham, our Patriarch and Bilaam the evil one both harnessed their own donkeys when they had set out on their individual objectives. The Torah tells us regarding Avraham, that he harnessed his own donkey when he was told to perform the Akeidah (The Binding of Yitzchak). Chazal explain that although Avraham was extremely wealthy and was 137 years old at the time, he harnessed his own donkey rather than delegating it to his servants because “Love disrupts all protocol.” Avraham’s love for G’d was to such a degree that at that moment all that existed was fulfilling the Will of G’d. His sense of self at that moment did not exist. We also find that when Bilaam, the prophet for the nations of the world, embarked on his journey to curse the Jewish people to destroy them he hitched his own donkey. Chazal explain the reason for this was, “Hate disrupts all protocol.” Bilaam’s intense and all consuming hate for the Jewish people caused him to be singularly focused on his mission to destroy the Jewish people. His sense of self had no relevance at that moment, although he was a selfabsorbed and egotistic person. One would think that regarding Yosef harnessing his own chariot, despite being the Viceroy of Egypt, Chazal would have also said that this is another example of, “Love disrupts all protocol.” Yosef’s special love for his father Yaakov would have caused him not to focus on his own status. However, Chazal do not say this. Rather, Yosef harnessed his own donkey so that he could honor his father without delay. Why is this example not similar to that of Avraham harnessing his own donkey? Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky comments: The Torah tells us that when Yaakov came to Egypt, although the famine was initially meant to be for seven years it ceased upon his arrival to do his merit. The famine thus lasted only two years. The ending of the famine due to Yaakov’s arrival was a sanctification of G’d’s Name. Despite the fact that the Egyptian people were pagans, they understood that the ending of the famine was due to Yaakov, who was the representation of the Omnipotent G’d in existence. This was only a sanctification of G’d’s Name because the people had a sense of Yaakov’s importance and value due to the Viceroy’s hitching his own chariot. Since the Egyptian people were aware that Yosef, the Viceroy, who was one of the most renowned and powerful personalities in the world, harnessing his own chariot to accord his father proper honor in the most expedient manner, they realized that Yaakov must of an exceptional dimension of person. When Yaakov had come to Egypt he had given a special blessing to Pharaoh that the Nile would rise in his presence. By doing so, it provided water to all of Egypt. Thus, Yaakov, the man of G’d, became synonymous with the one who gives life. Regarding Avraham’s harnessing of his own donkey, it was purely out of his love for G’d. No one was aware of the objective of his mission to bring his son to the Akeidah. Thus, it was only to reveal to us that “love disrupts all protocol.”
Prepared by Devorah Abenhaim
