In this week’s parshah, Yaakov Avinu gives his blessings to the individual tribes before his departure from this world. In his blessing to Yosef, he calls him “a son of grace to the eye” [Genesis 49:22]. What exactly does this mean?

Rashi zt”l explains:   “Yosef’s grace (ċhain) is spread out over any eye that sees him.”   The Hebrew word ċhain denotes acceptance and approval in the eyes of others;  i.e. whenever another’s ‘eye’ sees him, his ‘grace’ is able to rule over whatever intention was inherent in that look, even if it was a bad one. A bad intention directed at another person has a special nomenclature in Jewish thought:  It is known as the ‘evil eye’ or an ayin hara. Yaakov’s blessing to his son, Yosef, is that he will continue to be ah’lei ayin – above the ‘evil eye’.

Where did Yaakov Avinu previously see this unusual character trait in Yosef? When Yaakov is returning to the Land of Israel with his wives and children after spending twenty-two years with his brother-in-law, Lavan (parshas Vayishlach), Yaakov then hears the alarming news that his brother, Esav, is coming to greet his homecoming return with an army of four hundred men! Yaakov is greatly afraid for his family and divides the mothers and children into separate camps.

When finally confronted with his evil twin, the Torah describes the fateful meeting: “Then the handmaids came forward – they and their children – and they bowed down. Leah, too, came forward with her children and they bowed down; and afterwards, Yosef and Rachel came forward and they bowed down” [Genesis 33:6-7]. 

Rashi zt”l makes the following observations:  “With all of them, the mothers would come forward before the sons. But with Rachel, Yosef went ahead of her. He said to himself, “My mother is of beautiful appearance; that evil one (Esav) is going to set his eyes upon her (and harm her). Therefore, I will stand in front of her and block him from looking at her.” From here, Yosef became worthy of the bracha of ah’lei ayin – that is, being above the ‘evil eye’.” [Bereishis Rabba 78:10; Pesikta Rabbasi 12]

In his new book, “Aggadah: Sages, Stories & Secrets” [Mosaica Press, 2015], Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein makes note of an interesting personality trait of Yosef that would make him less susceptible to the ayin hara and capable of ‘deflecting’ its ill effects. He points out that one of Yosef’s consistent characteristics is that he is ‘politically incorrect’ in his dealings with people. What does it mean to be ‘politically incorrect’? It means that he was willing to do and say whatever he thought was ‘right’ – no matter what the practical or political fallout:

• Yosef tells over his dreams to his brothers (and father), even though he knew that their message(s) would cause his brothers to dislike him (somewhat of an understatement). The fallout of these revelations was disastrous, as the brothers ended up throwing him into the pit and selling him into slavery.

• Yosef resists the amoral overtures of Potiphar’s wife over the course of a year – telling her over and over again that “how can I do this evil in the eyes of G-d?” – despite the fact that she wielded great authority over all aspects of her husband’s household. Once again, even though he did the ‘right’ thing, the results were catastrophic, as he ended up in prison for twelve years.

• Yosef ignores political protocol and corrects Pharaoh – the Ruler and King of Egypt! – in public by telling him that it is not himself, but rather G-d Who will answer Pharaoh’s  request for an interpretation of his dreams. Even though he did the ‘right’ thing, he could easily have been thrown right back into prison.

Ü R’ Bernstein then clarifies that the ayin hara is nothing less than an individual’s (or a community’s) judgmental thoughts and feelings about how you should act (or how you are acting now).Û  Very, very few people are immune to this kind of societal pressure, and he concludes that the ‘evil’ thoughts of others directed towards us can have profound and often disastrous effects.

Well, just how prevalent is this ayin hara and – even if it is widespread – how harmful can it be, anyway?

• The Gemara writes that if someone enters a new town or situation (where people have their own modus operandi and will ‘see’ you as ‘different’), then they should definitely be afraid of an ayin hara and should pray, “I am descended from Yosef HaTzaddik, over whom the ‘evil eye’ had no power!” [Berachos 55b]. 

• And another Gemara goes so far as to say that out of every 100 people – 99 of them will die from the ‘evil eye’ and only 1% from natural causes!! [Beva Metzia 107b].

Talk about scary health statistics! How can this be!? How is it possible for someone to harm me by just looking at me!?

With deep insight, R’ Bernstein answers that, Yes, the ayin hara can damage you because it damages the way that you see yourself – it damages your own self-image. If a person has a positive self-image, then they feel that they are fundamentally a worthy person. But, if they are made to feel ‘worthless’ – then their vision and actions will be diminished and deflated. A person who is susceptible to the ‘evil eye’ is thus prone to all manner of failures that accompany a negative self-image. Such is the insidious power of the ‘evil eye’ – bli ayin hara!

Therefore, if this is the case, it is critically important that: (1) we be aware of this; (2) we develop an ‘immunity’ to it; and (3) we studiously avoid casting any kind of ‘evil eye’ at others.

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R’ Bernstein tells over three aggados which illustrate the seriousness of this issue and how to deal with it:

v The Gemara in Sanhedrin [39b] tells us that the prophecies in the Book of Ovadiah are devoted to the downfall of Esav. The Talmud asks: What is it about Ovadiah that allowed him to be the one to prophesize about Esav? It answers, “Said the Holy One, Blessed is He, ‘Let Ovadiah come – who dwelt among two wicked people (i.e. Achav & Jezebel) and did not learn from their deeds – and prophecy regarding Esav – who dwelt among two righteous people (i.e. Yitzchak & Rivkah) and did not learn from their deeds!’”

Ovadiah not only overcame his environment; he overcame the individuals prevalent in his environment who though ill of him and would have dragged him down into the muck. Both Ovadiah and Esav created their own virtual environment (in opposite ways); like Yosef before him, Ovadiah was able to formulate an immunity to the ayin hara.

v The Torah tells us that the robe worn by the Kohain Gadol (High Priest) in the Temple was colored blue (techeiles) and was adorned with a hem of alternating golden bells and ornamental pomegranates [Exodus 28:33]. The Gemara in Zevachim [88b] explains the meaning of the bells: “Let an item which produces a sound (i.e. the bells) come and atone for a sin involving a sound (i.e lashon hara, which stems from ayin hara).” And another Gemara in Berachos [57a] tells us that a pomegranate is an expression of everything good about the Jewish people: “Even the empty ones (i.e. with few mitzvos) among you are nevertheless full of mitzvos – like a pomegranate is full of seeds.”

Wait a minute – if people are “empty of mitzvos” then how can they be “full of mitzvos”? Take note of this answer: Because of the ayin hatov – because we look for good things in them! The hem of the Kohain Gadol’s robe had a pomegranate next to each bell to teach us that if you are going to make a sound about your fellow – then make it a good one!

Why was the robe made all of blue (techeiles)? Because “techeiles resembles the sea, and the sea resembles the sky, and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory” [Menachos 43b]. Therefore, the overall take-home message is that by avoiding negative thoughts, lashon hara and ayin hara, we can all come closer to the Throne of Glory.

v A verse in Proverbs says “G-d’s name is a tower of strength; the righteous shall run toward it and be saved” [Mishlei 18:10]. The Zohar says that this verse refers to Noah’s ark! What’s the relationship? The Malbim zt”l (in his commentary to Genesis 6:15) quotes the Ramban zt”l and notes that the actual dimensions of Noah’s ark [30 cubits high x 300 cubits long x 50 cubits wide] could not naturally have held all the creatures that were to populate the world after the Flood; besides the obvious miracle, there is a hidden message here.

Rather, says the Malbim, the Zohar means to say that the dimensions of the Ark were a result of multiplying out the gematriah values of the letters in two of G-d’s names: [YUD(10)•HEH(5)•VAV(6)•HEH(5)] and [ALEF(1)•DALET(4)•NUN(50)•YUD(10)] (these two Names represent G-d as Creator and G-d as Master). Multiplying [the 1^st letter of one Name x the 1^st letter of the other Name] i.e. YUD(10)  x  ALEF(1)  we have a product of 10 = the top floor of the Ark; [the 2^nd letter x the 2^nd letter], we have HEH(5)  x  DALET(4)  = 20 = the bottom two floors of the Ark (for a total height of 30); VAV(6)  x  NUN(50)  = 300 = the length of the Ark; and HEH(5)  x  YUD(10)  = 50 = the width of the Ark.

Rav Bernstein concludes:  If there is to be a physical flood in the world, then you build a physical ark. If there is a dangerous virtual ‘flood’ in the world, a flood of ayin hara – which can tear us apart and cause death and destruction – then you build a virtual Ark within your heart from the Names of G-d. Only then can we have a built-in immunity from the ‘evil eye’ of others and also have a built-in immunity from thinking of others in negative terms. Only through positive thinking can we save the world and come closer to the Throne of Glory.