Joseph: The Paradox of Descent The story of Joseph is a story of a resounding fall. From being his father’s favored child, Joseph was sold as a slave, and if he thought he could not descend any further, he was put into prison, with no hope in sight. The verse states "and Joseph was brought down to Egypt”, the Hebrew word for “brought down”, is the word for descent, decline and downgrade. Despite the bleak picture that “Hurad”, “brought down”, evokes, on closer examination we find a deeper perspective. Although Joseph did not realize it at the time, the terrible descent was, in fact, a critical step in his future ascent to becoming the leader of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Indeed, the Hebrew word “hurad” is a contronym, a single word that contains two opposite meanings, as “Hurad” also means “to rule”, as the Midrash explains: “Joseph was brought down”: The Hebrew word “hurad” (הוּרַד), “brought down,” can also mean “made ruler”, as the verse states: “and he will rule (“vayerd”) from sea to sea”. As it indeed came to pass that “Joseph is the ruler over the land, he is the provider to all the people of the land.” Chasidic philosophy emphasizes that “the descent is for the purpose of the ascent”, that every setback, failure, and disappointment, can become a springboard for growth. Yet, the idea embedded in the double meaning of “Hurad”, brought down, is more profound: not only does the descent lead to something positive in the future, but rather, if we look deeper we can see the descent as part and parcel of the future growth. Throughout the story, no matter how difficult the circumstances, Joseph remained optimistic and upbeat; that was possible because he sensed the third meaning of the word Hurad. The Midrash continues and explains the passive form of the word, “was brought down”, and explains that it refers to the Divine presence which was “brought down” to Egypt together with Joseph. The story of Joseph is also our own story. It is a lesson for each of us. In the moments that we are “brought down”, when we enter a difficult circumstance or challenge, we must realize that we are not alone, that G-d descends with us. Therefore, not only are we able to survive a difficulty but we can rule over it, grow from it, and use it as an opportunity to advance our divine mission, spreading goodness and holiness throughout the world. Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likutei Sichos 25 Vayeshev - 19 Kislev
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