Losing Trust

The Midrash makes a very interesting observation in connection with Yakov’s first reaction to the news that Yosef was alive.

The Torah tells us, ויפג ליבו כי לא האמין להם, that his heart was troubled, because he didn’t believe them.

The Midrash says that this is what happens when dealing with a liar; even when he’s telling the truth, he cannot be trusted.

It looks like Yosef’s brothers lost all credibility with their father. He must have suspected all along that something wasn’t right about the whole Yosef incident.

This explains why Yakov was suspicious when he heard about Yosef. Was this another lie that would lead to further disappointment and heartbreak?

The lesson for us is clear. If one chooses a path of deceitfulness and dishonesty, it will ultimately catch up with him. He will lose the trust of his peers and will not have any credibility. We need to think very clearly what the consequences of our actions will be. If we don’t, it will take a very long time to undo the damage.