Commento su Genesi 39:4

וכל יש לו AND ALL THAT HE HAD — This is an elliptical phrase — the word אשר is omitted after.

וישרת אותו, he attended to his master’s bodily needs.

וימצא.יוסף חן...וישרת אותו, because Joseph had found so much favour in his eyes he appointed him as his exclusive personal valet. At the same time he appointed him in charge so that without Joseph’s approval nothing could be done within this household.

וישרת אותו, “he became his personal valet.” He performed such tasks promptly and with extreme regard for cleanliness.

AND ALL THAT HE HAD HE GAVE INTO HIS HAND. I.e., to be overseer and officer in charge of all that he had in the house and in the field. Our Rabbis have a Midrash on this verse. Thus they say:²¹⁵Bereshith Rabbah 86:6. “He would whisper²¹⁶His father’s instructions. (Ibid., Commentaries.) whenever he entered and whenever he left. If his master said to him, ‘Mix a hot drink,’ it was hot immediately in Joseph’s hands and if he said, ‘Mix it lukewarm,’ it was lukewarm. [Because he suspected Joseph of witchcraft, his master said to him,] ‘What is this, Joseph? Bringing witchcraft to Egypt is like importing straw to Ofraim!’²¹⁷“Straw to Ofraim” is the Midrashic equivalent of the present day expression, “coals to Newcastle.” How long did his master suspect him of practicing witchcraft? It was until he saw the Divine Presence standing over him. This is the meaning of the words, And his lord saw that the Eternal was with him.”²¹⁸Verse 3 here.
The point of this Midrash is that because his lord was an Egyptian who did not know the Eternal, the Sages in the Midrash said that when he saw Joseph’s great success he suspected that it was done by witchcraft, as was the case with his countrymen, until he saw in a vision which was shown to him in a dream, or, when awake, in the form of a cloud of glory or the like, that his success came from the Supreme One. This was done in honor of the righteous Joseph.

וכל יש לו, all that he owned.

ויפקידהו על ביתו, “he appointed him to be in charge of his household.” He was the supervisor of the entire household. We find such a position in Kings I 18,3 when Achav appointed such a supervisor.

וכל אשר יש לו נתן בידו, “and he entrusted all his belongings to the care of Joseph.” He appointed him as manager of the household budget. We find something similar in Isaiah 22,15: “go in to see that steward, that Shevna, in charge of the palace.”