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Yosef HaTzaddik (Joseph The Righteous) Born: Aram Naharayim, 1561 BCE. Died: Egypt, 1451 BCE. Yosef was of the 12 sons of Yaakov Avinu, and became a chariot (merkavah) for the sefirah of Yesod. Yosef was the son of Yaakov Avinu (Jacob the Patriarch) and Rachel Imeinu. Yaakov
took the birthright away from Reuben and gave it to Yosef. It was suitable for
the birthright to come from Rachel. (Bava Batra 86:6, 123a). When Yosef went out to rule over Egypt, the daughters of kings would peek out of the lattices and pelt him with jewelry and rings so that he would look at them - but he did not look (Bereishit Rabbah 98:18). Every day he saw daughters of kings - sometimes adorned, sometimes perfumed, sometimes unclothed - but he did not allow himself to be tempted (Yalkut Shimoni, Vayeshev 145).
After being sold by his brothers, he ended up in Egypt. He worked at the house
of Potiphar. Potiphar's wife tried everyday to seduce him, but he refused again
and again to surrender to her. Yosef's Soul When Yosef was released from jail he received an incarnation of the soul of Chanoch ben Yered (who became the angel Matatron), a high soul from the level of Neshama of Atzilut of Zihara ila'ah. This level of soul was included in Adam, but was not impured by his sin. This high level of soul gave Yosef the beauty of Adam. At that same night the angel Gavriel appeared to Yosef and taught him 70 languages (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, hakdama 31). Yosef's soul returned as one of the Asara Harugei Malchut (Ten
Martyrs), (an incident which took place after the destruction of The
Second Temple), Rabbi
Yishmael Kohen Gadol was the reincarnation of Yosef. Yosef himself caused the brothers to sell him, and all that happened to him
as a result (Sha'ar
HaGilgulim, hakdama 31). Between publicizing his dreams of rulership,
and speaking lashon hara about his brothers, Yosef brought upon himself
all of his misfortune. |