Midrasch zu Bereschit 39:1

Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "Why was Joseph called bones while yet alive?" Because he did not protest when the honor of his father was disparaged. For, his brothers said to him (Gen. 44, 27) And thy servant our father said, "and he did not protest in the least." R. Juda said again in the name of R. Chama b. Chanina: "Why did Joseph die before his brothers? Because he assumed airs of superiority." (Gen. 39, 1) And Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Said R. Elazar: "Do not read Horad (that he was brought down) but read Horid (he caused to bring down others) i.e., he caused the removal of the astrologers of Egypt from their high positions."

And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1). May it please our master to teach us whether one may recite the Havdalah prayer at the expiration of the Sabbath with a light used by an idolater? Thus did our masters teach us: It is forbidden to recite the Havdalah prayer with a light used by an idolater. Why? Because it (the light) does not rest from its work.⁶It remains a light used for idolatry. B. Berakhot 53b. Furthermore, if you did recite the Havdalah prayer with a light used by an idolater, you would be treating the idolater as though he deserved to be highly regarded, and Scripture states: All the nations are as nothing before Him (Isa. 40:17).

It is related that when Antoninus came to Caesarea he summoned our saintly Rabbi. His son, R. Simeon, and the illustrious R. Hiyya accompanied him. R. Simeon noticed the handsome, distinguished-looking legionary, whose head reached the capitals of the columns, and he said to R. Hiyya: “See how fat the calves of Esau are.” Whereupon R. Hiyya took him to the marketplace and pointed out baskets of grapes and figs covered with flies, and said to him: “These flies and these legionaries are one and the same.” When R. Simeon returned to his father he told him: “This is what I said to R. Hiyya, and this is how he answered me.” “R. Hiyya,” he replied, “was only substantially correct in comparing the legionaries to the flies, for the legionaries are considered as nothing (before God), while the Holy One, blessed be He, used flies as His emissaries,” as it is said: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uppermost parts of the river of Egypt (Isa. 7:18), and also: And I will send the hornet before thee (Exod. 23;28). Proof of this is that at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to fulfill the decree: Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger (Gen. 15:13), He selected as his emissary one from the smallest tribe. And so Joseph was sold into Egypt, and later Jacob and his sons went there to fulfill the decree. Therefore it is written: And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1).