It's Enough!

There is a scene in this week's parasha, Vayigash, that struck me as I read it. Jacob who has believed for years that his beloved son, Joseph, was dead finds out from his other sons that "Joseph is still alive and that he is the ruler over the whole of Egypt." Jacob's "heart went numb for he did not believe them. But when they recounted all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. "It is enough, said Israel. My son is still alive! I must go and see him before I die."

Jacob grew old and was wise enough to know that the restoration of his primary relationships indeed made him a rich man. Certainly he had faced a life of trials and tribulations, but he did not wail about his lot. He recognized that somethings could not be fixed, but the rediscovery of his precious son, filled him with great contentment. Knowing that Joseph was alive was enough for him, it brought him peace of mind.

We might ask ourselves, what are the things that make us able to say it is enough? In the song Dayenu which we sing on Pesach, we say it would have been enough for us had G-d brought us out of Egypt and not brought judgments upon the Egyptians, had G-d split the Sea but not brought us through it on dry land, had G-d plunged our enemies into the sea, and not provided for our needs in the desert for forty years, had G-d given us the manna but not Shabbat, had G-d brought us to Mt. Sinai but not given us Torah, had G-d given us Torah but not brought us into the Land of Israel. We say it would have been Enough! By saying it would have been enough, it actually means that each small step, is something for which we are grateful. We can appreciate the little pieces of life's puzzle that fit together in a way that perhaps only G-d understands.

This week I had a conversation with a dear friend of my brother who once served my as my parents' family physician. He is a bright, active-minded middle aged man who had to give up practicing medicine when he developed an auto-immune disease. The disease has ravaged his body, making it impossible to do more than one activity a day, keeping him close to home and out of public places, and making him acutely aware of his physical limitations. He grieved for a long time about his loss of good health, until he learned to redefine his life. Now he recognizes that it is a miracle that he has lived as long as he has. He is thankful that he is still able to enjoy his family, and content with keeping his mind active by writing novels. His life did not follow the dream that he once had, but none-the-less, he has learned that he is rich in other ways, ways that focus more on meaningful relationships with his family and friends.

Pirkei Avot talks a lot about who is rich. Perhaps this week's parasha, addresses that topic in its own way. The rich person is the one who know that it is possible to be content when one knows that primary relationships are more important than monetary wealth.

Shabbat Shalom.