Yosef Explains A Dream And Becomes A Powerful Ruler? Yosef is pulled out of jail to decipher the message of Paroh’s dream, which he does successfully. In reward for this Paroh makes him vice king and second in command. Isn’t this a bit rash? Could he not have made him Minister of Economy or Chief Advisor?
The Toras Chaim answers this with the following story about the Noda B’Yehuda: There were two wealthy people in town who lived in the same courtyard. One day a world class harpist came to the courtyard, played beautiful music, and left. Each one claimed that the music was in his honor. They decided to settle their dispute before the wise Noda B’Yehuda, whom they paid handsomely to decide whose honor the music was for.
After hearing the entire story, the Noda B’Yehuda proclaimed that the music was not in honor of either one of them. The music was clearly in the honor of the Noda B’Yehuda, in order that he should profit from arbitrating this strange dispute.
Paroh was convinced that the dream was in his honor, the great and mighty king. The Mitzrim were sure that it was in honor of the nation, to make them a world power. Yosef interpreted the dream and explained to them that it was purely to get him out of the pit and raise him to a lofty status. Paroh admitted defeat and immediately carried out the dream by making Yosef his second in command.
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How Did All Paroh’s Interpreters Miss An Easy One? Paroh’s dream about fat cows and skinny ones, healthy stalks and wind beaten ones, seem obviously to be referring to feast and famine. How is it that the best they could come up with was something far off like Paroh’s seven daughters?
The Satmar Rov in Divrei Yoel answers that the dream showed seven years of famine. In reality the famine stopped after two years when Yaakov came to Mitzrayim and were eventually made up centuries later in the time of Yechezkel.
The Ramban (Devarim 18:9) writes that Mazalim and Sheidim can tell the future but only the immediate future and not the distant future. Therefore, Paroh’s Chartumim only saw two years of famine and could not reconcile this with the dream of seven bad years. Only Yosef, who interpreted with Hashem’s help, could see how the whole dream would be played out.
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Reuven Offer The Lives Of His Two Children The Shevatim needed to return to Mitzrayim for more food, but they knew they cannot do so without bringing Binyomin with them. Yaakov refused, and Reuven tells him that he will take personal responsibility and will put up the lives of two of his children as collateral. What exactly was he thinking? The Shnayim Mikra brings from Rav Shlomo Zalman Zalaznik, the Rosh Yeshiva of Eitz Chaim in Yerushalayim, as follows: When the daughter of Nichunya, the well digger, fell into a well, they went to Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa to daven for her. He said, “Not to worry; she is fine.” An hour later they came crying to him again, and again he told them that she was doing fine. The third time they came back, he said that she is already out of the well. They were amazed. “I am not a Navi,” he told them. “It is obvious that Nichunya the tzadik, who dug wells for Bnei Yisrael, would not lose his child in a well, which is his greatest ally. When the Shevatim wanted to Kill Yosef, only Reuven felt his father’s pain and protested. “He knew,” says Rav Zalaznik, “that after his Mesiras Nefesh to save his own father from suffering the loss of his child, nothing bad could ever happen to his children, and he would be able to bring home Binyomin safely.”
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Spies Don’t Drink Wine “Vayishtu Vayishkiru Imo.” (Mikeitz 43:32) When Yosef invited the Shvatim to dine with him upon their second arrival, they drank wine with him. Rashi says this was the first time since the sale of Yosef twenty two years prior, that either Yosef or the Shvatim drank wine. Yosef drank wine because he had his brothers with him, but why did the Shvatim allow themselves to indulge in wine when nothing changed to their knowledge with regard to Yosef?
The Iturei Torah brings from the HaMedrash V’HaMaaseh that the Shvatim were still under the accusation of being spies. A spy cannot allow himself to become intoxicated as he must always be on guard–careful of what he says and how he acts in order not give himself away. Had the Shvatim refused to drink with Yosef, they would be furthering his suspicion. For this reason they went along and agreed to drink wine.
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King of Mitzrayim and No Letter Home? Yosef was the favorite son of Yaakov, who had spent 20 years mourning Yosef’s disappearance. Could Yosef HaTzaddik not have figured out a way to get a message to his dear father Yaakov that he was alive and well? Furthermore when the Shevatim stood before Yosef in Mitzrayim, should he not have jumped on the opportunity to put the misery and mystery behind all of them already?
Some say that Yosef needed to see his dreams played out, as they were nevuah. However Rav Shamshon Rephael Hirsch dismisses that notion as that is Hashem’s job and Yosef surely understood that his job was to do the right thing and leave the Nevuah to Hashem while was occupied mending the torn hearts.
Rav Hirsch answers that Yosef wanted to end the split in the family caused by the Shevatim’s misinterpretation of his ambitions. The Shevatim were afraid of Yosef’s ambitions from the day he told them of his dreams. However Yosef’s
intention was never to rule over them, only to play his decreed role in Am Yisroel according to the Ratzon Hashem with complete modesty, love, and respect for his brothers.
Had Yosef revealed himself as the King of Mitzrayim before the Shevatim felt remorse and before he proved his modesty and his intentions not to harm them, he would have set the clock back twenty years with nothing changed, other than he proving he was indeed ambitious and superior just as the brothers feared. This would have given Yaakov no comfort even with the additional piece of information that Yosef was alive.
Only through the slow painful process conducted by Yosef, with incredible wisdom and modesty, was he able to achieve the right atmosphere to bring his brothers close to him and reunite the family that was meant to build Klal Yisroel as one nation united.

Created By Rov Avrohom Sherman
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