So begins the salvation of Yosef HaTzaddik, which would have commenced two years earlier had Yosef not shown a deficiency in his bitachon, trust in Hashem. After all has been said and done, Yosef truly suffered as a slave and a prisoner. He spent a good portion of his formative adult life away from family, alone in a pagan, immoral world. How did he do it? How was he able to maintain his extraordinary fidelity to Hashem amidst the multitude of tzaros, troubles, that accompanied him for thirteen years. This was followed by nine more years during which he was viceroy of Egypt, but had still not been reunited with his father. Twenty-two years of separation leave a scar. Apparently, Yosef weathered his travail incredibly well. What was his secret?
What is the distinction between joy and happiness? Happiness is a description of life as a whole. Joy means celebrating the moment. Every time a challenge arises, one should experience joy. How? When one delights in the knowledge that he is here by the grace of Hashem, that every minute of his existence is powered by the Almighty, he becomes joyous. One needs neither wealth nor power in order to feel joy. He experiences it via the realization that this moment is “sponsored” by Hashem; that He cares; that the pain is Heaven-sent for a designated purpose. When we live the “moment” and experience Hashem’s Presence within this moment, we attach ourselves to eternity. Can there be a greater reason for joy? This is how Yosef lived. This is how we should live – every moment, every breath, every experience: if we experience Hashem, we feel joy.
