Vayeshev | Rulership That Is Servitude

I. Introduction

How many times was Yosef thrown into a pit? The answer seems simple: once. Surprisingly, however, when Yosef presents his troubles to the king's chief butler, he indicates that this is already the second time he has been thrown into a pit: "For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit" (Bereishit 40:15). Yosef's choosing to call his dungeon a "pit" suggests that he sees a connection between it and the pit in Canaan into which he was cast by his brothers.

The similarity between the stories expresses itself not only in the fact that Yosef finds himself in a pit, but also in the way he was thrown into it as well as the way he is taken out of it. In the story of the sale, Yosef is first presented as enjoying elevated status in his father's house; similarly in the story of Potifar's wife, we see him enjoying elevated status in his master's house. Yosef's brothers strip him of his coat (ketonet) before they throw him into the pit, and Potifar's wife divests him of his garment before he is thrown into the pit. Just as Yosef merits the charge of Potifar’s house after he is thrown into the pit, so too, he is placed in charge of Pharaoh’s house after he gets out of the prison pit.

The similarities between Yosef's two "pits" suggest that this is not a random occurrence, but rather the hand of providence. But why would God cause Yosef to be thrown repeatedly into a pit? And if God desired his humiliation, why does He repeatedly help him return to a position of leadership?

II. Yosef’s Fall from Greatness in His Father’s House, into the Pit

Yosef is marked, from the very outset, as one destined for greatness. Even as a teenager in his father's house, he already enjoys exceptional status:

Now Israel loved Yosef more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age;[1] and he made him a ketonet passim. (37:3) 

His father's excessive love does not remain hidden in his heart, but is expressed openly and even ostentatiously, in the form of a ketonet passim – a garment designed to express Yosef's special standing.[2] Indeed, the brothers notice their father's preference for Yosef: "And when the brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him" (37:4). Yaakov's great love for Yosef thereby gives rise to his brothers' hatred of him.[3]

When Yosef begins to dream of greatness, we get the impression that not only his father, but even God Himself, is preparing him for a glorious future. Yosef's first dream emphasizes the status he will gain vis-a-vis his brothers:

And Yosef dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him yet the more. And he said to them: Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came round about, and bowed down to my sheaf. (37:5-7) 

Yosef does not keep the dream to himself, but rushes to tell his brothers about it. The dream seems so straightforward to the brothers that they skip over a meticulous interpretation and immediately begin their rebuke: "And his brothers said to him: Shall you indeed reign over us? or shall you indeed have dominion over us" (8). The brothers already hated Yosef because of Yaakov's excessive love for him, and now: "they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words."[4]

Yosef does not shy away from his brothers' growing hatred. When he has another dream, he hurries to report it – first to his brothers, and after they respond with silence, to his father and brothers together:[5]

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said: Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brothers… (37:9-10)

No one bothers to interpret Yosef's second dream either. The dream seemed so simple that Yaakov skipped over a meticulous interpretation and immediately began his rebuke: "And his father rebuked him, and said to him: What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to you to the earth?" (10).[6] However, in his heart, Yaakov is in no hurry to cancel the dream of his ambitious son: "But his father kept the matter in mind" (11). Yosef's brothers notice that the rebuke was not wholehearted, and now jealousy is added to their hatred: "And his brethren envied him" (11).

Yosef is yet to be revealed as a capable dream interpreter, but it is precisely these two dreams that he makes no attempt to interpret. It seems that Yosef is so eager to use his dreams to establish his position of dominance in the house of Yaakov that he does not bother at all to delve into their meaning. It is enough for him that they express his growing greatness – not only on earth, but also in heaven, and not only vis-à-vis his brothers, but also vis-à-vis his parents.[7]

Yosef's pride leads to his destruction. When his father commands him: "Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me back word" (14), he sets out on his mission wearing his special coat.[8] Yosef does not seem to understand how far his brothers' hatred and jealousy could go, brothers who "could not speak peaceably to him" and who certainly remember the reports about them that Yosef had brought their father ("and Yosef brought evil report of them to their father" [2]).[9]

Very soon Yosef is thrown from his perceived heights into a literal pit. The brothers believe this will prove that Yosef's dreams were nothing but the heartfelt wishes of an arrogant boy:

And they said one to another: Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say: An evil beast has devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his dreams. (37:19-20)  

They also do not forget the hated coat. Just as they canceled Yosef's dreams, so will they cancel Yaakov's preference for Yosef:[10]

And it came to pass, when Yosef was come to his brothers, that they stripped Yosef of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him… And they took Yosef's coat, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood; and they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father; and said: This have we found. Know now whether it is your son's coat or not. (37:23-32)

The coat is removed from Yosef, dipped in blood, torn by a sword,[11] and then brought to their aged father. The brothers seem to believe that after Yosef's death, their father will have no choice but to shift his love from him to them.

The remainder of the story indicates that the brothers were wrong about everything. They succeeded neither in annulling Yosef's dreams nor in cancelling Yaakov's love for him. Still, their actions taught Yosef a lesson. The boy who dreamt of royalty discovers that his path to greatness passes first through the pit and then through the depths of slavery.

III. Yosef’s Fall from Greatness in the House of Potifar, to the Pit of the Dungeon

Since Yosef is truly destined for greatness, God helps him flourish in the land of his affliction, and just as Yosef had been second to his father, he now becomes second to Potifar:

And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Yosef found favor in his sight, and he ministered to him. And he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand… And he left all that he had in Yosef's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. And Yosef was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon. (39:3-6)[12] 

But this time, as well, Yosef's journey to greatness ends in his being thrown into a pit. This time, Yosef's fall is more surprising. It does not appear to be the result of any sin, but quite the opposite, because of Yosef's refusal to sin.

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Yosef; and she said: Lie with me. But he refused, and said to his master's wife: Behold, my master, having me, knows not what is in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand; he is not greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spoke to Yosef day by day, that he hearkened not to her, to lie by her or to be with her. (39:7-10)

Yosef refuses to accede to the demands of his master's wife, not out of fear of being caught, but out of a moral and religious recognition that this would involve great wickedness and a sin against God. But his master's wife is not impressed by Yosef's rebuke and continues with her attempts to seduce him:

And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there within, that she caught him by his garment, saying: Lie with me. And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. (39:11-12)

This time, too, Yosef stands up to temptation, and in order to escape what appears to be a real attempted rape, he leaves his garment in the hand of his mistress and races outside. Potifar's wife chooses to slander Yosef that he tried to rape her – perhaps out of feelings of revenge, but certainly also in an attempt to explain how it happened that the handsome slave ran naked from the house while his garment remained in her hand:

And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying: After this manner did your servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.[13] And Yosef's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison. (39:19-20) 

Yosef contends with repeated sexual temptation with astonishing success, yet instead of being rewarded for his fidelity, he again finds himself naked and thrown into a pit! Perhaps that is why many of our Sages believed that Yosef intended to sin with Potifar's wife, but held back at the last minute, whether because of impotence or out of moral recognition:

Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachman said: "To do his work" – literally, but "there was no man" – he searched himself and did not find himself a man. Another explanation: Rabbi Shemuel said: The bow is stretched and returned. This is what is written: "Yet his bow [kashto] remained taut" (Bereishit 49:24) – his hardness [kashyuto]. Rabbi Yitzchak said: His seed was scattered and went out by way of his fingernails… Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Matana: Images of his father appeared and chilled his blood… (Bereishit Rabba 87, 7)

According to this series of harsh statements, Yosef was in the end saved from grave sin, yet he was justly punished for he intended to commit adultery and even acted to realize his intention. However, the gap between Chazal's sharp remarks and Yosef's consistent behavior, as described in Tanakh, makes it difficult to adopt these explanations.

Rashi (following Chazal) attributes to Yosef another sin:

"And Yosef was of beautiful form and of beautiful appearance" – As soon as he saw that he was ruler (in the house), he began to eat and drink and curl his hair. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Your father is mourning, and you curl your hair! I will let a bear loose against you (see Tanchuma Vayeshev 8). Immediately: "His lord's wife lifted up her eyes." (Rashi 39:6-7) 

Why did Chazal see the mention of Yosef's beauty as testimony to his behavior, rather than a factual description of his appearance? First, because Yosef's beauty is not mentioned in its natural place, at the beginning of the story, but as the last stage in the series of his successes in the house of Potifar.[14] Second, Yosef's beauty is described using the verb "vayehi," "and it came to pass." This verb is more appropriate for describing a new event than for describing an ongoing situation.[15] Hence, the conclusion that Scripture is not referring to Yosef's natural beauty, but to beauty that resulted from eating good food and curling his hair.[16] Yosef proudly sees himself as a ruler, and therefore makes sure that his external appearance matches the distinguished status that he had achieved.

Another hint of Yosef's pride may be found in the words he chooses to describe his master: "He is not greater in this house than I" (9). While these words express Potifar's kindness toward Yosef, between them lies the notion that the slave is comparable to his master. Yosef seems to have forgotten that, important as he may be, in truth he is nothing but a slave: not a master, and not even an ordinary free man. Thus, Yosef, who did not fully learn the lesson of humility the first time, is thrown into a pit a second time.[17]

IV. Yosef’s Greatness in Prison

Again, Yosef is truly destined for greatness – and therefore, God once again causes him to flourish in the pit of the dungeon. Just as he was second to Potifar, so too he becomes second to the keeper of the prison:

But the Lord was with Yosef, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Yosef's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him; and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper. (39:21-23) 

Yosef's miraculous success causes the keeper of the prison to entrust him with the care of two particularly important prisoners, the king's chief butler and his chief baker. When the two officers each have a disturbing dream, Yosef gets to demonstrate his extraordinary talents.

And Yosef came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his master's house, saying: Why look you so sad today? (40:6-7)

Yosef reveals himself as a sensitive servant, noticing the mood of the king's officers. When the officers tell him: "We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it" (8), the boy who had dreamed his own dreams reveals himself as one who knows how to interpret the dreams of others, and he humbly declares: "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, I pray you" (8).

When Yosef interprets the dream of the chief butler, he attaches a request to the interpretation of the dream:

But have me in your remembrance when it shall be well with you, and show kindness, I pray you, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the pit. (40:14-15) 

Yosef exploits the chief butler's attentive ear to claim his innocence before him. Admittedly, he is a slave, but not because he committed a crime; rather, a crime was committed against him and he was stolen from his country. Admittedly, he was thrown into prison in Egypt, but here too he did nothing wrong.

The first part of Yosef's plan succeeds when the chief butler is restored to his original position, but the second, more important, part temporarily fails: "Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him" (40:23). If indeed the chief butler was meant to serve as an agent of providence to remove Yosef from the pit, this rescue was unexpectedly postponed, and Yosef finds himself waiting in the pit for another two years.

But why was it decreed against Yosef that he remain in the pit?[18]

Chazal explain that Yosef sinned by placing his trust in human salvation:

He only had to be there ten years, so why were two years added for him? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You abandoned your trust in Me and placed your trust in the chief butler, whom you implored twice to remember you: "That you would remember me and make mention of me to Pharaoh." Therefore, you shall be forgotten in prison for two additional years. Therefore it is written: "And it came to pass at the end of two years," that is, two years after the butler left the prison. (Tanchuma Vayeshev 9, 6)

However, it is difficult to accept this explanation, since it is hard to find in Scripture in general and in the stories of Yosef in particular a critique of efforts made to save oneself from adversity.[19] Note that Yosef attaches advice to the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream that details efforts required to be saved (41:33-36). What then was Yosef's sin?

It seems to me that the solution to this mystery lies not in the request for assistance from the chief butler, but in the explanation that Yosef attaches to his request: "For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the pit" (40:15). Yosef vigorously claims innocence: while it is true that he was thrown into a pit both in Canaan and in Egypt, in both cases he was an innocent victim of circumstances.[20] Since Yosef thereby demonstrates that he has not yet understood his responsibility for his difficult fate, he is sentenced to another two years in the pit.

V. Yosef’s Greatness in the House of Pharaoh

Yosef is truly destined for greatness, and in the end he gets to leave the "deep pit" and return to the "high roof" – to the house of Pharaoh. When Pharaoh needs an interpreter for his dreams, his chief butler finally mentions Yosef to the king. However, he does not present Yosef as an innocent prisoner to be taken out of the prison pit, but only as a reputable interpreter of dreams.[21]

When Pharaoh turns to Yosef and describes him with the words: "And I have heard say of you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it" (41:15), Yosef rushes to object and responds with excessive modesty: "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace" (41:16).

Now Yosef achieves greatness that will not be followed by a fall:

And Pharaoh said to his servants: Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said to Yosef: Forasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Yosef: See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Yosef's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: Avrech; and he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Yosef: I am Pharaoh, and without you no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt. (41:38-44)  

Just as Yosef was second in his father's house, second in Potifar's house, and second in prison, so Yosef becomes second in Pharaoh's house. The special coat that he had received in his father's house is now replaced by clothing of fine linen. The greatness foretold to Yosef finally arrives.

VI. The Meeting of Yosef and His Brothers

The "new" Yosef is not like the boy who saw greatness as a personal gift. His passage through the depths of slavery and the pit of the dungeon tempered the jarring pride, replacing it with deep humility and a proper conception of rule. Yosef understands that his childhood dreams did not come to flatter him, but to prepare him for a grueling mission, and that the power that God places into his hands is meant to feed not his personal pride, but his family that depends on him.[22] An expression of Yosef's new understanding is evident when he reveals himself to his brothers:

And he said: I am Yosef your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. And now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here; for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years has the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you alive for a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (45:4-8)

The boy who dreamed of glory and greatness grew to be a man who understood his destiny. How wretched do the interpretations of brothers bowing down to one brother suddenly seem, and how much greater does Yosef's role seem now. How young does Yosef look who brought the report about his brothers to their father, and how sublime does Yosef seem who keeps to himself his brother's terrible sin against him.[23] Like the greatest of leaders, Yosef comes to the realization that while God has ordained greatness for him, it was not so that his family would serve him, but so that he would have the power to serve his family. How on the mark in this context are Rabban Gamliel's words to his students when he wanted to appoint them as supervisors: "Do you imagine that I offer you rulership? It is servitude that I offer you." (Horayot 10a-b)

(Translated by David Strauss)