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Vayimaen - The Right Side of the Street | Rabbi Fischel Schachter

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Author: Vayimaen
Categories: Automotive Psychology Religion
Tags: auto, psychology, religion
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 08:12 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Look for the good in every situation, even when things seem bad, because your outlook shapes what you notice and how your day unfolds. The speaker ties this to Yosef HaTzaddik, who kept his eyes open to good despite pressure, and frames it as the key to shalom bayis, chinuch, and self-esteem.

Key Points

  • A bad-mood morning and a rushed commute to shacharit set up the story: the speaker decided to drive, then got boxed in and stuck behind a delivery truck.
  • The turning point came when a neighbor noted that the speaker's car was already on the correct side of the street on that day, so the frantic move was unnecessary.
  • The speaker explains that Chazal teach that a gloomy outlook leads to missing the good, while a choice to see good makes good things visible.
  • The example of Yosef HaTzaddik is used: under the pressure of Potiphar's wife and her friends, he closed his eyes and trusted Hashem, and was granted the ability to see good.
  • The speaker applies this to the modern yetzer hara, which tries to convince people that they have no choice but to see the negative.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: Before reacting to a frustrating situation, check the facts first (for example, which side of the street is legal on that day), because the speaker's rush cost time and effort unnecessarily. When pressured to see only the negative, deliberately choose to focus on good and trust Hashem, as Yosef did.
  • Alternate side parking in New York City: cars must be moved from one side of the street to the other so a machine can clean/blow leaves, and violations bring a hefty ticket. The rules vary by day, as the speaker noted (Tuesdays and Fridays differ on that block).
  • Brooklyn parking customs, such as boxing in cars with only about an inch of space, make maneuvering difficult and can wear out a car.
  • The speaker says the Or HaChaim HaKadosh describes how Potiphar's wife and her friends surrounded Yosef, and that Rashi says people always saw Yosef as good.
  • The speaker's own framing: it is "much better to be on the wrong side that turns out right than the right side that turns out wrong."

Bottom Line

Before assuming the worst, verify your situation and deliberately look for the good, because a positive outlook changes what you can see and how your relationships and self-esteem develop.