Imagine you own a stock brokerage firm. Cleaning your offices is a caretaker who every now and then sticks his nose into your business and makes a comment about a stock which of course you ignore. After all he is only the janitor. One day he quits and as he leaves he tells you that he happened to be a top Wall Street analyst before some unfortunate turn of events destroyed his life and caused him to accept working as a caretaker. Now things turned around and he was hired by top firm to head their brokerage department. You\’d probably kill yourself for being so blind.
The gemara says that the word \”VaYehi\” sometimes has a connotation of a very painful event. I once heard that this is pshat in the pasuk \”VaYehi BiShalach Paroh Es HaAm\”. The Medrash says that Bnei Yisroel left Mitzrayim in the formation of the Degalim that they traveled in the Midbar. Paroh always viewed them as \”good for nothing\” slaves. Upon seeing this incredible organization and understanding that these were not ordinary slaves rather son\’s of nobility, he experienced a moment of intense pain and regret.
How could it be that he had this amazing talent under his control for so long and he didn\’t take advantage of it? He could have moved Mitzrayim fast forward in time with their talents and innovation. Yet he was too busy pushing them down to realize what he had.
This is a lesson to open up your eyes and see the best in people while you still have a chance. Once it is too late they may never come back again.
