Shemos: When Busha Helps and Hurts

By Judah Graber

This week’s parsha offers many lessons: navigating struggle, balancing faith and society, and knowing how, when, and to whom to offer rebuke. I want to focus on one lesson derived from a Midrash that has personally impacted my avodas Hashem, especially after seeing how Chazal and the Chachmei HaMesorah acknowledged and addressed this challenge.

Let’s begin with the trait of busha. Is being an embarrassed person good or bad? At first glance, it might seem negative, after all, the Gemara in Sanhedrin (107a) teaches that it’s better to jump into a fiery furnace than to embarrass someone publicly. On the other hand, Pirkei Avos (2:5) warns that excessive busha can prevent a person from learning, while the gemara in Yevamos (79a), as ruled by the Rambam, suggests that busha is positive. How do we reconcile these views?

The Orchos Tzadikim explains that every midah has both positive and negative applications. He writes that even traits commonly viewed as negative, like geivah where are the “avi avos Hatumah”, can be channeled for good. Regarding busha, he highlights its positive potential: embarrassment before Hashem can deter a person from sinning, as one feels humbled by the awareness of standing before the King of Kings.

However, busha can also manifest negatively, as when one is ashamed to perform mitzvos in public due to peer pressure or ridicule. The Orchos Tzadikim warns against abstaining from mitzvos out of fear of others' opinions, describing such behavior as a grave failure in avodas Hashem. Similarly, the Rama in his from gloss on Shulchan Aruch(Orach Chaim 1:1) emphasizes that one should not be embarrassed by mockery when serving Hashem, urging us to carry out mitzvos with pride. Yet, he also highlights the need for modesty and humility, before Hashem demonstrating the balance required in this midah.

This idea is illustrated in the contrast between Yosef HaTzadik and Moshe Rabbeinu. When accused by Potiphar’s wife, Yosef was explicitly identified as a Hebrew:

Bereishis 39:14

וַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר רְא֗וּ הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י וָאֶקְרָ֖א בְּק֥וֹל גָּדֽוֹל׃

"She called out to her household servants and said to them, 'Look, he brought us a Hebrew man to mock us! He came to lie with me, but I screamed loudly.'”

Even when recounting his life story in jail, Yosef maintained pride in his heritage:

Bereishis 40:15

כִּֽי־גֻנֹּ֣ב גֻּנַּ֔בְתִּי מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הָעִבְרִ֑ים וְגַם־פֹּה֙ לֹא־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי מְא֔וּמָה כִּֽי־שָׂמ֥וּ אֹתִ֖י בַּבּֽוֹר

׃"For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and here too I have done nothing that the should

put me into the dungeon."

Yosef's refusal to hide his Jewish identity allowed him to remain connected to his heritage, and he was ultimately buried in Eretz Yisrael. In contrast, Moshe Rabbeinu, when rescuing Yisro’s daughters, was identified as an Egyptian:

Shemos 2:19

וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י הִצִּילָ֖נוּ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽרֹעִ֑ים וְגַם־דָּלֹ֤ה דָלָה֙ לָ֔נוּ וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן

"They said, 'An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered

the flock.'”

Moshe did not correct them, and the Midrash in Devarim Rabbah highlights this as a missed opportunity to affirm his Jewish identity. Rav Taragin once explained to me that the midah k'neged midah is reflected in how connected one is to something, with burial serving as a perfect representation of that connection. Yosef, who expressed his strong connection to the Jewish people and the land, was zocheh to remain connected to it forever by being buried there. In contrast, Moshe, who did not correct the daughters of Yisro, was not granted the same eternal connection to the land.

Rav Shalom Schwadron connects this idea to the Gemara in Shabbos, which disqualifies a sukkah or menorah placed above 20 amos because it’s not noticeable. He suggests this teaches a mussar: one should not hide mitzvos out of embarrassment. A hidden menorah or sukkah represents a lack of pride in fulfilling Hashem’s commandments. Instead, mitzvos should be performed openly and proudly.

In closing, we see the nuanced application of busha in avodas Hashem. Positive busha enhances our awareness of Hashem’s presence, fostering humility and reverence. Negative busha, however, can deter us from fulfilling mitzvos or make us shy away from our Jewish identity. Yosef HaTzadik serves as a model for embracing mitzvos with pride and connection, ensuring our actions reflect our love and awe for Hashem. May we strive to perform mitzvos wholeheartedly and without fear of others’ opinions!

Have a great shabbos!