The term Tzadik is a heavy word. It carries along with it a great sense of influence, responsibility, and power. Out of Yaakov’s twelve children, only one of them is described to be a Tzadik. Shimon and Levi save their sister from harm, yet they aren’t referred to as any great men. What is it that makes Yosef into such a special person, worthy of the title Tzadik? Surely, there must be something that gives him favor above his other brothers. Having favor in Yaakov’s eyes is not a significant enough factor for Yosef to be seen as a Tzadik. Eisav was favored by Ytzchack, but we clearly do not see the hunter to be a Tzadik.

What is it that makes Yosef so special?

First, we must understand a little bit about Yosef’s character and history. The Torah introduces Yosef in the following way: And Yosef would bring evil reports about them to their father [Genesis:37:2]. The very first thing we are told about Yosef is that he brings evil reports of his brothers to their father. It is understood that his intentions were not to be obnoxious to his brothers, but respectful to their father by bringing in a report of them, which happened to be an evil one.

Rashi notes that Yosef had misinterpreted their actions and they were in fact innocent of the accusations. Although he was being sincere, he is at fault for intertwining his feelings with the report. He did not give his brethren the benefit of the doubt. He should have reported to Yaakov facts and should have left out his own negative conclusions. (Mizrachy: Gur Aryeh).

Yosef doesn’t seem like such a Tzadik if he isn’t capable of giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Instead of being factual he reports negatively with his own ill conclusions. The Spies who, instead of reporting strictly facts, mix up their own feelings and predicaments parallel Yosef’s actions toward his brothers. It’s logical that his brothers dislike the youth. He does not seem to bid them a positive and likeable image, definitely not the image of a Tzadik.

Furthermore, Yosef seems to go out of his way to irritate his eleven older brothers.

Yosef has a gift; he interprets dreams. His first dream consists their sheaves bowing down to Yosef. A quick question follows his story, will Yosef truly reign over us? So the brothers continued to hate their brother, as it says: “because of his dreams and because of his words” [Genesis:37:8]. Words seem simple, but needs a little elaboration. His words meaning his evil report to Yaakov. But the first part of their hate seems a little unreasonable.

They hate Yosef because of his dreams?

The eleven brothers don’t hate Yosef because of his dreams; they hate Yosef because of the cause of his dreams. They understand dream is a significant. They know that if Yosef is dreaming of reigning over them, then it must be within his thoughts to do so. They do not hate the dream, they hate Yosef’s thoughts of superiority and wish to reign over them.

After the first dream, Yosef follows by telling them the second dream. The second time the cosmos are bowing down to the youth. However, this time it is not told strictly to his brothers, but also to their father. We can infer from the Pasuk that Yosef first told his brothers and then told Yaakov. The lack of conversation between ט and י lead us to believe that after Yosef’s brothers did not respond to his dream and chose to ignore it. After not getting a reaction from his brothers, Yosef tells their father, Yaakov, about his dream in front of his brothers.

Why?

Why would Yosef do such a thing? What is going through his head as he thinks of telling his brothers the second dream? Surely he understands their hatred toward him, yet he seems to flare up their hatred to him.

Yosef, seems like a complicated character who, in my opinion, resembles Eisav for his difference between his brethren. Yaakov and Eisav are opposites, so too is Yosef opposite from his brothers. When Yaakov tells his son to check on his brothers in Shechem he says: “Here I am” [Genesis:37:13]! Despite their obvious hatred, Yosef does not ask his father to rethink his request. This is Yosef’s first sign of being a Tzadik.

Yosef does not seek the easy way out, he acts truthfully and eagerly. Instead of trying to get out of checking on his brothers, he eagerly accepts his father’s command. Yosef respects Yaakov and is willing to take their hatred if it means doing the right thing.

On his way to Shechem, Yosef gets lost and is directed by a man in their direction. This is Yosef’s second sign, which builds up on the first. He has enough reasons to walk back. He looked and got lost. He has a perfectly reasonable excuse to escape a confrontation with his brothers, yet he does not lose his drive for honesty. He has a drive. A drive to be honest even if complications arise and it requires being hated by his brothers.

There is no recorded conversation between the twelve sons when Yosef has found them. Yosef, even after being stripped by his brothers and taken captive, does not curse at them, criticize them, nor does he beg to change his ways if it means saving his life. He is put in a pit and then sold as a slave. He went through a quick transition of being the favorite son to being nothing.

Yosef was no longer a Prince, he had become a slave to Potifar and his house. He goes from being a high to a low. There is no greater contrast than a high who symbolizes greatness, to a low who symbolizes nothingness. After climbing his way up on the slave-food-chain Yosef finds favor in his master’s eyes. Not only does Potifar favor the man, but his wife does too.

This was Yosef’s greatest challenge.

Yosef is betrayed by his family, being thrown in a pit, being sold as a slave, and being thrown off his high seat to the bottom. Despite what was done to him he climbs the slave-food-chain and is favored by his masters and is given a high position. But, when Potifar’s wife approaches him seeking pleasure, she is rejected.

This was Yosef’s lollipop moment.

After everything he endured and lived through, he rejects Potifar’s wife. Yosef saw the predicament he was in. Pleasure her and keep his position and enjoy the Egyptian life, or reject her and be sent off for upsetting her. Yosef remembered his morals. He remembered his father. He remembered who he was. Instead of letting the world he was in change him, he stuck to his roots.

Yosef was a Tzadik not for interpreting dreams, not for being Yaakov’s favorite, he was a Tzadik for choosing to follow the traditions his father taught him, even if it meant repeating the cycle his brothers started. He could have lost sight of his heritage with ease, but chose against it. Yosef understood there is something greater than pleasure in this world and that the traditions he was taught by Yaakov were dearer to him than a high position. Yosef was a Tzadik for remembering who he was and not losing sight of his life.