Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Mikeitz: some pure speculation

This is a summary and revision of some ideas I've been batting around to figure out some issues in chronology, some of which I worked out last year. I think it is wrong, and at the end I explain why I reject it.

After Yosef successfully interprets Pharaoh's dream, Pharaoh appoints Yosef to some position. Bereishit 41:38-41:

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, אֶל-עֲבָדָיו: הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה--אִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹקִים בּוֹ.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-יוֹסֵף, אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ אֶת-כָּל-זֹאת, אֵין-נָבוֹן וְחָכָם, כָּמוֹךָ.
אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל-בֵּיתִי, וְעַל-פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל-עַמִּי; רַק הַכִּסֵּא, אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ.

"And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?'
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.
Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou.'"

This is parallel to the interaction with Potifar. Bereishit 39:2-6

וַיְהִי יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ; וַיְהִי, בְּבֵית אֲדֹנָיו הַמִּצְרִי.
וַיַּרְא אֲדֹנָיו, כִּי יְהוָה אִתּוֹ; וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-הוּא עֹשֶׂה, יְהוָה מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ.
וַיִּמְצָא יוֹסֵף חֵן בְּעֵינָיו, וַיְשָׁרֶת אֹתוֹ; וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּ, עַל-בֵּיתוֹ, וְכָל-יֶשׁ-לוֹ, נָתַן בְּיָדוֹ.
וַיְהִי מֵאָז הִפְקִיד אֹתוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ, וְעַל כָּל-אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ-לוֹ, וַיְבָרֶךְ יְהוָה אֶת-בֵּית הַמִּצְרִי, בִּגְלַל יוֹסֵף; וַיְהִי בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה, בְּכָל-אֲשֶׁר יֶשׁ-לוֹ--בַּבַּיִת, וּבַשָּׂדֶה.
וַיַּעֲזֹב כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ, בְּיַד-יוֹסֵף, וְלֹא-יָדַע אִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה, כִּי אִם-הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר-הוּא אוֹכֵל; וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף, יְפֵה-תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַרְאֶה.

"And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
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 Joseph found favour in his sight, and he ministered unto him. And he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
And it came to pass from the time that he appointed him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.
And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon."


In Potifar's house, he was first a servant and then was promoted to overseer of the house. What seemed to have gotten him this promotion was that Potifar saw that Hashem was with Yosef. One exception to what Yosef's oversight was the bread that he ate.

What about in Pharaoh's house? Pharoah first remarks that Hashem is with Yosef:
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, אֶל-עֲבָדָיו: הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה--אִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹקִים בּוֹ.
Then Pharaoh says:
אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל-בֵּיתִי, וְעַל-פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל-עַמִּי; רַק הַכִּסֵּא, אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ.

What does it mean by עַל-בֵּיתִי? Is Yosef being appointed her over all Egypt, or as overseer of Pharoah's house? (He clearly is appointed to be the former in a few psukim, which I will address later, but this might be another appointment.)

אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל-בֵּיתִי seems to parallel וַיַּפְקִדֵהוּ עַל-בֵּיתוֹ by Potifar. Also, רַק הַכִּסֵּא אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ could mean he is being appointed a second-in-command, but it also parallels by Potifar כִּי אִם-הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר-הוּא אוֹכֵל. If so, he might have served several years in Pharoah's house, running the household, before being appointed to a position over all of Egypt.

וְעַל-פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל-עַמִּי is parallel to אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל-בֵּיתִי. The word עַמִּי could refer to an entire nation, or to a family. Consider Shmot 21:8 by a Hebrew maidservant. Either the master of his son should marry her. However,

אִם-רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנֶיהָ, אֲשֶׁר-לא (לוֹ) יְעָדָהּ--וְהֶפְדָּהּ: לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא-יִמְשֹׁל לְמָכְרָהּ, בְּבִגְדוֹ-בָהּ.
"If she please not her master, who hath espoused her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed; to sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her."

A foreign people does not seem to be non-jews but rather anyone outside of the family. So, עם may well refer to family.

Why am I so interested in seeing if it is possible for two periods of employment to exist right here? After all, the psukim by Pharoah continue (41:41-46):

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, אֶל-יוֹסֵף: רְאֵה נָתַתִּי אֹתְךָ, עַל כָּל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת-טַבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדוֹ, וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ עַל-יַד יוֹסֵף; וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ בִּגְדֵי-שֵׁשׁ, וַיָּשֶׂם רְבִד הַזָּהָב עַל-צַוָּארוֹ.
וַיַּרְכֵּב אֹתוֹ, בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ, וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְפָנָיו, אַבְרֵךְ; וְנָתוֹן אֹתוֹ, עַל כָּל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-יוֹסֵף, אֲנִי פַרְעֹה; וּבִלְעָדֶיךָ, לֹא-יָרִים אִישׁ אֶת-יָדוֹ וְאֶת-רַגְלוֹ--בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה שֵׁם-יוֹסֵף, צָפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ, וַיִּתֶּן-לוֹ אֶת-אָסְנַת בַּת-פּוֹטִי פֶרַע כֹּהֵן אֹן, לְאִשָּׁה; וַיֵּצֵא יוֹסֵף, עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
וְיוֹסֵף, בֶּן-שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה, בְּעָמְדוֹ, לִפְנֵי פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרָיִם; וַיֵּצֵא יוֹסֵף מִלִּפְנֵי פַרְעֹה, וַיַּעֲבֹר בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.'
And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph'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: 'Abrech'; and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.'
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.--
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.--And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt."


This can read as a continuation of the above speech by Pharoah, appointing Yosef to the position of viceroy. However, I am troubled by two points.

1. As a noted in a dvar torah last year, there is a 10 year gap. Yosef is sold at 17 (second pasuk of Vayeishev), stands before Pharoah/goes out over all of Egypt at 30 (last pasuk quoted), and was in prison for two years.

Where the two years? The first pasuk of Mikeitz: (41:1)

וַיְהִי, מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים; וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם, וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל-הַיְאֹר.
"And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river."

At the end of two full years from when? In the immediately preceding narrative, Yosef in in prison and correctly interpreted the dreams for the chief baker and butler, and extracted a promise from the butler to remember him, a promise that the butler failed in until Mikeitz. So, two full years in prison, but from when? When placed in prison, or when interpreting the dream for the butler?

If from the time he was placed in prison, then 1 year serving Potifar would make Yosef 18, and two years in prison would make him 20, not 30 when he stood before Pharoah. Where were the 10 years?

Chazal explain that the two years were since he extracted the promise, but he had been in prison beforehand for 10 years.

We could alternately account for the 10 years by suggesting that Yosef told his own dreams to his brothers/ received the ketonet pasim from his father at the age of 17, but was sold much later. This would further complicate some other reckonings of Yehudah's children and grandchildren and Binyamin's children, but might still be possible.

Further, Yosef might have served Potifar for more years, say 11 instead of one.

All these possibilities are complicated by the description the butler gives of Yosef to Pharoah, which is point 2.

2. The butler describes Yosef to Pharoah as a נער. In Bereishit 41:12

וְשָׁם אִתָּנוּ נַעַר עִבְרִי, עֶבֶד לְשַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים, וַנְּסַפֶּר-לוֹ, וַיִּפְתָּר-לָנוּ אֶת-חֲלֹמֹתֵינוּ: אִישׁ כַּחֲלֹמוֹ, פָּתָר.
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּתַר-לָנוּ, כֵּן הָיָה: אֹתִי הֵשִׁיב עַל-כַּנִּי, וְאֹתוֹ תָלָה.

"And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was hanged.'"

Now, I know that נער can also mean servant, and I have heard divrei torah associating the term עִבְרִי with servant, but עֶבֶד seems to cover that description. On the other hand, Potifar's wife in the previous perek calls Yosef first a אִישׁ עִבְרִי and then הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרִי. I do not think we should interpret נער. After all, the second pasuk of Vayeishev describes 17 year old Yosef as a נער.

אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵף בֶּן-שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת-אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן, וְהוּא נַעַר אֶת-בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת-בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה, נְשֵׁי אָבִיו; וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת-דִּבָּתָם רָעָה, אֶל-אֲבִיהֶם.
"These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being still a lad even with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father."

Rather than interpreting נער, if we take it in its most usual meaning, young lad.

Now, if 10 years had past, whether in Canaan, of in Potifar's house, or in prison, then Yosef would be 28 when he interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker. Can a 28 year old be called a נער?

Perhaps. If Yitzchak can be 37 at the time of the Akeida and be called a נער, and if Binyamin can be 30 and be called a נער, so can a 28 year old Yosef.

However, Chazal arrive at those numbers for those נערים based on calculations that I intend to recalculate in another way here (at least Binyamin), so they cannot serve as prooftexts. Rather, calling him a נער is somewhat problematic.

Assuming Yosef first served over Pharoah's house, and only later, say at the outset of the 7 years of plenty or slightly before that, served as the viceroy, then those 10 years can be accounted for serving in Pharoah's house. Or, we can distribute those years, and make Yosef serve some years (more than one) in Potifar's house and some years in Pharoah's house.

The two appointments would be reflected in the two וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-יוֹסֵף's with no narrative break in between.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-יוֹסֵף, אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ אֶת-כָּל-זֹאת, אֵין-נָבוֹן וְחָכָם, כָּמוֹךָ.
אַתָּה תִּהְיֶה עַל-בֵּיתִי, וְעַל-פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כָּל-עַמִּי; רַק הַכִּסֵּא, אֶגְדַּל מִמֶּךָּ.
וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה, אֶל-יוֹסֵף: רְאֵה נָתַתִּי אֹתְךָ, עַל כָּל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.
וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת-טַבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדוֹ, וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ עַל-יַד יוֹסֵף; וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ בִּגְדֵי-שֵׁשׁ, וַיָּשֶׂם רְבִד הַזָּהָב עַל-צַוָּארוֹ.

Attacking the above position: why my speculation seems to be wrong
although perhaps the second וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל-יוֹסֵף is needed to introduce to narrative section:
וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת-טַבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדוֹ, וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ עַל-יַד יוֹסֵף; וַיַּלְבֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ בִּגְדֵי-שֵׁשׁ, וַיָּשֶׂם רְבִד הַזָּהָב עַל-צַוָּארוֹ.

Further, Yosef tells Pharoah to set up as viceroy an אִישׁ נָבוֹן וְחָכָם; וִישִׁיתֵהוּ, עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם in pasuk 33, and Pharoah responds by observing to Yosef "אַחֲרֵי הוֹדִיעַ אֱלֹהִים אוֹתְךָ אֶת-כָּל-זֹאת, אֵין-נָבוֹן וְחָכָם, כָּמוֹךָ." If so, his appointment should be that of viceroy. And with one appointment, to the position of viceroy, the statement that he was 30 when he stood before Pharoah, which means he was 28 when he saw the butler, and the butler calls him a נער. Either נער extends to the age of 28-30, or else נער denotes a servant (which we know it sometimes does).

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