[Avodah] Y'fas To'ar

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Sep 10, 2008 at 01:07:51PM +0300, Marty Bluke wrote:
: On a related topic, Yosef is called Yosef Hatzaddik becauase he
: resisted the temptations of Potiphar's wife. It always bothered me why
: he is called a tzaddik for that for a number of reasons:
: 1. Basically he didn't violate the issur of arayos, does that make you
: a tzadik? If a man resists adultery he is a tzaddik?

I understood it that he risked his life in order to avoid arayos -- all
the while also resisting a culture where arayos were di rigeur. She owned
him. If he wouldn't comply, there was no reason to assume she wouldn't
just have him killed. Particularly since, if he was left around to speak
up, /she/ would be in trouble with her husband.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The purely righteous do not complain about evil,
micha at aishdas.org        but add justice, don't complain about heresy,
http://www.aishdas.org   but add faith, don't complain about ignorance,
Fax: (270) 514-1507      but add wisdom.     - R AY Kook, Arpilei Tohar