Midrash su Genesi 41:43

Herod was a servant of the Hasmoneans, and there was a little girl among them upon whom he set his eyes. One day he heard a voice saying that a servant who would rebel that day, would succeed. Thereupon he slew all his superiors except that little girl; and when she saw that he intended to marry her, she ascended to the roof of the house and announced: "If it happens that one shall claim that he is descended from the Hasmoneans, be it known that he is a slave, for all Hasmoneans were slain except myself, and I now commit suicide by throwing myself from this roof." She then jumped down and was killed. He took and preserved her in honey for seven years; according to some authorities he kept her preserved to make the people believe that he married a royal daughter. Herod then said to himself: "Who are likely to insist upon the fulfillment of the passage (Deut. 17, 15) From the midst of thy brethren shalt thou set a king, etc? Surely, the Rabbis, [who are the leaders of Israel]." He therefore slew all the Rabbis, and left only Baba b. Buta, with whom to take council [on important matters]. He put a garland made of skins of hedge-hogs around Baba h. Buta's head, which pricked out his eyes [and he became blind]. One day Herod came disguised and sat before him, saying: "See, master, what the bad slave, Herod, has done. He killed all the Rabbis and he killed all the men in authority." Whereupon Baba b. Buta answered: "What can I do to him?" "Let the master curse him," remarked Herod. Baba b. Buta answered him: "It is written (Ecc. 10, 20) Even in thy thoughts, thou must not curse a king." Herod said: "But he is not a king at all." And Baba answered: "Even if he be only rich, it is written (Ib., ib.) In thy bed chambers, do not curse the rich." "But it is written (Ex. 22, 27) A ruler among thy people, thou shalt not curse, which means only when he does as the people of Israel do; but he, Herod, does the opposite," Herod argued. "I am afraid of him," Baba answered, "lest someone report that to him." Herod continued: "But there is no one who can tell him, as only you and I are here." And Baba rejoined (Ib.) For a bird of the air can carry the sound, etc. Then, rejoined Herod: "I am Herod, and I did not know that the Rabbis were so careful. Had I been aware of this I would not have slain them; but now I crave your advice. Whereupon Baba said: "You have extinguished the light of the world. Go and occupy yourself in kindling the light of the world; you have extinguished the light of the world, the Rabbis, as it is written (Pr. 6, 23) For the commandments is a lamp, and the Torah is light; go and occupy yourself in kindling the light of the world, to build the Temple, concerning which it is written (Is. 2, 2) And unto it (The Temple) shall shine all the nations." According to some authority Baba said to him: "You blinded the eyes of the world, the spiritual leaders, as it is written (Num. 15, 24) And if from the eyes of the congregation, etc. Go, therefore and occupy thyself in building the eye of the world, which is now the Temple, as it is written (Ezek. 24, 21) I will profane My sanctuary… the desire of your eyes. "But I fear the Roman government," Herod said. Whereupon Baba said: "Send a messenger to Rome, wluim it shall take a year to reach there, and let him remain there a year. Since his return will also consume a year, during the three years you can take apart this Temple and build a new one." Herod did so, and the answer was: "If you have not as yet taken apart the old one, let it remain so; if you have already taken it apart, do not build a new one: and if you have already taken apart and also rebuilt, such is the custom of bad slaves: they seek advice after the thing is already done. If you still wear the armor [with which you have killed the Hasmoneans] and therefore feel proud, your record, however, is in our archives, in which it can be seen that you are neither a king, nor a descendant of kings, but Herod, the slave who freed himself." It was said that he who had not seen the new Temple of Herod had not, in all his life, seen a handsome building. With what material did he build it? Eaba said: "With ornamented marble stones of different colors, the stones being not in a straight line, but alternately projecting and receding, the gaps being intended to receive the lime." He intended to cover it with gold, but the Rabbis advised him not to do so, because as it was it looked like a surging sea.

Similarly, R. Yehudah expounded (Bereshith 41:43) "And he (Pharaoh) had him ride in the chariot next to his, and they called before him "Avrech.": This is Joseph, who was a father ("av") in wisdom and young ("rach") in years — whereupon R. Yossi b. Dormaskith said to him: Yehudah berebbi, why do you distort the verses for us? I testify by heaven and earth that "avrech" signifies (bending of) the knees ("birkayim"). (Ibid.) "and he set him over all the land of Egypt": that all enter and leave by his command.

(Gen. 44:18, cont.:) FOR YOU ARE LIKE PHARAOH. He said to him: Just as Pharaoh is the greatest here, and you are second to him; so Daddy is the greatest in the land of Canaan, and I am second to him. He said: I swear: If I should draw my sword from its scabbard, I am beginning with you, and I am winding up with Pharaoh. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 27:17): IRON SHARPENS IRON. It is fitting for the both of them to stand facing each other; it is fitting for a king to boast facing a king. Judah is a king, about whom it is written (in I Chron. 5:2): JUDAH PREVAILED AMONG HIS BROTHERS. Joseph is a king, about whom it is written (in Gen. 41:43): HE LET HIM RIDE IN THE CHARIOT OF HIS DEPUTY. Therefore, both of them were goring each other. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 44:18): PRAY (bi),¹⁴Bi can also mean AT ME, and the midrash may have this meaning in mind. MY LORD.

“When they [the king’s servants] spoke to him [Mordekhai] daily and he did not heed them, they told Haman, to see whether Mordekhai’s words would prevail; for he had told to them that he was a Jew” (Esther 3:4).
“When they spoke to him daily” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Binyamin bar Rabbi Levi: The children of Rachel, their miracles are equal and their ascent to greatness is equal. Their miracles are equal; that is what is written: “It was when she spoke to Joseph day after day” (Genesis 39:10). Here it written: “When they spoke to him daily and he did not heed them,” and there it is written: “And he did not heed her to lie with her, to be with her” (Genesis 39:10). And their ascent to greatness is equal; that is what is written: “Pharaoh removed his ring from his hand and he gave it to Joseph, and he garbed him in garments of linen” (Genesis 41:42). Here it is written: “The king removed the ring that he had taken from Haman, and he gave it to Mordekhai” (Esther 8:2). There it is written: “He had him ride in his second chariot, and they cried before him: ‘Avrekh’”³The meaning of avrekh is unclear. One opinion, based on the ancient Egyptian, is that it means “pay attention.” (Genesis 41:43); here, it is written: “And let the garments and the horse be placed…and they will proclaim before him: So shall be done to the man whose honoring the king desires” (Esther 6:9).

R. Simeon stated: Joseph was rewarded in kind for his behavior. Because his mouth had not indulged in sinful kissing, he was told: According to thy word shall all my people be kissed (i.e. ruled)(Gen. 41:40); because he had not lowered his neck to sin, He placed a gold chain about his neck (ibid., v. 42); because he had not used his hand to fondle sinfully, Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph’s hand (ibid.); because his body had not clung to another in sin, he arrayed him in garments of fine linen (ibid.); because his feet had not led him to her, He caused him to ride in the second chariot (ibid., v. 43); because he did not entertain wicked thoughts, he was called understanding and wise (ibid., v. 39); and because his heart had not reflected upon committing evil, they called before him: “Abrech”⁴²The Targum translates Abrech as “father of the king.” and Zaphenath-paneah⁴³Rashi translates Zaphenath-paneah as “explainer of things.” (ibid., vv. 43, 45). Upon the Sodomites, however, He rained fire and brimstone, as it is said: The Lord caused to rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone (ibid. 19:24), and it likewise says: I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast and creeping things, and fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them (Gen. 6:7).

The Holy One exacted punishment from them in Egypt and afterwards he exacted punishment from them at the sea. What is written concerning Egypt (in Exod. 12:29)? AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT <THAT THE LORD SMOTE ALL THE FIRST-BORN, FROM THE FIRST-BORN OF PHARAOH, WHO WAS SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, TO THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CAPTIVE WHO WAS IN THE DUNGEON, AND ALL THE FIRST-BORN OF THE CATTLE>. When he had killed their prince, he afterwards killed them; and so it says (in Exod. 12:12): AND ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT <I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS>…. <Gods > of stone have rotted; <those> of silver and gold have been melted. When he had exacted punishment from their gods, he afterwards exacted punishment from them. (Exod. 15:1, cf. 21:) THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER HE HAS THROWN INTO THE SEA. This is the prince. And after that (in vs. 4): PHARAOH'S CHARIOTS AND HIS ARMY <HE HAS CAST INTO THE SEA>. Also in the case of this evil Roman Empire, when the Holy One has exacted punishment from their prince, he will afterwards exact punishment from them, just as he did to the Babylonian Empire. When he had exacted punishment from their prince, he afterwards exacted punishment from Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Jer. 51:44): I WILL ATTEND TO BEL (the prince of Babylon) IN BABYLON.⁸⁰Cf. vs. 47: I WILL DEAL WITH THE IMAGES OF BABYLON…; AND ALL ITS SLAIN SHALL FALL IN THE MIDST OF IT. And so also he does to Edom (i.e., to Rome), as stated (in Jer. 46:15): WHY HAS ABBIREKHA BEEN WASHED AWAY?⁸¹The midrash understands ABBIREKHA as a singular subject, because the Hebrew verb translated, HAS BEEN WASHED AWAY, is singular; however, it is common to follow such a singular verb with a plural subject. Thus the new JPS translation reads: WHY ARE YOUR STALWARTS SWEPT AWAY? This is their prince since he is afflicting that Abbirekha with leprosy.⁸²See below, Lev. 4:16; cf. Gen. 41:43, where “Abrech” (‘BRK) can be taken as a princely title, which according to Gen. R. 90:3 has the homiletic meaning, “Father (‘B) in wisdom and tender (RK) in years.” In the biblical context Jer. 46:15 refers to Egypt, but the midrash regards Abbirekha as intimating the prince of Edom, since according to sec. 6, above, “All the plagues which the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians he is going to bring upon Edom.” Now WASHED AWAY (rt.: SHP) can only mean leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:2): <WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH > A SWELLING OR A SORE (rt.: SPH) <OR A BRIGHT SPOT, AND IT BECOMES ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY >…. Then afterwards he exacts punishment from it (i.e., the whole Kingdom of Edom, rt.: 'DM). It is so stated (in Jer. 46:15, cont.): BECAUSE THE LORD THRUST IT DOWN. And so it also says (in Is. 24:21): THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF HEAVEN IN HEAVEN; then afterwards (ibid.): AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM) {IN} [ON] THE EARTH (rt.: 'DM). But in the case of Israel, just as their God lives and abides forever and forevermore, so do they live and abide forever and forevermore. Thus it is stated (in Jer. 10:10): BUT THE LORD IS A TRUE GOD: HE IS A LIVING GOD AND AN EVERLASTING KING; while concerning Israel it is written (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY.

"One such day, he [Yosef] came into the house to do his work and none of the men of the household were there" (Genesis 39:11). Is it possible that in the house of such a man it was deserted with no man there? Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nechemyah [explain this]. Rabbi Yehuda says, it was a Nile festival and all had gone to see it, and he did not go. Rabbi Nechemyah says, it was a day of the theatre [teiatiron] and all had gone to see it, and he did not go. Rather, "he came into the house to do his work", to calculate his master's calculations. Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachman says, "to do his work literally", except there was no man there -- he searched himself, and he did not find himself to be a man. Another explanation, Rabbi Shmuel says, the bow is stretched and returned. For is it not written: (Genesis 49:24) "Yet his bow [קשתו] remained taut" -- his hardness [קשיותו]. Rabbi Yitzchak says, his seed [זרע] was scattered and went out by way of his fingernails, as it says (Genesis 49:24) "and the arms of his hands [זרעי ידיו] were made firm". Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Matna says, images of his father appeared and chilled his blood, as it is written (Genesis 49:24) "From there, the Shepherd, the Rock of Yisrael". Who does such? (Genesis 49:25) "The God of your father who helps you [...] blessings of breast and womb" -- (Onkelos Genesis 49:25) "blessings of father and mother."