Daily Chizuk #1514

Parashat Vayigash: The Final Corridor
In this week's parasha, Vayigash, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers with the words, אני יוסף, העוד אבי חי - "I am Yosef; is my father still alive?" These words evoke the statement from Chazal, אוי לנו מיום הדין, "Woe to us from the Day of Judgment." Yosef's brothers had repeatedly expressed concern for their aged father, but when Yosef asked this question, they realized they had been contradicting themselves. They had caused their father to suffer for 22 years by selling Yosef into slavery. The Rabbis caution us not to repeat their mistake. While we may justify our actions with excuses, one day we will stand in judgment before Hashem, and we do not want to be found hypocritical.
Our purpose in this world is to follow Torah and mitzvot in the circumstances Hashem has placed us. We are held accountable not only for our actions but also for the opportunities we could have embraced but did not. A central aspect of emunah is believing that every moment of our lives matters and that Hashem expects us to use each moment productively.
Someone who internalizes this perspective will live each day to its fullest, maximizing the potential Hashem has bestowed upon him.
Shabbat Shalom!