My friend was a fair and generous man. All the men in his family looked to him for guidance and the women said that no one would find a better husband. He was faithful. He obeyed the law to the letter, but we never heard him condemn anyone. If someone had strayed from the right path, he was always the one to defend him, while quietly trying to guide him back into Godliness. He worked long and hard at his trade and as he worked he recited the psalms and the scriptures. I remember standing in his workshop one day, listening to him saying.
‘Welcome indeed the lot that falls to me’
In an unjust time
I interrupted and said, “What is the lot that falls to you, my friend? And what is the lot that falls to any of us here in these times?’
And then he put down his tools and gazed at me with such an expression of peace and joy that made me feel I should weep. After a long minute he simply continued,
‘I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart.’
Meeting with my friend
I did not see him again for some time as I was too ill to go to his betrothal celebration. As soon as I could visit though, I went to give him my congratulations. As I approached the village, I felt a great joy at the prospect of our reunion, and I ran towards his house as I used to run when we were boys together. Just as he always did, he whooped with delight when he saw me and we took our cups to sit together in the shade and catch up with our news.
For a while I was too excited to do any listening, pouring my joy out onto him and imagining him as a bridegroom and a wonderful family man – and I would be his closest friend in all his happiness. It took me some time to see that he was not joining in with the discussion. I suddenly knew I had to step away. There was a shadow above him and a struggle within.
A broken heart
We prayed night prayers softly together and as I walked away I continued to pray for my friend.
‘Oh Lord have mercy, come to take away whatever sorrow tears at his heart. Come soon Adonai!’
As I walked away the moon rose behind the village and his house was lit up against the night sky.
All that night he was on my mind. I prayed again and again, worrying if he was sick, or was his spouse unwell? Had someone hurt him so deeply, so that he carried such pain in his heart? He was always present to support me, but I could not support him because his sorrow was too deep, too private, too dreadful.
It was well before dawn when I walked slowly back to his house. My steps became ever slower as I came nearer, with a heavy heart, dreading what I might see. A light was burning, had he slept at all?
Like the dawn from on high
Then, just as the pre-dawn light touched the earth I heard a sound. Unseen I watched as my friend stepped out of his house and turned to face the approaching light. Is he in despair, I wondered. And then a soft sound rose up from deep in his throat. Within seconds I understood, this is not despair – this is a joy which is greater than any joy I could imagine. I drew closer and I heard him murmur
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy.
His eyes were flowing with tears and lit up with joy, on he went on reciting his praises as the dawn appeared on the skyline,
Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
I went to him, bowed deeply in the face of his sanctity and whispered … ‘Joseph!’
Then I took up the psalm,
Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Back came his response, murmured through his sobs,
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful from age to age.
And then he ran, like a gazelle over the hillside, straight to the house of his father-in-law.
I was there with you. I understand he had a dream that night.