HaRav Aryeh Levi is at the right
I once heard in the name of HaRav Yisroel Yaakov Lubchansky who was Mashgiach by HaRav Elchonon Wassermann and asked the following question: After Yosef interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, he said to Pharaoh: 'And now, let the king seek a wise and intelligent man and appoint him over the land of Egypt.'
Why was it necessary to find an 'intelligent' man? The need was for a capable administrator to divide Egypt into many sectors, to determine the amount of produce needed in each one and appoint people to execute the job. All that was needed was a good manager, but why must he be navon? What is the connection?
He said that it seems that the Egyptians already understood that a famine was in the offing, since Pharaoh's dream was already becoming fulfilled in its first part, with the years of plenty evident. But man's nature is that he is affected by what he sees, and when he sees that Egypt is filled with bounty and is told that soon this will disappear and there will be hunger and even understands that the plenty is there to offset the eventual famine, his eyes seem to deceive him so that he finds it hard to believe that famine is around the corner.
And then, when the government officer comes to claim his share from the produce, he will say to him: 'Not today. I need the food for a family affair. I can only give you half.'
So he gives him half the allowance, but this is repeated time after time, each with the excuse of 'just this once.' In the end, there will not be enough to cover the needs of the famine.
To counter this psychology, there is a need for an intelligent man who is not influenced by what he sees but can act according to his common sense.
This is a concept which every person should sharpen to himself. We must be intelligent enough not to be swayed by appearances. Today, especially, when the youth is faced by a test of being enticed into joining the army etc., which is indeed a difficult trial, he is magnetized but our intelligence should work for us to realize that our goal is only to study Torah. This is what Hashem wants from us, and this is what will best serve the public and the individual.
Let us not be swayed by what we see in the outside world but rather rely on what our Torah leaders instruct us, that Torah study guides us to our goal, which is to draw close to Hashem. This is the only thing which provides sanctity to Eretz Yisroel and saves our people. For surely, without this holiness of the Land, we have no existence.
Each person must stop and think in his life what his purpose is in this world. What does he want from life? And he must conduct himself according to this conclusion and disregard anything which negates this goal.
This will create tremendous honor for Heaven which, in turn, will grant us a true and complete Geula, speedily and in our time.
In Ofakim
