Yosef Hatzaddik was the first “Jewish boy who made good.” We live in an era when the Jewish community craves Jewish heroes. We love our Jewish Nobel Prize winners, our Jewish comedians and our Jewish intellectuals. But Yosef Hatzaddik was the first. He was the first Jewish immigrant to make it to the top of a Gentile society.

There are a few lessons that I think we can learn from Yosef Hatzaddik’s behavior, even if we don’t perform on a stage equivalent to his.

We can learn the true meaning of humility from Yosef Hatzaddik. Humility is one of the cardinal virtues in the Torah’s system of behavior. Yet it is often misunderstood. The Netziv (Bamidbar, 12:3) explains that humility is not born out of an artificial sense of worthlessness. The anav is aware of his achievements and abilities. What makes the anav special is that he is aware that any special quality that he possesses is a gift from Hashem. This awareness prevents him from behaving in arrogant fashion, but does not prevent the anav from speaking out when necessary.

Yosef behaved with exquisite graciousness towards his father and brothers when they lived with him. Yet when he appeared before Pharaoh as a convict he boldly proclaimed his belief in a God who was unknown to this king and his court. Pharaoh only asked Yosef for his interpretation of his dreams. Yosef provided not only the prophetic interpretations but also advice on how to exploit the situation facing Pharaoh. The Netziv would see no incongruity between the way Yosef behaved with his family and the way he carried himself in the court of Pharaoh. In both situations we see a person aware of what Hashem expects of him and behaving appropriately.

Another lesson that we can learn from Yosef is bitachon. There are few areas of life that can confound a believing Jew as much as the issue of bitachon. How much effort should we expend on achieving what we believe are legitimate goals and when should we cease struggling and rely on Hashem?

At the end of last week’s parsha Yosef provided Pharaoh’s wine steward with the good news that he would be released from prison. Yosef then proceeds to tell the wine steward the long sad story of how he was kidnapped and thrown into prison. He asks, not unreasonably, the wine steward to tell Pharaoh of his predicament and to seek his release. We all know the last verse of the parsha: “And the wine steward did not remember Yosef and he forgot him.” Rashi comments on this verse that as a punishment for placing his hopes on the wine steward Yosef was to spend another two years in prison.

Anyone reading this comment of Rashi’s will ask, “What else should Yosef have done?” Nobody imagines that Yosef ever stopped praying for his release from prison. But here was an opportunity to have an influential person intercede on his behalf. Why shouldn’t Yosef avail himself of this opportunity, and why was this judged to be a lack of bitachon?

The Chazon Ish zt”l wrote an essay on the subject of bitachon titled “Emunah u’Vitachon.” In this essay (chapter 2, paragraph 6) he answers this question. We are expected to make reasonable efforts to achieve our goals. After having made these efforts we may rely upon Hashem. Yosef’s mistake was his expectation that an Egyptian would ever feel obliged to reciprocate a good turn. Yosef knew that Egyptians lack any feeling of gratitude. Asking the wine steward to act on Yosef’s behalf shows that Yosef despaired of Hashem rescuing him. For this he was punished.

The Sfat Emet shows that Yosef learned from this experience. When Yosef appeared before Pharaoh he didn’t ask Pharaoh for a pardon. The Sfat Emet says that this is the meaning of the last word in the parsha “vayishkacheihu.” It doesn’t mean that the wine steward forgot Yosef. Rather it means that Yosef put the wine steward out of his mind, and relied only on Hashem for his deliverance.