And Joseph was the ruler over the land, he was the provider for all the people of the land. (Genesis/Bereishis 42:6)
Internet technologies are increasingly becoming part and parcel of the way we conduct our lives on so many levels, be they related to business, education, and everyday communication. In many ways this has proven to be very beneficial. But we must reiterate the great harm that can result, both spiritually and materially, from unfiltered access to this powerful medium.
It goes without saying that internet addiction destroys spiritual purity and is antithetical to Torah values. But even on the material level, it can seriously impact one's basic livelihood.
The Talmud (Kiddushin 82b) teaches that sin erodes parnassah, citing the prophet Yirmiyah's rebuke, "your iniquities have deprived you of good" (Yirmiyah 5:25). In particular, sins of moral impropriety can lead to poverty, as stated in the verse, "For on account of a Zonah, one is reduced to a loaf of bread," (Mishlei 6:26). Our Chazal explain that one who sins in matters immorality will be stricken with poverty.
Likewise, the holy Zohar (Tikunei Zohar 30b) explains that one who breaches the bounds of propriety will be pursued by poverty. Moreover, immoral pursuits impoverish intellectually as well, as they confuse the mind and reduce the power of concentration. This too will lead to failure in one's business endeavors, as we see happening all too often with people who obsess over improper subject matter on the internet.
My holy grandfather, Rebbe Dovid of Dinov ZT"L, encapsulated this idea in a wry and pithy statement. When one of his Chasiddim lamented to him about the difficulty of making a living, Parnassah, Rebbe Dovid, retorted, "Der shverkeitt mit parnassah iz an inyan foon shtus! – The difficulty with Parnassah boils down to foolishness!" When asked what this means, Rebbe David's son, the holy Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Bluzhov ZT"L explained that Rebbe Dovid was referring to the Talmudic dictum (Sotah 3a) "Ain Adam Choteh ela Im ken Nicnas bo Ruach Shtus – One does not sin unless he was infused with a foolish spirit." Foolishness leads to sin, which is the root of difficulties with Parnassah.
In fact, the sin of immoral behavior is the ultimate foolishness, for its pleasures are so fleeting, but the spiritual, material, and human destruction left in its wake is eternal. And still, the evil Satan can compel man to stumble in that arena of sheer folly.
Recognizing the powerful pull of immoral behaviors, the holy Torah and our Chazal enacted many fences and strategies to combat this urge. And yet, so many fall prey to its seductions.
Furthermore, the Satan seeks to confuse us by pointing to the many decadent people who enjoy great success in life, almost convincing us that moral depravity is prerequisite to material achievement, and that moral propriety leads to failure.
We holy Jews know better! We recognize that material success and failure are determined by Hashem according to His divine and holy will. True, eternal success can only be achieved by following His prescriptions for Life as given to us in His holy Torah.
The Baal Shem Tov, ZT"L urged Yidden to always follow and fear Hashem for as King David wrote in Tehillim (34:10), "Hashem's holy ones fear Him, for nothing is lacking to those who fear Him." This means that no lack will ever come about due to living a God-fearing life. As the psalmist continues with the simple truth that, "Deniers will be impoverished and starve, while seekers of God will not lack all that is good." Baal Shem Tov explains that we see in the world evil people who fail and God-fearing people who succeed. Thus, while we witness the converse as well, one cannot attribute failure to living the moral life, as success and immorality are clearly uncorrelated. Other Divine factors influence these circumstances.
Indeed, we know many morally upstanding individuals within our community who have achieved great success in business while maintaining the highest standards of moral propriety and integrity, and without resort to the unsavory aspects of technology that entrap so many.
Perhaps the greatest modeler of moral behavior and exemplar of the success that attaches to it is Yosef Hatzaddik. At the tender age of seventeen, he was sold into slavery in Egypt, one of the most depraved places in the world. The wife of Potiphar attempted to seduce him, appealing both immorally and financially, with the promise of extraordinary wealth if he would consort with her. Yosef mustered the moral strength and courage to resist. He ruled over his baser instincts and remained true to the teachings and values of his holy father Yakov. And in the end, he emerged a leader over all of Egypt, controlling far greater wealth than Potiphar's wife could ever have offered.
Perhaps this then is the meaning of the verse in the Torah, "And Yosef was the ruler over the land, he was the provider for all of the people of the land." Yosef ruled over the immorality of the land of Egypt, overcoming its corrupting influence through his fear of Hashem. And in that manner, he merited to be the provider and savior for all the people of Egypt, demonstrating that living the upstanding life will never lead to failure. Quite the contrary, it brings goodness to the world.
Let us follow that holy lesson, resolving to control the evil and destructive influences of technology, in the pursuit of a life that will bring honor to Hashem and all His holy children.
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