Then Yosef said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me,” and they drew closer. And he said, “I am your brother Yosef whom you sold into Egypt. But now do not be sad, and let it not trouble you that you sold me here, for it was to preserve life that G-d sent me before you. For already two years of famine [have passed] in the midst of the land, and [for] another five years, there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And G-d sent me before you to make for you a remnant in the land, and to preserve [it] for you for a great deliverance. (Breishis 45:4-7)

The life of Yosef is a study in virtuousness! He endures every insult and accusation, and temptation, and abandonment, and even power and success, and he remains a Tzadik. However, in my humble opinion, from where I am sitting, his greatest accomplishment and demonstration of greatness was that he immediately forgave his brothers, and never showed a wrinkle of resentment or anger throughout his entire ordeal. How did he do it?

Another aspect of Yosef’s life is his enormous success in all his endeavors. I do believe he is the only person in the Torah called, “a successful man” – “Ish Matzliach”. Even Potifar, who put him in jail, the Torah tells us, saw that HASHEM was with him”. How did that Egyptian perceive that HASHEM was with him? Rashi explains that Potifar saw him succeeding in everything he did, but he noticed something else about the way he went about his business. He was constantly speaking quietly to himself and when Potifar inquired as to what he was saying he told him that he was praying to HASHEM for assistance. “Shem Shemayim Shagur B’Piv” – “The Name of Heaven was always in his mouth”.

This may explain why he was such an enormous source of blessing – material well-being, for his family, Egypt, and the whole world. All were fed by Yosef. Shlomo HaMelech writes, “Ish Emunos Rab Brochos…” – “A reliable man will abound with blessing”. (Mishlei 28:20) The Sefas Emes explains that like any other good father, HASHEM wants to shower his children with all goodness. Yet, He must judge wisely so as not to spoil them.

Yosef was not broken by failure or overly intoxicated with success. He was an “ISH EMUNOS”, a steady, reliable, and dutiful person, worthy to be a vehicle for BROCHO! How is this done? The Talmud in Makos boils Torah to one singular principle, as the Navi Habakuk says, “Tzadik B’Emunso Yichiah”. “The righteous lives with his faith!” Maybe we can attribute Yosef’s enormous success and his generosity of spirit to not be angry with his brothers, to his profound EMUNAH in HASHEM.

A man came to the Divre’ Chaim with a terrible personal problem based on a giant character flaw. He opened up to the Rebbe, “I am an angry person! I cannot control myself! Rebbe, what should I do?” The Rebbe listened and thought for a few moments. He told the man that this is a very difficult situation and he needs time to think about what to do. He asked the man to sit in a waiting room in the meantime.

Immediately, the Rebbe called over his Gabai. He asked him, “Can you devise a scheme to get that fellow in the waiting room upset!?” The Gabai answered affirmatively and the Rebbe told him to go do it now. Minutes later the Gabai was passing through where the man was seated, and he was carrying a tray with tea and creamy cake and then he pretended to trip and he spilled it all over the man. He was covered with messy stuff. The Gabai began to blame him for tripping him. The man accepted the injury and the insult with perfect equanimity.

Then the Rebbe called the man in and when he saw that he was all wet and covered with cream. The Rebbe, acting startled, asked the man what happened!? He told him exactly what transpired and the Rebbe asked him, “And you didn’t get angry!?” To which the man confessed, “I heard you telling the Gabai and I knew you were testing me!”

Then the Rebbe told him, “You can control yourself when you know you are being tested. Know that HASHEM is testing you.”

Yosef, the Ish Emunah, lived with HASHEM and he constantly understood that life is dense with many tests big and small.