Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Chasidut for Genesis 47:7

וַיָּבֵ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב אָבִ֔יו וַיַּֽעֲמִדֵ֖הוּ לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת־פַּרְעֹֽה׃

And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

Kedushat Levi

Concerning the question of Nachmanides that it is surprising that ‎Joseph’s prediction of seven years of famine was not fulfilled, and ‎that therefore his reputation as an interpreter of dreams must ‎have suffered, it appears that Joseph had covered this eventuality ‎by saying: (41,28) ‎אשר האלוקים עושה הראה לפרעה‎, “what G’d is ‎about to do He had shown Pharaoh.” This left it open to G’d to ‎forego the unpleasant part of Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s ‎dream. G’d’s decrees, (negative ones) are definitive unless a ‎‎tzaddik intervenes and asks Him to cancel or to “soften” ‎them. On the other hand, the tzaddik has no power to ‎cancel or “soften” a decree by G’d which is manifestly beneficial ‎for the people concerned. When we read in 47,7 that Joseph ‎introduced his aged father Yaakov to Pharaoh, the Torah ‎describes this with the words: ‎ויעמידהו לפני פרעה‎, “he made him ‎stand (not bow) before Pharaoh.” This was a hint that his father ‎had the power to affect G’d’s negative decrees which his son had ‎predicted. In other words, although G’d had taken him, and ‎through him, Pharaoh, into His confidence, Yaakov, Joseph’s ‎father took precedence over both Joseph and Pharaoh in his ‎intimacy which G’d.‎
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