ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק לכל הניצבים (ויגש מה: א)

And Yosef couldn’t bear that the Egyptians would be present (when revealing himself to his brothers - causing them embarrassment.) 

At fifteen years old, the Gaon R’ Akiva Eiger z’’tl was already considered a great ‘illui’ (someone extremely well-versed in Torah).  He was read a shidduch to the daughter of a very wealthy man.  The rich man sent two talmidei chachamim well-versed in Torah to test R’ Akiva to see if he was such a notable illui.

R’ Akiva stood near his father while being tested.  The two men started asking him questions, but R’ Akiva remained silent and didn’t answer.  When they saw that he wasn’t answering their questions, they left, saying, “This is the great illui everyone’s talking about? He doesn’t even know how to answer one question!”

When they left, his annoyed father asked him, “Why didn’t you open your mouth and respond to at least one question?!” R’ Akiva replied, “Because I noted by their questions that they weren’t based on accurate information on Tosfos, and if I had answered them, they would realize their mistake and thus get embarrassed.”

His father retorted: “Because you remained silent, you destroyed a shidduch!” To which R’ Akiva responded, “It’s better that the shidduch didn’t happen rather than embarrassing a fellow Yid!”

Filed under Parshas Vayigash |