In memory of Mr. Sam Bryskin - Yitzchok Shlomo Ben Leibel Halevi - whose yahrzeit was earlier this week, on the 23rd of Kislev. Dedicated by Dr. Lawrence Bryskin and Family.

WHO ASKED YOU?

By Rabbi Joshua (subtly known as the Hoffer) Hoffman

After Yosef interprets Pharaoh’s dreams to his satisfaction he proceeds to advise Pharaoh on how to prepare his country for the coming famine. One may ask, why did Yosef give this advice? He was asked only to interpret the dreams. We have noted, in the past, the explanation of Rav Avraham, son of Rambam, in his commentary, that Yosef cared about the welfare of the Egyptians and did not know if Pharaoh, on his own, would prepare them for the hard times to come. Ramban, however, says that Yosef’s advice was included in his interpretation of the dream itself.

As far as Yosef’s suggestion to Pharaoh that he appoint an understanding and wise man to oversee the preparations for the coming famine, the Ramban says that Yosef was hinting to Pharaoh to appoint him as that person. This comment of the Ramban seems to foreshadow his much more elaborate comment, further in the parsha, that Yosef’s actions with his brothers in Egypt were meant to bring about the fulfillment of the dreams that he had related to his father and brothers. Yosef considered those dreams to be true prophecy, and the fact that he was given this prophecy meant that he needed to do whatever he could to see it fulfilled.

If we look, in retrospect, at Yosef’s dream interpretation to Pharaoh with the Ramban’s perspective in mind, we can find many details in what he said that indicate his agenda. The salient factor, I believe, however, is Yosef’s repeated reference to G-d in explaining the dreams to Pharaoh. In the end Pharaoh acknowledged that the hand of G-d was involved and could think of no one imbued with the spirit of G-d to fill the job like Yosef. This success of Yosef in bringing Pharaoh to the recognition of G-d’s hand in the events unfolding is reminiscent of Eliezer’s success in relating his encounter with Rivkah to her family and getting them to recognize the hand of G-d in that process as well. Perhaps that is why, in both cases, that of Eliezer and that of Pharaoh’s dreams, the Torah devotes so much detail to both versions of the narrative.

In regard to Yosef’s manner of handling his brothers in Egypt as a way of bringing the dreams to fulfillment, there is similarly one salient comment that seems to have sparked the brothers’ conscience and brought them to rethink how they dealt with Yosef. Yosef, accusing the brothers of being spies, locked them in prison for three days. On the third day he let some out and told them “Do this and live, I fear G-d.” (Bereishis 42:18). He then tells them what they must do in order to live. He tells them to leave one brother in prison, take grain back to their home in Canaan and then bring back their youngest brother of whom they had spoken. The brothers agreed, and, speaking among themselves suddenly realized the similarity between their current situation and the way they had treated Yosef, and proceed to express regret over their cruelty to him at the time. What sparked that realization and those feelings? I believe that it was Yosef’s declaration to them that he feared G-d. Through hearing this declaration the brothers were aroused to the fact that something larger than their immediate crisis was occurring and they began rethinking their past actions. In this way, Yosef continued to subtly guide the events that would lead to the ultimate fulfillment of his prophetic dreams.