Komentaryo sa Genesis 41:55: Tze'enah Ure'enah, Rashi, Chizkuni & Kli Yakar

“Whatever he tells you, you shall do” [41:55]. Pharaoh said to his people. Go to Joseph and eat what he will give you. Rashi cites a midrash. They came to Joseph. Joseph said to them: my God will not feed someone who is uncircumcised. Therefore, go and have yourselves circumcised. They came again to Pharaoh and said that Joseph desired that we should become circumcised. Pharaoh responded: you fools, why are you crying out to me? Why did you not gather grain the first year there was satiety? They responded: we gathered and it spoiled. Pharaoh asked: do you have no bread from yesterday? They said: even the bread in the basket became spoiled. Pharaoh responded: therefore go to Joseph and allow yourselves to be circumcised for the sake of bread. Whatever Joseph has commanded, that must be. He commanded that the grain would spoil. If he would command us to die, then we would all have to die.³⁹Rashi, Genesis, 41:55.

ותרעב כל ארץ מצרים AND THE LAND OF EGYPT WAS FAMISHED — for all the grain they had stored up rotted except that of Joseph (cf. Genesis Rabbah 91:5)

ויצעק העם לפרעה ללחם, “the people cried out to Pharaoh for food.” They wanted him to sell them food which they knew had been stored. It was below the king’s dignity to become a merchant selling food; in order to remain in good standing with his people, he sent them to Joseph who would tell them how to act. He would share out food according to prices determined by him, the proceeds being delivered to Pharaoh’s treasury.

אשר יאמר לכם תעשו WHAT HE SAITH TO YOU, DO — He gave them this order because Joseph had told them to be circumcised. When they came to Pharaoh and said, “Thus he bids us do otherwise he will give us no corn”, he asked them, “Why did you yourselves not lay up corn? Did he not publicly announce that years of famine were coming?” They answered him, “We gathered in much, but it has rotted”. He said to them, “If this be so — what he saith to you, do. See, he laid a decree upon the produce and it rotted; what will happen if he lays a decree upon us that we should die!” (cf. Genesis Rabbah 91:5)