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Vayehi Hashem Es Yosef Vayehi Ish Matzliach

Written by Benjamin A Rose

Yosef is in Mitzraim and is in charge of the household of Potifar. The Torah testifies: Vayehi Hashem Es Yosef Vayehi Ish Matzliach, “And Hashem was with Yosef and he was a prosperous man.”

The Chafetz Chaim makes a very interesting observation. When we say the prayer for the new month we repeat one particular phrase. Twice we ask for Yiras shamoyim, fear of Heaven. No other request is repeated. His explanation for this is that in between these two times we have a request for Osher v’Kovod, wealth and honor.

He makes the observation that it is often the nature of people who attain the position such as Yosef’s of wealth or honor to draw away from his closeness to Hashem. We, therefore, ask again for Yiras Shamoyim implying that even if our prayer for wealth and honor be granted we still want Hashem to help us maintain our close contact with Him.

This is what the Torah testifies about Yosef. Even though he was Prosperous, Hashem was still with him. He never lost his Yiras Shamoyim.

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