Perfection and Perseverance
Bassed of an essay by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz - Talks on the Parasha: Vayigash pg 87
If you are a perfectionist, people have probably criticized you for it. There are lots of advantages to being a perfectionist like striving to do your best, producing great work, being successful, paying attention to details, making fewer errors and being someone people can count on.
Some disadvantages of perfectionism include overworking, beating yourself up for making mistakes, never feeling like you are good enough, comparing yourself to others and judging yourself on your performance and other externals. On the other hand, some perfectionists procrastinate because the thought of all the hard work required to do a “perfect” job feels exhausting or they don’t take risks because of fear of failure. When perfectionism gets out of control, it can lead to anxiety and depression. When a perfectionist fails, they very rarely manage to make a comeback - they are obsessed with the failure and don't believe that they can ever produce work that is worthy of success.
The inverse of this personality is someone who accepts their limitations and can live with them. They try their best and their best is sometimes good enough. They are easy going and when they fail, they get up, dust themselves off and get back on the horse and try again. We all know people who represent both personalities, we might even know examples of these. Maybe an artist who can't get the perfect painting out to a gallery, or an author who continuously rewrites a book because it's never perfect enough to submit to a publisher.
So it is with the heroes of our portion this week, namely, first and foremost; Joseph and to a much lesser degree - but no less important - Judah.
The fraught relationship between Joseph and Judah comes to a head in this week's portion of Vayigash. In Genesis 44:18 it states, “Then Judah went up to him”. The midrash explains that this is a momentous event. “This one was filled with anger for that one, and that one filled with anger for this one.” (Genesis Rabba 93:2). This is an epic clash between two different personalities and one that continues to this day. It is important to mention that this is not necessarily a conflict of hate and animosity such as that of Jacob and Esau, but rather a clash of personalities. There are as many examples of cooperation as there are of conflict between these two representatives of the distinct personality traits.
Joseph the Perfectionist
In parashat Vayigash we see Joseph in all his regal glory - he has every thing that Judah lacks. Joseph has always been the smarter one, the more handsome one, the more successful one and the most loved one. Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, has none of this. As compared to Joseph he is but a shepherd from a remote backwater. It is on this backdrop that we then read, “Judah went up to him.” - meaning, he stood face to face with this king as his equal.
Joseph outshines Judah with respect to his glory but what Judah possesses that Joseph doesn’t is endurance, perseverance and staying power.
Judah perseveres since he has the advantage of being able to fail. When Judah fails at something he gets up again and keeps going, he doesn’t let failure deter him from his path. This is his special quality and one that Joseph does not have.
Joseph and his descendants inherited a fragile perfection. When something breaks that perfection, they are unable to fix it. For Joseph every situation is all or nothing whereas Judah is adept at raising himself up again.
A clash of personalities
A great example is that of Saul and David. Both Saul and David sinned. However the difference between them is that when Saul sinned, he continued to sin - he broke once and was then unable to put the pieces back together and carry on.In contrast when David sins, he draws new wisdom and maturity from the experience, penning the book of Psalms in its wake. King David can sink low, but he can channel that low point in his life into real spiritual growth. This is something that Joseph, by his very nature, can’t do.
This conflict of personalities between the descendants of the house of Joseph and the house of Judah is present throughout the bible and in fact throughout our history as a Jewish people. The differences surface again when the kingdom of Israel is split in two with the houses of Joseph and of Judah going their separate ways.
Yerovam is an impressive figure, a man chosen by God to rule over the 10 tribes of Israel. No matter what impression we have of him, he is certainly an extraordinary personality. Facing Yerovam is Rehavam. Rehavam is a man who is a bit confused, he doesn’t know exactly what to do with his new kingdom. Eventually he manages to lose his kingdom. We really don’t know too much about this personality who inherited the kingdom of Judah.
Nevertheless, Yerovam who was a great man and a far greater scholar than Rehavam, sinned and caused others to sin - for this there is no atonement. Rehavam might not have been a righteous king or even a significant king, yet he carried on the line of the house of David. No royal line of the kings of Joseph manages to last more than a few generations. By contrast the kings of the house of David are able to build a stable dynasty and ultimately to persevere.
The perseverance of Judah
Joseph was born a true righteous person - sometimes it is immediately clear that a person is innately good. Such a person who bears an aspect of perfection by his very nature must be judged by his ability to remain at this level. Possessing all the virtues is not enough if he is unable to rectify himself the moment he becomes flawed.
"one who is characterized by wholeness and perfection and one who is characterized by fault and repair"
For Judah, his character seems to deteriorate. He sells Joseph, His conduct with Tamar demonstrates a moral deficiency. Nevertheless, he is able to confront Joseph directly - “He went up to him”. Here is a person who has quite a few matters on his conscience and an unsavory past. We might have expected him to sit quietly on the sidelines, but we see him take action instead.
Judah not only puts his life on the line, but he is willing to also face up to his past actions. That wide gulf between his past actions and his current conduct is exactly what defined Judah. Judah despite all his baggage rises anew ready to come to grips with whatever he must face. That is Judah’s strength. By contrast, Joseph - by nature and as a matter of principle - cannot change, cannot be flexible. He is a perfectionist and this is precisely what breaks him.
Judah begins entirely from below. He begins as nothing. He is neither the firstborn, nor is he the most physically imposing of Jacob’s children. However, he prevailed over his brothers and continuously persevered generation after generation.
Wherever Judah and Joseph interact it is a meeting between perfection and adaptability. Throughout history, Joseph represents splendor, even heroism. In contrast, Judah is flawed and beleaguered, beset with difficulties; but in the end, Judah always prevails.
Judah and Joseph are two branches. The conflict between them is not personal but, rather, a conflict between essential natures. It is very difficult for them to join together since they are two different character types that cannot be integrated but can work together, side-by-side.
“Those of us who are so close to perfection are also the most fragile among us.”
Perfection and Perseverance
Judah and Joseph represent two different elements, each of which retains its distinctiveness. The inevitable internal conflict in this coexistence is the very thing that creates beauty.
In Joseph’s case there is an element of great tragedy. People who possess character traits of Joseph are incomparable in their splendor and virtual perfection. They are radiant suns, but have no way of recovering from a fall. Those of us who are so close to perfection are also the most fragile among us.
Apparently, until the end of time, these two types will remain: one who is characterized by wholeness and perfection and one who is characterized by fault and repair; one who draws his strength from his perfection and the other, from the power of renewal. These two will never completely unite, but together they comprise the tension that makes our lives so vibrant. We live between Judah and Joseph, and when the two elements work in perfect tandem, the symphony of life is formed.
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