There is a famous book which won a Pulitzer written by then-Senator John F. Kennedy while he was bedridden in 1955. It tells the stories of 8 US Senators who stood up against their party or against their own voters for what they knew was right and they suffered politically because of their stance.
The book won a Pulitzer Prize. Later on, there was quite a controversy if Kennedy actually wrote the book himself or his speechwriter did. But that doesn’t matter right now, all I want to share with you is something about the title of the book.
The book is called “Profiles in Courage.”
People quipped about this title: “If only Kennedy had a little less profile and a little more courage”. Some historians attribute that line to Eleanor Roosevelt.
Not to speak negatively of a President, of course, but can’t resist that line: a little less profile, a little more courage. And it ties right into this week’s Torah portion about Joseph, and of course is relevant to us as well.
Rashi quotes the Talmud that young Joseph was concerned with his profile. We know that he would groom himself, play with his hair, and was fixated with his handsome looks. Everyone knows how proud he was of that striped colored dreamcoat, and his father’s special attention. That’s about Joseph and his profile.
Later in the biblical story we hear about Joseph’s courage. He was sold by his brothers and taken down to Egypt. Potifar bought him as a slave. Joseph worked his way up and eventually became the manager of Potifar’s household. Then this story happened:
Potifar was out of the house much of the day, and Mrs. Potifar had been making advances on Joseph. Things got to a point, that Joseph was struggling with the temptation. The verse says he refused her, but it wasn’t an easy choice for him.
We know this from a trope musical note on top of the word “And he refused.” It’s a vertical zigzag, like a Harry Potter mark, this note is called a Shalsheles, and it rarely appears in the Torah. It has a wavering triple ascending sound, and every time this sound appears in the Torah reading it implies there was some hesitation, indecision or wavering.
Think of Joseph’s predicament. He was sold by his own brothers, he had good reason to resent his home and family values, he was far away and alone in the world. He was a foreigner in a strange country, totally at the mercy of his master and mistress. Who would know if he had this momentary lapse, if he succumbed to Mrs. Potifar’s advances?
Yet, hundreds of miles away from home, worlds away, with zero communication, Joseph mustered the courage. He got the inner strength to refuse his mistress, to stay true to his values. He ended up in prison because of it, but he withstood that test.
Back to the present. We update our status, choose a profile picture, we thoughtfully craft an image of ourselves that we like or that we think others may like. We polish our resumes, worry about what we look like.
Think about Kennedy’s book’s title: Profiles in Courage, and let the choice, sharp, but wise words of Eleanor Roosevelt seep in: Better Less on Profile and More on Courage.
Profile is good, but how about “a little more on courage”? What actions, choices, positions are we taking that may be unpopular, may be challenging, that need us to muster inner strength. It’s not the easy stuff. Courage is much more difficult, but that’s where our character is built.
Let me share one more twist on this title “Profiles in Courage.” For a number of you, this is your last Shabbos at UAlbany as undergraduate students. I say this to our December graduates who have been committed and involved with Jewish life, dedicated to our community. It takes courage to come out on Friday Nights, to promote what we do, to feel proud of Judaism and make it priority on campus. Your courage has raised the profile of our community. Get it? profile and courage, just switched around a bit. Thank you!