“And they sat to eat bread, and they lifted their eyes and saw a caravan of Yishmaelim coming from Gilad, and their camels were carrying spices, balsam, and birthwort to bring down to Egypt.” – Bereishis 37:25
Yosef was about to begin the most difficult period of his life. His own brothers left him to die in a pit of scorpions. He would soon be sold numerous times as a slave and then spend twelve months being hounded by the wife of his master, followed by imprisonment in a dank, dark dungeon where he would not see the light of day for twelve years. Clearly, Yosef was heading for hard times.
Rashi tells us this pasuk shows the great reward that is given to tzaddikim. When Yosef was bound and sold as a slave, the wagon that took him down to Egypt was carrying spices that emitted a fragrant smell, as opposed to the normal cargo that gives off an obnoxious odor. Clearly, Hashem loved the tzaddik and arranged for something out of the ordinary to protect him.
There is an obvious question concerning this Rashi: If Hashem is watching tzaddikim, why couldn’t He just save Yosef from all the suffering he was about to endure?
Comfortable Pillow in the Ambulance
This is comparable to a situation in which a man is in a catastrophic car crash that breaks almost every bone in his body. The Hatzolah crew rushes to the scene, puts him on a stretcher, and as they are speeding to the hospital, his friend riding with him says, “Look how Hashem watches over you. They even put a comfortable pillow under your head.”
One would have the right to ask, “If Hashem is concerned with this person’s well being, why didn’t He arrange for the drunk driver who hit him to crash into a pole instead of his car? Save him from the ordeal; don’t give his broken neck a comfortable pillow to lie on!”
The answer to this question seems to be that there are certain situations in life that are unavoidable, not because Hashem isn’t capable of preventing them, but quite the opposite – Hashem orchestrated them according to the needs of that person or that generation.
Yosef was to be sold as a slave and, in that state, brought to Mitzrayim. As the prelude to his future, the future of his family, and the future of the Jewish nation, this was a vital ingredient. Ultimately, for his destiny and for the good of the Jewish nation, this situation needed to happen. It was part of the master plan.
However, even within the difficult times, Hashem showed loving-kindness to Yosef. He had to be sold as a slave, but why should he suffer unnecessarily? The Arabs normally carried petroleum; why should Yosef have to suffer the offensive odor? For that reason, Hashem arranged something very uncharacteristic: the caravan was carrying perfume, not oil.
Suffering Carefully Weighed and Measured
There is a great lesson for us to take from this. In life, we will suffer through many trials and tribulations. Not only are they part of life, they are needed so that we can reach the purpose for which we were put on this planet. In that sense, they are inevitable, not because Hashem is uncaring, but because we need them. They are for our good. In the scheme of life, they serve us well, but with them comes some suffering.
The amount of suffering a person experiences is weighed, measured, and administered in exact dosages. The pain is delivered precisely and exactly, not an iota more and not an iota less. We get exactly the measure we need.