The biblical figure of Joseph is very good at waiting. Not in his youth, of course: the young Joseph cannot help but blurt out his dreams, no matter how offensive they might be to his listeners. With the hard knocks of living, however, he learns the art and wisdom of patience. Joseph spends 20-plus years in Egypt before reencountering his brothers; at least two of those years had been spent in prison serving time for a crime he did not commit. When his brothers unexpectedly turn up, he does not reveal himself immediately. First he waits three days before dealing with them. The plan he then concocts to test their character is long and slow, requiring him to wait even longer while they journey several times to and from Canaan, taking days if not weeks for each leg of the trip. How much easier it would have been for Joseph to have divulged his identity right away.

All of us can learn from Joseph about the positive effects of employing patience in our lives. When we want to produce something of quality and achieve a worthwhile goal, we will invariably find that using patience produces a better result.

Indeed, all learning proceeds in the manner of patiently building upon previous learning. If a student misses even one step, then further learning is hampered. All human development–physical, mental, moral, emotional, intellectual, spiritual–is a goal toward which we climb one step at a time.

A young adult attended their first classical concert. Listening to the music, the young person was duly, and deeply, impressed that the 90 members of the orchestra were able to play so well, in such synchronicity, and produced such a beautiful piece. Afterwards, the young person was backstage and related this to the performers. One symphony member replied, “You must understand. Each of us rehearsed all of our lives and patiently trained themself to become a skilled musician.” It then occurred to the young person that it took not just hours and days, but hours and days over many years to prepare such a great symphony, and each performer had to begin by first learning the scales and then advancing gradually to the achievement of a finished musical performance.

During the Sukkot holiday, we read the biblical book of Ecclesiastes. It teaches, “The patient spirit is better than the proud spirit.”^[1]

Patience is a trait that may affect a number of character strengths that Fran has been teaching us through the pandemic:

• Under the virtue of wisdom, patience forms part of the strength of perspective.
• Under the virtue of courage, patience forms part of the strength of perseverance.
• Under the virtue of temperance, patience is part of two character strengths: prudence and self-regulation.
• Under the virtue of transcendence, patience is part of the strength of hope.

Of course, the character strength of patience provides many known benefits:

• Patience reduces stress, which helps with our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
• Patience reduces negativity and increases life satisfaction.
• Patience increases our perseverance for long journeys, such as recovery from injury or illness.
• Patience gives us time to think strategically; patience enables better decisions.
• Patience brings out the best in us.
• Patience helps us accomplish our goals.

An admirer once asked the famous concert pianist Paderewski,^[2] “Is it true that you still practice every day?”

“Yes,” replied the pianist. “I practice at least eight hours a day.”

The fan acknowledged, “You must have a world of patience.”

“I have no more patience than the next fellow,” rejoined the renowned musician. “I just use mine.”

We each have aspirations. However, reaching our goals–and becoming our best selves–will require us to use our patience.

Rabbi J.B. Sacks

^[1] Ecclesiastes 7:8.

^[2] Igancy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) was not only a renowned pianist but a composer and statesman. He was the first to give a solo concert at Carnegie Hall. He wrote over 70 orchestral, instrumental and vocal works. His opera Manru remains the only opera by a Polish composer performed by the Metropolitan Opera.  In 1919, as Poland’s prime minister and foreign minister, he was a signer of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.