Question: This past year has been a rather difficult one both at work and in my private life. Looking back I would not call it a success. But then again "success" is a very general word. How does the Torah define success?

Answer: For the past few weeks we have been reading in the Torah the story of Joseph. The young boy who was his father's favourite, sold by his brothers into slavery and later even cast into prison but ultimately emerging to become the viceroy of Egypt saving the entire country from famine.

Joseph is also the first person in the Torah to be granted the title of being an "Ish Matzliach" - a "successful man". But what's surprising is the stage in his life when he first assumes this title. He is referred to as "a successful man" not when he is favoured in his father's home or when he becomes viceroy of Egypt but rather in the beginning of his life as a salve, in a strange land far away from his family. When he was in a dark dungeon of an Egyptian prison, Joseph is once again referred to as "a successful man". Is this called success?

But by calling Joseph successful at this stage of his life, the Torah is teaching us how to define success. Success is not about living the perfect life. Joseph's life as a slave and in prison was far from ideal. But he is called successful because though he may have been going through a crisis he never allowed himself to fall prey to despair. Joseph never allowed himself to be defeated by his circumstances but rather he employed tremendous efforts to always put in his utmost, constantly have a positive attitude and do what was right to maintain the spiritual standards of his father's home.

From Joseph we learn that effort and all that results from effort is the real success. And in the end it was this attitude and efforts which lead to him becoming the viceroy of Egypt because by utilizing the moment of despair he managed to come out a much stronger person than one who had never experienced the challenge.

So in trying to determine whether the past year has been a successful one the questions you should be asking yourself are: How much effort have I put in to do what is right? Have I allowed myself to fall prey to despair or have I stood up firmly and not allow myself to be defeated?

Success is not about winning or losing but how you have played the game.

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