12 25 25 – No Tears

In the Torah, we find people crying in a lot of the narratives. However, nobody cries as much as Joseph. Let me say it again: nobody cries as much as Joseph! And it is all recorded in the text. He cries not once, not twice, but eight times (Gen. 44:24; 43:30; 45:2; 45:14; 46:29; 50:1; 50:3; 50:15). And these are not like crocodile tears that I shed as a boy when my little mouse, Ali-Baba, died. This is very, very intense sobbing. This is uncontrollable! These waterworks are saturated with emotions.

The style of the Torah does not focus attention on what the characters look like, what they are thinking inside, or what feelings they might be having internally. Rather, the Torah fundamentally focuses on their actions. So these crying episodes are very, very rare. And the question that inquiring minds want to know is: if the Torah is here to teach us lessons about life, and nothing is random, why bring so much attention to Joseph and his tears?

What can we possibly glean from Joseph's tears? In order to examine this topic and bring to the surface some kind of learning and wisdom, we have to look at the times Joseph cried and the context of those tears—and when he did not cry. This morning, I want to focus on all the times that Joseph did not cry.

Joseph did not cry when he was jumped, kidnapped, and thrown into a pit with venomous snakes and scorpions by his own siblings (Gen. 37:20–24).
He did not cry when, as a hostage, he was sold to a caravan of Arabs who took him to the land of Egypt (Gen. 37:28).
He did not cry when he was sold into slavery to Potiphar (Gen. 37:36).
He did not cry when, as a slave, he was seduced by his master's wife, who then framed him for rape (Gen. 39:7–18).
He did not cry when he was sentenced to a very lengthy prison term (Gen. 39:19–20).
He did not cry when he befriended another inmate, the butler, who forgot his promise to remember Joseph (Gen. 40:14–15, 23).
He did not cry when he was not released, when he was left to rot in prison, having been betrayed by his own family, employer, and friends (Gen. 41:9–13).

Joseph does not cry when he is under immediate threat or uncertainty of his fate—as he must have been under these circumstances. Why does the text not tell us that he cried during those times? Inquiring minds want to know. He knew the Lord was with him. He had a "with-ness."

Instead, he maintained the ability to stay focused. At every step, he was developing mental toughness and the capacity to handle stress while maintaining composure under pressure, adapting to changing circumstances, and not succumbing to fear or panic.

The call of the hour for Joseph was to develop a warrior mindset, which includes the ability to endure hardship, setbacks, obstacles, and high-pressure situations, and to stay determined through it all, relying on his faith in God, which strengthened his moral values, integrity, and his code of honor. After all, he is an Israelite—Abraham's seed, like you (Gal. 3:29; Isa. 41:8; John 10:39).

In the days ahead, may we all know when to focus and when to let the tears flow.

Happy fifth day of the week!

Shalom

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