“And Yehuda said to his brothers, ‘What gain is there if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?’” (Bereishis 37:26)

When judges deliver a judgment, they usually look for a precedent. The idea is simple: if a similar case has previously been decided, that ruling provides a framework for how to proceed. This principle exists in the world of Torah as well. When new questions arise, the poskim of the day consult earlier responsa—even those written centuries ago – to see if they shed light on the subject at hand.

This raises an obvious question about the brothers’ judgement of Yosef: Why didn’t they ask their father, Yaakov, whether Yosef deserved punishment? The simple answer to that question is that they felt that their father was biased in Yosef’s favor. Yet they failed to see their own bias—against Yosef. Chazal tell us that when Reuven returned to his brothers, he was returning from repenting for the incident with the beds and Bilha’s tent. If the Torah makes a point of connecting the two events, there must be some link between them.

I saw a simple explanation: Just as the brothers failed to consult Yaakov about Yosef, Reuven had failed to consult his father about switching the beds. He assumed that his father would be prejudiced, so he acted on his own. Therefore, it was based on what Reuven did that all the brothers concluded that they too shouldn’t ask Yaakov. In their minds, they could dismiss Yaakov’s opinion and decide on their own, believing they were free of bias.

Reb Chaim Shmulevitz (1902-1979) comments on Yehuda’s words: “What do we gain if we…conceal his blood…?” Rav Chaim explains that one of the qualities of a leader is he does what is necessary without shame. He is willing to express his opinion publicly. Yehuda reasoned that if killing Yosef had to be covered up, it must be the wrong decision to make.

I believe that this principle of basing our decisions on what Hashem wants, rather than what we want or think will work better, is relevant to all of us in our daily lives. Often, we are not sure what to do, and we are reluctant to be proactive. Imagine someone in a business meeting who realizes that time is running out for mincha, as sunset is rapidly approaching. Should he excuse himself to pray, or just continue the meeting, convinced that the situation is beyond his control? When I am asked these kinds of questions, I often respond, “Picture yourself after 120 years standing in front of Hashem, as this scene is being replayed. How would you like the story to end – with davening or without it? Even if there will be no punishment, the way you would like it to be remembered in the future is the way you should act now.”

I believe that this was the approach that the Maccabees took when going to war with the Greeks. They didn’t fight because they were confident they would emerge victorious, rather they felt it was their duty to fight for what they believed was right. Success or failure is not the measure of Hashem’s judgement. Hashem’s judgement is based on whether we put in the proper amount of effort to do what is right. The outcome is up to Hashem.

May we all merit not only to do the right thing, but to also see our actions sanctify Hashem’s holy name.