CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS VAYESHEV

Reuven heard, and he rescued him from their hand…And Reuven said, "Shed no blood! Throw him into this pit in the wilderness (Bereishit 37:21–22). The above passages don't seem at all logical. Yosef (Joseph) was at the mercy of his brothers – they might have killed him, and yet might not have. Reuven, as the oldest brother, didn't want to take a chance, so he "rescued" Yosef from their hand. Instead of rescuing Yosef, however, Reuven threw his brother into a pit full of snakes and scorpions. Halachically speaking, a pit full of snakes and scorpions is considered certain death, even worse than being thrown into a den of lions (see Shulchan Oruch, Even HaEzer 17:29). How can the Torah call this a rescue? Reb Natan of Breslev writes (Likutei Halachot, Yorah Deah, Orla 3:16) that a son or daughter of Israel should never despair, even if he or she has committed the worst sin in the Torah, for Hashem's mercy and compassion are without limits. Therefore, no matter what happens to us until the end of time, we should never lose hope, even if a sharp sword rests on our neck, Heaven forbid. Crying out to Hashem from the inner depths of one's soul is beneficial not only before a harsh decree, but even after a harsh decree has been issued. As such, one should never stop crying out to Hashem, and to Hashem only.