In the meantime, Joseph had been sold as a slave to the Egyptian Potiphar, chief of the Pharaoh’s butchers. Recognizing Joseph’s intelligence, integrity, piety, and regal bearing, Potiphar appointed him over his household affairs.
Caring for Our Inner Beauty
וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף יְפֵה תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַרְאֶה: (בראשית לט:ו)
Joseph was beautiful in form and complexion. Genesis 39:6

Joseph’s physical beauty was a reflection of his inner, spiritual beauty – his uncompromising dedication to the ideals of the Torah. By virtue of his own spiritual perfection, Joseph was able to fulfill his Divine mission: bringing others closer to G‑d.

Like Joseph, we are all called upon to bring others closer to G‑d. In order to succeed as Joseph did, we must try to be, like him, spiritually “beautiful in form and complexion.”

This does not mean we should wait until we achieve spiritual perfection before reaching out to others; perfection is relative, and compared to those who know less than we, we are “beautiful” enough to inspire them. Nevertheless, we must also remember that if we neglect our own spiritual growth, others will take note, and as a result be less inclined to take our words to heart.1