We sometimes think of patience as a passive virtue, similar to endurance; the kind of patience that enables us to perform a repetitive task, to get through setbacks and challenges, or to wait for an answer to prayer without getting irritated or discouraged. Such patience is a virtue, as they say, but patience includes a more active response as well, not just enduring various trials, but maintaining focus and intensity through them all.

When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them . . . (Gen. 42:7).

Of all the themes that run through the story of Joseph and his brothers, one we might overlook is Joseph’s patience. I’m not thinking of the tremendous patience he needed to get through twenty years of slavery, imprisonment, and estrangement without losing hope in God, but of the patience that brought him through what might have been even tougher—the testing of his brothers when they came down to Egypt to buy food.

A good friend recently described me in public as a patient man. I appreciated the affirmation, of course, but I was tempted to jump up and protest.

Patience is a learned virtue. When I was very young, I didn’t have any patience. I wanted everything, and wanted it NOW! As life went on, I learned patience through resignation.

I think I’m a pretty patient guy, but I saw something this week that put my patience to shame.

Last week I had the privilege of experiencing the removal of all four wisdom teeth and one extra tooth that had grown behind one of my top front teeth. The entire experience has been a test of patience.

The first word of the first and greatest commandment is Shema, “Listen!” (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:28). As Rabbi Sacks notes above, we are to be so intent on listening that we cover our eyes while reciting the daily Shema.

My guess is that most people would admit that our society does not actively encourage patience. Massive debt comes often at the expense of patiently saving for what we want to buy.

We most often think of patience or savlanut as the capacity to deal with frustrating delays or obstacles that interfere with our plans or objectives.

Most of us have heard it said, at one point or another, “all good things come to those who wait.” We have also probably heard, “you can’t always get what you want.” For the most part we think of patience in relationship to those things that are eventually coming to us. This week’s parasha (Pinchas) reveals a deeper level of patience.

I’ve heard Patience defined, not as the ability to wait, but as the ability to wait with a good attitude. Patience is a wonderful thing, but no one wants to have it for themselves. We want other people to be patient. The value in patience is that we get to see events unfold and we can gain deeper understandings. Patience is something that is learned. It doesn’t come naturally.

Rav Kook understands savlanut in terms more closely related to what we would call “tolerance.” More often than not, religious people are faulted for their lack of tolerance.

Four times, in a span of four verses, Yaakov pleads in his letter that his readers be patient. The patience he is referring to involves matters of survival and future redemption.

There was a great and mighty king who had many peasants working for him in his kingdom. One of the peasants rebelled against the king and would not listen to his laws.

I was recently stuck in line at the car rental counter behind a guy who appeared to have never rented a car before in his life. I’d say he was a classic nudnik, but I don’t think I should call someone a name in an article about ethics. With shorts a bit too tight and hitched up a bit too high upon his potbelly, and close-cropped gray hair over a worried brow, he questioned every line in the rental agreement.

You’re supposed to be somewhere. You didn’t leave on time, or maybe you did. You didn’t plan for mishaps, or maybe you planned for the worst and thought you were prepared.

The remarkable yet sad outcome is the punishment of Moses and Aaron: they will not set foot into the land. One can imagine the great sadness they felt - all their striving for the sake of Heaven and one mistake seals their fate.

Our Rabbis taught: A certain heathen once came before Shammai and asked him, "How many Torot have you?"

Talmud - Mas. Shabbath 31a [Our Rabbis taught: A man should always be gentle like Hillel, and not impatient like Shammai.]