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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- MIKAITZ
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
“Waste not, want not,” is one of the most common adages in any ethnic, culture, language, and land, as is, “Willful waste makes woeful want.” Other examples of this principle read, “Every day you waste is one you can never make up,” and “The waste of plenty is the resource of scarcity.” In Act 5 Scene 5 of ‘The Life and Death of Richard the Second,’ Shakespeare has the title character state, “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me." Celebrated French novelist Victor Hugo proclaimed, "Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time." And, so on, and so forth.
Howsoever the world at large regards the sin of waste, the Torah’s view of it, as expressed in this week’s Sidra, goes a lot deeper. But, we will return to this shortly. After having successfully interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh, Yosef went on to advise:
“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.” (B’raishis 41:33)
Basically, Yosef advised that for the upcoming seven years of plenty, a discrete and wise minister be appointed to gather up as much grain as possible, in order that Egypt survive during the seven years of famine, which will follow the years of plenty. As well, such a minister would be in charge of a national movement not to waste any of the valuable grain during the years of plenty.
Rav Elya Lopian (1876- 1970) of blessed memory, posed the following question on this episode. In truth, how discrete and wise does a minister actually have to be, if his only responsibilities are to amass, and make certain there is no waste? Shouldn’t one of just average ability, be equipped to fulfill this office?
Truthfully, answered Rav Elya, if the situation before the Pharaoh had been one of normal circumstances, Yosef would never have stipulated a discrete and wise minister. Nevertheless, Yosef knew that during years of plenty, when grain and food are in abundance, there is a false psychological security that, since no one is needy at present, the status will not change. Wasting resources and not planning for the predictable downturns of the future during such years of abundance, would be inevitable.
And, he knew as well, that during years of famine, any grain sprout that could be found weakly growing under a rock, would be considered a delicacy. This we know from countless stories dealing with famines, that have been circulated round the world.
Now, regarding the years of plenty, explained Rav Elya, society in general finds it very difficult to realize that things might, and will most probably, change. The discrete and wise minister whom Yosef suggested then, would be a cerebral individual, who could with logic and reason still conceive of famine even in years of plenty, and would know how to encourage a population to go against their natural destructive tendency, by making them amass and not waste food.
That is why Yosef suggested to the Pharaoh that a discrete and wise minister be appointed, one who could clinically see what was to come in the impending future, and act accordingly.
Informative as this may be, we initially did state that the concept of not wasting in the Torah goes much deeper than the world’s understanding of it. How is this so? We return to the words of Rav Elya.
In reality, the world which we inhabit is a world of plenty, a world of abundance, and a world where there is no shortage to anyone. Of course, this refers to the possibility and ease in this physical existence, of accomplishing Mitzvos. Everyone, without exception, can find literal mountains and glaciers of Mitzvos in this existence to be performed. Whether it is the study of Torah, Tz’daka (charity), or even something as simple as the binding of T’fillin, the world is filled to the brim with such Mitzvos, waiting for no one else but us, to fulfill them.
Now, while this certainly sounds like the deal of the century, there is however, a small catch. These great amounts of Mitzvos can only be performed in this corporeal existence. Once we as humans, shed this mortal coil (in a 120 years), the years of plenty abruptly conclude, and we are suddenly in the famine of not being able to perform Mitzvos again.
Therefore, instructed Rav Elya, while we reside in this world of plenty, it is our obligation to amass as many Mitzvos as is humanly possible, without wasting even one of them. In this present life then, one must be discrete and wise to plan for the future. Just as one does not squander away his entire salary, but continuously puts away a little something for his later years, so too must we amass Mitzvos, never wasting an opportunity to perform them.
The story is told of the Vilna Gaon (Rabbeinu Eliyahu Kramer 1720- 1797) of blessed memory, who upon his death bed, was seen crying by his Talmidim (disciples), who could not understand this. After all, they reasoned, was he not the great Gaon who spent his entire life in the pursuit of Torah, not wasting time at all? Was there any doubt that such as he would have his honored place reserved for him in the World to Come?
“Why does the Gaon weep?” they asked him.
At first, the Gaon did not respond, but grabbed his Tzitzis (fringes) instead, and held them up saying, “How difficult it is for me to separate from this world of action! For, in this world, one can elevate himself to great and lofty levels with so little effort, with the simple effort that it takes to wear these Tzitzis. Alas, in the next world, this can be done no more. And, that is why I cry.”
And so, while we exist in this world of ‘plenty,’ whereby Mitzvos are ubiquitous and ever present, we must become discrete and wise to amass, and never to waste them. The time for accomplishment is now, in this world of abundance.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
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