Midrash su Genesi 42:6

Another interpretation (of Prov. 14:23): IN ALL TOIL THERE IS PROFIT. This was Joseph, who suffered in prison and had gain.⁶Gen. R. 89:2; Exod. R. 7:1. NOW (according to Gen. 42:6) JOSEPH WAS THE GOVERNOR. (Prov. 14:23:) BUT TALK FROM THE LIPS < LEADS > ONLY TO A LOSS. Because he had spoken < merely > with his lips and said < to a cupbearer rather than to God > (in Gen. 40:14): BUT KEEP ME IN YOUR REMEMBRANCE, the Holy One said to him: By your life, inasmuch as you spoke improper words with your lips; by your life, you are doing two years more in the prison. Thus it is stated (in Genesis 41:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END OF TWO FULL YEARS.

Alternatively, "when [the Lord] enlarges [your territory]" (Deuteronomy 20:12). "Let me exult and rejoice in Your loving-kindness when You notice my affliction, are mindful of my deep distress, and do not hand me over to my enemy, but grant me relief" (Psalms 31:8-9). The Rabbis say, this verse refers to Joseph. Joseph said, "Master of the universe, let me exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness that you have done for me. Had you [only] called Potiphar's wife to account for me, but not given me the powers of a sovereign, I would have been joyful and happy, now that you've also given me the powers of a sovereign, I will exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness." "When you notice my affliction", this [too] refers to Joseph, about whom it is written, "His feet were afflicted in fetters; an iron collar was put on his neck" (psalms 105:18). "and did not hand me over to my enemy" - this is Potiphar [who sought to imprison Joseph for life]. "but grant me relief", since he caused me to rule over the entire land of Egypt. From where is this derived? From the verse: "Now Joseph was the vizier of the land; it was he who dispensed rations to all the people of the land..." (Genesis 42:6). Alternatively "Let me exult and rejoice" is speaking about [the Children of] Israel. The Children of Israel said, "Master of the universe, let me exult and rejoice in your loving-kindness that you have done unto us, for had you [only] freed us from the Egyptians and not given us their money, we would have be gladdened, [but] what joy and happiness we have [now] that you have given us [also] their wealth. "when you notice my affliction" this refers to the Israelites about him it was written: "The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our plea and saw our affliction, our misery, and our oppression" (Deuteronomy 26:6-7). "are mindful of my deep distress" this refers to the Israelites, about whom it is written "they made life bitter for them" (Exodus 1:14). "and do not hand me over to my enemy" - this refers to the evil Pharaoh, as it is written "The foe said, “I will pursue"" (Exodus 15:9). "But grant me relief", that you widened our borders, as it says, "when [the Lord] enlarges [your territory]" (Deuteronomy 20:12).

“Was [haya] [a Judean man in the Shushan citadel]….” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Everyone about whom “haya” is stated, it is he at the beginning and it is he at the end.⁹ He was righteous from beginning to end. They objected to him; but isn’t it written: “One was [haya] Abraham” (Ezekiel 33:24)?¹⁰ Abraham began his life as an idolater; he wasn’t the same at the beginning and the end. He said to them: That is not, in fact, a refutation, as Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Yoḥanan said: At age three Abraham identified his Creator. That is what is written: “Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice” (Genesis 26:5). The number of years that Abraham heeded the voice of his Creator is the equivalent of ekev (172),¹¹Ayin – 70, kof –100, beit – 2 and he lived one hundred and seventy-five years. [If one does not accept this explanation,] how do I find expression for haya about him? It means that he was fated from the beginning to guide the entire world to repent.¹²Although Abraham was not a believer in God his whole life, he had the potential from the beginning.
“[The Lord God said:] Behold, the man has become [haya] [like one of us, knowing good and evil]” (Genesis 3:22) – he became fated to die. “The serpent was [haya] more cunning” (Genesis 3:1) – he was fated for punishment. “Cain was [haya] a cultivator of the ground” (Genesis 4:2) – he was fated for exile, as you say: “Cain departed from the presence of the Lord” (Genesis 4:16); saying that he would be “restless and wandering” (Genesis 4:12). “There was [haya] a man in the land of Utz” (Job 1:1) – he was fated for suffering. “Noah, a righteous man, was [haya] faultless” (Genesis 6:9) – he was fated to acknowledge his Creator. “Moses was [haya] herding (Exodus 3:1) – he was fated for salvation. Mordekhai was fated for redemption.
Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: Anyone about whom haya is stated witnessed a new world. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: They are five.
Noah – yesterday “Water eroded stone” (Job 14:19), as Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Even millstones were dissolved during the flood, and now [after the flood] it says: “The sons of Noah who emerged from the ark…” (Genesis 9:18),¹³Immediately following this verse, the Torah relates how the earth was repopulated by Noah’s sons while Noah was alive. indicating that he witnessed a new world.
Joseph – yesterday “they tortured [his feet] with chains” (Psalms 105:18), and now “And Joseph was [haya] was the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6); that is, he witnessed a new world.
Moses – yesterday he was fleeing from Pharaoh and now he is drowning him in the sea; that is, he witnessed a new world.
Job – yesterday “He spills my bile onto the ground” (Job 16:13), and now “and the Lord gave Job double what he had had” (Job 42:10); that is, he witnessed a new world.
Mordekhai – yesterday “he wore sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1), and now “he emerged from before the king in royal garments” (Esther 8:15).
“And his name was Mordekhai” (Esther 2:5). Just as myrrh [mor] is first of all the spices,¹⁴It is first on the list of ingredients of the sacred oil of anointment (Exodus 30:23). so was Mordekhai first among the righteous in his generation.

R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "He who withholds from imparting an Halacha to a disciple is considered as if he would rob him of the inheritance of his ancestors, for it is said (Deut. 33, 4) The law which Moses commanded us is the inheritance of the congregation of Israel. Hence the law is considered as an inheritance to all Israel since the creation of the world." R. Chana b. Bizna, in the name of R. Simon the Pious said: "He who withholds (or denies) the explanation of an Halacha to a disciple, even the embryos in the entrails of their mothers, curse him, as it is said (Prov. 11, 26) Him that withholdeth corn, (Fol. 92) (l'om) the people will (ye'kabuhu) denounce, and the word l'am refers to embryos, as it is said (Num. 23, 8) How shall I denounce (Kabo) whom God … , and Bar means the Torah, as it is said (Ps. 2) And if one do teach." What will be his reward for such? Raba, in the name of R. Shesheth, said: "He will be rewarded with the blessing with which Joseph was blessed, as it is said (Pr. 11, 26) But blessing will be heaped upon the head of the one (Mashbir) that selleth it, and Mashbir refers to Joseph; as it is said (Gen. 48, 6) And Joseph, he was the governor over the land, he it was that sold corn to all the people." R. Shesheth said again: "He who teaches the Torah in this world will be rewarded by teaching it in the world to come, as it is said (Prov. 11, 25) He that refresheth [others] will do the same in the future." Mar Zutra said: "Whence do we infer the resurrection from the Torah? It is said (Deut. 33, 6) May Reuben live, and not die, i.e., he may live in this world, and not die in the world to come." Rabina says: From the following (Dan. 12, 2) And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to disgrace and everlasting abhorrence. And R. Ashi said: From (Ib. ib. 13) But thou, go [thy way] toward the end; and thou shalt rest, and arise for thy lot at the end of the days. R. Elazar said: "A leader of a congregation, who leads them humbly, will be rewarded by leading the same in the world to come, as it is said (Is. 49, 10) For he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will he guide them." R. Elazar said again: "Wisdom is of great importance, as it was placed between two divine names (I Sam. 2, 3) For a God of knowledge is the Lord." Another thing said R. Elazar: "Every man who possesses wisdom may consider himself as if the Temple were built in his days, as both wisdom and temple are placed between two divine names." R. Elazar said further: "He who possesses no knowledge does not merit that one should have mercy upon him, as it is said (Is. 27, 11) For it is not a people of understanding; therefore he that made it will not have compassion upon it, and he that formed them will not be gracious unto them." R. Elazar said also: "He who feeds one who does not possess any knowledge, will suffer as a reward for it, as it is said (Ob. 1, 7) They that eat thy bread have struck thee secretly a wound, there is no understanding in them." R. Elazar said again: "A man that has no knowledge will finally be exiled, as it reads (Is. 5, 13) Therefore are my people led into exile, for want of knowledge."

“I did not know; my soul placed me upon chariots of my noble people” (Song of Songs 6:12).
“I did not know; my soul placed me,” Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is comparable to the daughter of kings, who was gathering residual sheaves. The king passed and recognized that she was his daughter. He sent his friend and he took her and seated her with him in his carriage. Her friends were astonished in her regard and saying: ‘Yesterday she was gathering residual sheaves and today she is in the carriage with the king?’ She said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about me, so I am astonished about myself.’ She declared about herself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
So too, when Israel was in Egypt, they were enslaved with mortar and bricks and were despicable and contemptible in the eyes of the Egyptians. When they became free men and were redeemed, they became elevated over all mankind. The nations of the world were astonished and saying, ‘Yesterday you were working with mortar and bricks, and now you have become free men, elevated over the entire world?’ Israel said to them: ‘Just as you are astonished about us, so are we astonished about ourselves.’ They declared about themselves: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” it is regarding Joseph the righteous that the verse is speaking. Yesterday, “they tortured his legs with chains; his body was placed in irons” (Psalms 105:18), and today, “Joseph is the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of David. Yesterday he was fleeing from Saul, and today, David is king. He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of Mordekhai. Yesterday, “he donned sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1), and today, “Mordekhai emerged from before the king in royal garments of sky-blue and white…” (Esther 8:15). He declared about himself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Another matter, “I did not know; my soul placed me,” the verse is speaking of the congregation of Israel. The congregation of Israel says to the nations of the world: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, for though I fell, I will rise” (Micah 7:8). When I was sitting in the dark, the Holy One blessed be He took me out to the light, as it is stated: “Though I sit in the darkness, the Lord is a light to me” (Micah 7:8). It declared about itself: “I did not know; my soul placed me.”
Yusta, the tailor of Tzippori, ascended to the royal palace and found favor with the king. The king said to him: ‘Make a request and I will grant it to you.’ He said to him: ‘Appoint me governor over our locale [Tzippori].’ The king granted it to him. When he was appointed governor, he descended from it.³⁹He descended from the palace back to Tzippori. Some of those who knew him said: ‘It is him,’⁴⁰When they saw him approaching they identified him as Yusta the tailor. And some of them said: ‘It is not him.’ One said to the others: ‘He will now pass through the marketplace; if he looks at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, it is him. If not, it is not him.’ He passed through the marketplace and he began to look at the stall upon which he would sit and sew, and they realized that it was him. He said to them: ‘You are astonished about me, but I am astonished about myself more than you are.’ They declared of him: “I did not know; my soul placed me…” “My noble people [ami],” the noble One accompanied me [imi]—the One who lives eternally.

Another matter, “There was a small city” – this is Egypt, “and few men in it” – these are the Egyptians, “and a great king came against it and surrounded it” – this is the wicked Pharaoh,⁹¹Pharaoh was a wicked king who did not act in the best interest of his subjects. “and built a great siege upon it” – with ambush and subterfuge. “He found in it a poor, wise man” – this is Joseph the righteous, “and he saved the city in his wisdom” – as he said to Pharaoh: “Let Pharaoh proceed and let him appoint officials over the land…and let them gather all the food of these good years…” (Genesis 41:34). “But no one remembered that poor man” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You did not remember him; I remember him, as it is stated: “Joseph was the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6).

Another matter, “there was a small city” – this is Egypt, “and few men in it” – these are Joseph’s brothers, “and a great king came against it and surrounded it” – this is Joseph, “and built a great siege upon it” – these are the three edicts that he issued: That no slave shall enter Egypt, no person may enter with two donkeys, and no person may enter whose name and his father’s name, and his grandfather’s name, and his grandmother’s name are not documented.⁹²Joseph issued these edicts so that his brothers would have to come to Egypt themselves to procure food, and not send their slaves; so that they would all have to come, instead of sending just some of them; and so that he would be able to identify them (Etz Yosef). “He found in it a poor, wise man” – this is Judah, “and he saved the city in his wisdom” – as he said: “I will guarantee him…” (Genesis 43:9). Moreover, he said to Joseph: “Now please, let your servant remain instead of the lad…” (Genesis 44:33).⁹³Thus, Judah saved the extended family from starvation by convincing Jacob to allow Benjamin to travel to Egypt, and he saved Benjamin from slavery by offering himself as a slave to Joseph instead. “But no one remembered that poor man” – the Holy One blessed be He said: You did not remember him; I remember him, as it is stated: “He sent Judah before him…” (Genesis 46:28).⁹⁴God ensured that Judah would still play a lead role among the brothers when they moved to Egypt.

‎ And what should your brother do in the house of the harlots, even though he be in Egypt, for ‎have ye not said that you are of the sons of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and what should the ‎sons of Jacob do in the house of the harlots? And they said unto him: Because we have heard ‎that the Ishmaelites have stolen him from us, and we were informed that they had sold him ‎into Egypt. And thy servant, our brother, is of exceeding comely appearance and figure, and ‎we thought he can be nowhere else but in the house of the harlots, and therefore we went ‎thither to seek and to redeem him. And Joseph answered unto them, saying: Verily, you are ‎speaking falsehoods, and your words are lies to say of yourselves that you are the sons of ‎Abraham. As Pharaoh liveth, you are spies; therefore you went into the house of the harlots ‎that no man should know you. And Joseph said further: And supposing you find your brother ‎and his master require of you an immense ransom, would you give it for him? And they ‎answered him: If he would not deliver our brother, then we would slay him and take our ‎brother and go our ways. And Joseph said unto them: That is precisely what I have said unto ‎you, you are spies, for you have come to slay the inhabitants of the land. For verily we have ‎heard it, that two of your brothers hath slain all the inhabitants of Shechem in the land of ‎Canaan on account of your sister, and now you come to do the same thing in Egypt on account ‎of your brother. But hereby will I know that you are honest people, if you send one of your ‎brothers to take your youngest brother from your father and to bring him hither unto me. And ‎by doing this thing I will know that you are true men. Joseph called unto seventy of his most ‎valiant men and said unto them: Take these men and put them into confinement, and these ‎powerful men took the ten brothers and they seized them and kept them in prison for three ‎days. And on the third day, Joseph brought them out of the prison, and said unto them: If you ‎be true men do you this and you shall live. Let one of your brothers be bound in the house of ‎the prison, and ye go, carry corn for the famine of your houses into the land of Canaan, and ‎take your youngest brother and bring him hither unto me, and thus shall I know that you are ‎true men if you will do this thing. And Joseph withdrew from them into a chamber and wept ‎bitterly, for his compassion was aroused in their behalf. And he washed his face and returned ‎unto them. And he took Simeon from among them and ordered him to be bound. But Simeon ‎would not permit himself to be bound, and they could not do it, for Simeon was a very ‎powerful man.‎

“Why should a living man complain? A man for his sins.” (Eicha 3:39) R’ Aba bar Yodan said, ‘what is it that person complains while he is still alive? It is enough that he lives!’ R’ Berachia said, ‘I lived next to you, he lives and complains.’ R’ Levi said, ‘what is it that a person complains to the Life giver of the worlds? Rather, if one wants to complain, let him complain of his sins. R’ Yodan said, ‘let him stand up like a man and confess his sins, and not complain. Rebbe said, ‘the Holy One said 'malcontents, the children of malcontents they are!' I busied myself with finding Adam a companion, “…I will make him a helpmate opposite him." (Bereshit 2:18) and he complains before me, saying "The woman whom You gave [to be] with me, she gave me…" (Bereshit 3:12) Even Yaakov did so to Me! I made it My business to make his son king in Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Bereshit 42:6) and he complains saying "...My way has been hidden from the Lord..." (Is. 40:27) Even his sons did so to Me in the wilderness - I made it My business to choose out for them refined food, like that which kings eat, in order that none of them would have indigestion or be seized with diarrhea, and they complain before me saying "...we are disgusted with this rotten bread." (Bamidbar 21:5). Even Zion did so to Me! I busied myself with her to remove the kingdoms from the world, have I not already removed Bavel, Maday and Greece and in the future will remove this wicked kingdom? And she complains before me, saying "The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me." (Is. 49:14)

God said to Moshe, "Say to them, to the Jews, 'What are you doing? Be aware that He will strike the Egyptians,'" as is is stated (Exodus 12:23), "And the Lord will pass to strike the Egyptians." Rabbi Levi said, "What is [the meaning of], 'and the Lord will pass (veavar)?' The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, 'I am going against (ohver) that which I said.' There is a parable of a king whose son went to Barbaria. The Barbarians got up and received him and made him king over them. The king heard and said, 'what honor should I do for these [people], who raised my son and crowned him over them? Rather, I shall call the name of that country according to the name of my son.' After some time, they went back and they cursed the son of the king and they subjugated him. The king said, 'I will go against that which I honored them - I will go out and make war with them and rescue my son.' So [too is it that when] Yosef went to Egypt, they received him and made him king over them, as it is stated (Genesis 42:6), 'And Yosef was the ruler over the land;' they honored Yakov, as it is stated (Genesis 50:3), 'and the Egyptians cried for him seventy days.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'What honor should I do for Egypt? Behold, I will call it with the name of the Garden of Eden,' as it is stated (Genesis 13:10), 'like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.' When they went back and subjugated them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said (Exodus 12:12), '"And I will pass over ( avarti, here understood as, went against)" - I am going back from that honor and I will make it into a desolate place,' as it is stated (Joel 4:11), 'Egypt will be a desolate place.'"

(Numb. 7:48:) “On the seventh day it was the prince of the Children of Ephraim.” This text is related (to Ps. 60:9), “Gilead is Mine and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is My chief stronghold; Judah is My scepter.” Resh Laqish said, “If the idolaters should say to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not enliven the dead, say to them, ‘See here, Elijah bears witness that I enlivened the dead through his hand.’¹¹⁰Cf. Numb. R. 14:1. Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), ‘Gilead is mine,’ as Elijah was of the inhabitants of Gilead. (Ibid., cont.:) ‘And Manasseh is Mine.’ If they should say to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not receive repentant sinners, say to them, ‘See here, Manasseh bears witness that I received him through repentance, since it is stated (in II Chron. 33:13), “When he (i.e., Manasseh) prayed unto him, He (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) granted his request, heard his [entreaty,] and restored him to Jerusalem and to his kingdom […].”’ Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), ‘and Manasseh is Mine.’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘Ephraim also is My chief stronghold.’ And if they say to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not attend to (pqd) barren women, say to them, ‘See here, Elkanah of Mount Ephraim bears witness that I attended to (pqd) his wife Hannah, as stated (in I Sam. 2:21), “For the Lord visited (pqd) hannah; [so she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters].”’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘Judah is my scepter.’ If they say to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not rescue from the fire, say to them, ‘See here, Hananiah and his friends bear witness that I rescued them from the fire, as stated (in Dan. 1:6), “Now among those from the Children of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.”’ Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), ‘Judah is my scepter.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 60:9), “Gilead is Mine”: If someone says to you, “Why did Elijah build an altar up on Mount Carmel and sacrifice on it, when the Temple existed at that time? For Moses has said (in Lev. 17:3–4), ‘If any single person from the house of Israel slaughters [an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp]…, And does not bring it unto the entrance of the tent of meeting [to offer a sacrifice to the Lord before the Tabernacle of the Lord, blood guilt shall be imputed to that person],’” say to him, “Everything that Elijah did, he did for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and by divine command.¹¹¹yTa‘an. 2:8 (65d); Lev. R. 22:9. It is so stated (in I Kings 18:36), ‘And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the oblation (minhah), the prophet Elijah drew near and said […, and that I have done all these things at Your bidding].’” Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), “Gilead is Mine.” (Ibid., cont.:) “And Manasseh is Mine.” If someone says to you, “Why did Gideon sacrifice in a high place (bamah); see here, it was forbidden because there was Shiloh in existence?” [In answer to this question,] R. Abba bar Lahana said, “Gideon did seven [unlawful] things:¹¹²yMeg. 1:14 (or 12) (72c); Zev. 14:6; M. Sam. 13; see Tem. 28b-29a. (1) He sacrificed a bull which had been worshipped, (2) a bull which had been set aside (for idolatry), (3) he built an altar, (4) he cut wood [for it] from the asherah, (5) he sacrificed at night, (6) without the high priest, and (7) he was among idol-serving priests. Yet whatever he did, he did by divine command. It is so stated (in Jud. 6:25-26), ‘And it came to pass during that night that the Lord said to him, “Take the bull ox that belongs to your father […]”’” Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), “and Manasseh is Mine.” (Ibid., cont.:) “Judah is my scepter.” If someone says to you, “See here, David transgressed against a negative commandment,”¹¹³Buber, n. 147, suggests that the allusion is to the Bathsheba incident (II Sam. 11). This interpretation is suggested by citation of Ps. 51:15 which follows, since according to the introduction of this Psalm, David wrote it when Nathan came to him to condemn him for the Bathsheba affair. Cf. also Numb. R. 14:1, which alludes in this context to David building an altar and offering sacrifices on a high place (II Sam. 24:18-25 // I Chron. 21:18-26). the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Say to him, ‘David taught the penitents, like a scribe teaching children.’” It is so stated (in Ps. 51:15), “Let me teach transgressors your ways and the sinners shall return unto You.” Ergo (in Ps. 60:9), “Judah is My scepter. (Ibid.:) “Ephraim also is My chief stronghold.” If someone says to you, “Why did Joshua profane the Sabbath in Jericho,” say to him, “He acted on divine command.” It is so stated (in Joshua 6:2), “Then the Lord said unto Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand […].’” It is also written (in vss. 3-4), “So you shall go around the city […]; thus shall you do for six days. And seven priests […]; but on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times, [and the priests shall blow on the shofars].’” And how is it shown that it was on the Sabbath? In that there are never seven days without a Sabbath.¹¹⁴See yShab. 1:3 or 8 (4ab); Gen. R. 14:10; Seder Olam Rabbah 11. Ergo, “Ephraim also is My chief stronghold.” Now Joshua did yet another thing on his own initiative, which was not told to him. When Jericho was conquered, it was Sabbath. He said, “All of the Sabbath is holy, so whatever we conquer on the Sabbath will be holy to the Lord, as stated (in Josh. 6:19), “But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord […].” R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said, “He treated it like a city condemned (for idolatry), and in the case of a city condemned (for idolatry) it is forbidden [to derive] benefit [from it]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 13:17), ‘and you shall burn with fire the city with all its plunder, wholly for the Lord your God.’” R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said, “[Joshua] taught Israel what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel (in Numb. 15:20), ‘You shall set aside the first of your dough [as a hallah offering].’ Joshua said, ‘In as much as we conquered it first, we shall dedicate all its booty to the most high.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘In as much as you have done so, see, your offering is supporting your tribe and overriding the Sabbath.’ Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:48), ‘On the seventh day it was the prince of the Children of Ephraim (who made the offering).’” This text is related (to Eccl. 8:4–5), “For a king's word is supreme […]. Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” And so it says (in II Sam. 23:3), “The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me, ‘One who governs over a person, who governs righteously the fear of God.” And who is the one who governs over his [evil] drive.¹¹⁵See above, Gen. 5:6. One who does the will of the Omnipresent. And who is this? This was Joseph, the father of [Ephraim], the father of the father of Joshua ben Nun. What is written about him (in Gen. 39:7–8)? “And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph […]. But he refused […].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You did not heed her. By your life, I am making you king over Egypt. Then they all shall obey you, as stated (in Gen. 41:55), “then Pharaoh said to all Egypt, ‘Go unto Joseph.’” It also says (in vs. 40), “You shall be over my house,” and the children of my palace¹¹⁶Lat.: praetorium; Gk.: praitorion. shall do nothing without your consent. So it says (in Gen. 42:6), “Now Joseph was the governor over the land.” Because he governed his [evil] drive, he became governor over the land. (Gen. 39:2:) “And he was a successful man. It was only necessary to say "righteous man." Why is “successful man,” written? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to [Joseph], “You achieved what the first Adam did not achieve.”¹¹⁷I.e., unlike Adam, Joseph resisted temptation and overcame his evil drive. Successful (rt.: tslh) simply means achievement. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 19:18), “and they crossed (rt.: tslh) the Jordan ahead of the king.”¹¹⁸The context is the successful return of King David to Jerusalem after his forces had achieved the defeat of Absalom. Cf. also Gen. R. 86:4. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “No sacrifice by an individual overrides the Sabbath; yet by your life, the sacrifice by your son (Ephraim) will override the Sabbath, because of the good work (mitswah) that you did (in resisting temptation).” Ergo (in Numb. 7:48), “On the seventh day it was the prince of the Children of Ephraim, Elishama ben Ammihud.” R. Azariah said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, [i.e.] to Joseph, ‘You have kept the commandment (mitswah) (from Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), of “You shall not commit adultery.” So you have fulfilled the Torah before I gave it. By your life, no tribe shall come between your two sons with a sacrifice. Instead (according to Numb. 7:48) Ephraim [shall bring an offering] on the seventh day; and (according to Numb. 7:54) Manasseh, on the eighth day.’” R. Meir and R. Joshua ben Qorhah were interpreting the names, “Elishama [means], he (Joseph) heeded (shama') my God (Eli), and he did not heed his mistress. Ben Ammihud (‘MYHWD) means, His glory (HWDW) was with me (‘MY) and not with another. Similarly also in the case of (Numb. 7:54), Gamaliel ben Pedahzur [prince of the Children of Manasseh, means that] Joseph said, God (El) has recompensed (gamal) my people with a good recompense (gemulim).’ Ben pedahzur (pdhtswr) means, the Rock (tswr) redeemed (pdh) me from my distress of the prison. And so is it written (according to Ps. 18:21), ‘The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the purity of my hands…’” R. Samuel bar Abba said, “What is the meaning of ‘according to the purity of my hands?’ According to the purity of my hands, because I was pure through good works.”¹¹⁹yTa’an. 3:12 (or 10) (67a). (Ps. 18:21:) “The Lord rewarded me.” How? When someone is poor, he trusts in the Holy One, blessed be He; but when he [becomes] wealthy, he trusts in his wealth and has no fear of [God]. However, when Joseph was a slave, he feared the Lord. When his mistress enticed him with words, he said to her (in Gen. 39:9), “then how shall I do this great evil and sin against God?” Also when he became king he added [to his] fear [of the Holy One, blessed be He], as stated (in Gen. 42:18), “And Joseph said to them on the third day, ‘Do this and live, for I fear God.’” And when his brothers came down to him a second time (according to Gen. 43:16), “When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, [he said… ‘Slaughter and prepare (wehakhen) an animal, for the men will eat with me at noon].’”¹²⁰Because this verse uses the word, wehakhen, and because the same word also occurs in Exod. 16:5, it is assumed that the conditions of Exod. 16:5 apply here to Gen. 43:16. Now surely it is not customary for kings to prepare [food] one day ahead for the next. R. Johanan said, “It was the Sabbath, as stated (in Gen 42:16, ‘and prepare.’ And prepare only means [preparation for] the Sabbath, as stated (in Exod. 16:5), ‘And it shall come to pass on the sixth day, that when they prepare.’”¹²¹Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Beshallah, 1; Numb. R. 14:2; TDER 24 (or 26), p. 131. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You have kept the Sabbath before it was given. By your life, I will have the son of your son offer [his sacrifice] on the Sabbath day, as stated (in Numb. 7:48), “On the seventh day it was the prince of the Children of Ephraim.”

[(Numb. 7:48:) ON THE SEVENTH DAY IT WAS THE PRINCE OF THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM. R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi:] This text is related (to Eccl. 8:4–5): FOR A KING's WORD IS SUPREME…. WHOEVER OBSERVES A COMMANDMENT SHALL NOT KNOW ANYTHING EVIL. And so it says (in II Sam. 23:3–4): THE GOD OF ISRAEL HAS SPOKEN; THE ROCK OF ISRAEL HAS SAID TO ME: ONE WHO RULES OVER A PERSON, WHO RULES RIGHTEOUSLY {IN} THE FEAR OF GOD, <IS LIKE THE LIGHT OF MORNING…. > Who is this? This is the one who rules over his <evil> drive.¹³⁶See above, Gen. 5:6. And who was this? this was Joseph, the father of {Manasseh} [Ephraim], the father of the father of Joshua ben Nun. What is written about him (in Gen. 39:7–8)? AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS THAT HIS MASTER'S WIFE CAST HER EYES UPON JOSEPH…. BUT HE REFUSED…. The Holy One said to him: You did not heed her. By your life I am making you king over Egypt. Then they all shall obey you, as stated (in Gen. 41:55): THEN PHARAOH SAID {UNTO} [TO] ALL EGYPT: GO UNTO JOSEPH. It also says (in vs. 40): YOU SHALL BE OVER MY HOUSE, and the children of my palace¹³⁷Lat.: praetorium; Gk.: praitorion. shall do nothing without your consent. So it says (in Gen. 42:6): NOW JOSEPH WAS THE GOVERNOR OVER THE LAND. Because he governed his <evil> drive, he became governor over the land. (Gen. 39:2:) AND HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL MAN. It was only necessary to say "righteous man." Why did <Moses> write SUCCESSFUL MAN? The Holy One said to <Joseph>: You achieved what the first Adam did not achieve.¹³⁸I.e., unlike Adam, Joseph resisted temptation and overcame his evil drive. SUCCESSFUL (rt.: TsLH) simply means achievement. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 19:18): AND THEY CROSSED (rt.: TsLH) THE JORDAN AHEAD OF THE KING.¹³⁹The context is the successful return of King David to Jerusalem after his forces had achieved the defeat of Absalom. Cf. also Gen. R. 86:4. The Holy One said to him: No sacrifice by an individual overrides the Sabbath; yet By your life, the sacrifice by your son (Ephraim) will override the Sabbath, because of the good work (mitswah) that you did (in resisting temptation). Ergo (in Numb. 7:48): ON THE SEVENTH DAY IT WAS THE PRINCE OF THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM, ELISHAMA BEN AMMIHUD. R. Azariah said: The Holy One said to him, <i.e.> to Joseph, you have kept commandment (mitswah) (from Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17:) YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. So you have fulfilled the Torah before I gave it. No tribe shall come between your two sons. Instead (according to Numb. 7:48) Ephraim <shall bring an offering> on the seventh day; and (according to Numb. 7:54) Manasseh, on the eighth day.

...Just as a vine has large and small clusters and the large ones hang lower, so too the Jewish people: Whoever labors in Torah and is greater in Torah, seems lower than their fellow [due to their humility]...

AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD WAS UPON ALL THAT HE HAD, IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE FIELD. He spent twelve months here, six in the house and six in the field.

Jeremiah asked the Holy One four things at the hour when he separated from Him, on two he received an answer and on two he did not. They are: despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting. Since Jeremiah saw the outlandish judgments which He brought upon Jerusalem he stood astonished, saying: is it possible that the Holy One will return to them after this? Then he asked the Holy One about these four things. So it says at the end of the scroll of lamentations “Why do You forget us forever, forsake us so long?” (Lamentations 5:20) “For if You have utterly rejected us, You have been exceedingly wroth against us.” (Lamentations 5:22) This is like a king who had a matron who was very beloved to him. Because the matron knew that the king loved her too much she violated the king’s honor and transgressed his decrees. One time decreed upon her that his servants come and drag her by her hair. Her dear friend who was present stood astonished, and seeing this immediately ran to come before the king. He said to him: my master the king, tell me what you intend. If you intend to return to her, then a man should rule over his wife. If you do not intend to return to her, you should divorce her that she can go and marry another. So Jeremiah said before the Holy One: Master of the World! “Have You indeed rejected Judah? Has Your soul despised Zion?” (Jeremiah 14:19) If Your intention is to return to her “Why have You smitten us and we have no cure?” (ibid.) He replied: go to your teacher, and to the teacher of your teacher – Moshe, the teacher of all the prophets. This is what I said to him at the end of all the curses: “But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them…” (Leviticus 26:44) Here we see that on two he received an answer and on two he did not. Since Zion saw that Jeremiah asked four things of the Holy One - despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting – and that the Holy One answered him about despising and rejection but not about abandonment and forgetting, she began to make claims regarding the other two. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Another explanation. And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and has forgotten me.’ The verse doesn’t say this, but rather ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Why does it say ‘the Lord and the Lord’? She said to Him: even the two attributes of mercy which are written about You “Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6) have abandoned me and forgotten me. Another explanation. He forfeited me to all the nations, gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corners of the fields as it says “When you reap the harvest of your Land…you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger.” (Leviticus 23:22) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me (azavtani).’ He loaded me up with many punishments as it is written “You shall surely help along with him (azov ta’azov).” (Exodus 23:5) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me.’ That is, made me worth abandoning, as it is written “…and the Lord shall pour out their vessels.” (Isaiah 3:17) This comes to teach that He hinted to their springs and they poured forth and they were sunk in blood and abandoned and they cast them away. The Holy One said to them: complainers the sons of complainers! I was engaged with the first man, in order to make him a helpmate, as it says “…I shall make him a helpmate opposite him,” (Genesis 2:18) and he complained about Me, “The woman whom You gave to be with me she gave me…” (Genesis 3:12) I was engaged with Yaakov’s son to make him king over Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Genesis 42:6) and He complained before Me, saying “My way has been hidden from the Lord…” (Isaiah 40:27) Even his sons did the same in the wilderness! I was engaged in choosing for them an easy food like that which kings eat, so that not one of them should be seized by indigestion or diarrhea, and they complained before Me, saying “…and we are disgusted with this rotten bread.” (Numbers 21:5) So too Zion did to Me. I was engaged in removing the kingdoms from the world, haven’t I already removed Babylon, Maday and Greece? I was about to cause the fourth kingdom to pass away and she complained before Me, saying ‘You have abandoned me, You have forgotten me.’ Another explanation. Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One: You have forgotten that might which my children mentioned before you at the sea “The Eternal's strength…” (Exodus 15:2) Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Forsaken is the same as forgotten! R’ Elazar said: Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One – Master of the World! A man who marries another wife in addition to his first still remembers the actions of the first, but You have forsaken me. The Holy One replied to her – my daughter, I created twelve constellations in the firmament opposite the twelve tribes and for each constellation I created thirty troops, and for each troop I created thirty routes, and on each route I created thirty legions, and for each legion I created thirty camps, and for each camp I created thirty squares, and for each square I created three hundred and sixty-five stars like the number of the days of the solar calendar. All of these I created only for you, and you say ‘He has forgotten me, He has abandoned me?!’ “Shall a woman forget her sucking child (ulah)…” (Isaiah 49:15) I will never forget the burnt offerings (olot) and firstborns which you offered before Me. She said before Him - Master of the World! Since there is no forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe then You will not forget what I did with the Golden Calf? He replied to her – I will also forget this. She said before Him – Master of the World! Since there is forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe you will forget what I did at Mount Sinai? He said to her “I will not forget you.” (ibid.)