“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian” (Genesis 39:2). “The Lord was with Joseph” – but with the rest of the tribes, He was not? Rabbi Yudan said: [This is analogous] to an animal driver, who had twelve animals laden with wine before him. One of them entered the shop of an idolater; he forsook the eleven and followed after it.
They said to him: ‘Why do you forsake eleven [animals] and follow the one?’ He said to them: ‘These are in the public domain, and I am not concerned lest [the wine] become libation wine.’16I am not concerned that an idolator will take the wine and use it for a libation to an idol, rendering it forbidden. Alternatively, this means – I am not concerned that an idolator will pick up the wine, rendering it forbidden by rabbinic law, as though it was poured as a libation to an idol.
So, these [Joseph’s brothers] were adults, and in their father’s domain, but this one was young and on his own. That is why, “the Lord was with Joseph.” “He was a successful [matzliaḥ] man” – Rabbi Berekhya said: A leaping man,17He was able to surmount all obstacles. just as it says: “They crossed [vetzalḥu] the Jordan before the king” (II Samuel 19:18). This is analogous to a she-bear that was standing in the street adorned with gems and precious stones.
They said: ‘Anyone who jumps on it can take everything that is on it.’ There was a certain clever man there. He said to them: ‘You are looking at what is on it. I am looking at its teeth.’18Thus, while the masses approached the bear, the clever man distanced himself from it.
Similarly, Joseph recognized the danger of the wife of Potiphar, and sought to distance himself from her. Rabbi Berekhya said: All the power of that she-bear is in that it is able to jump, and you are greater that it.19The wife of Potiphar expended great effort to entice Joseph, yet he withstood her advances (Nezer HaKodesh). Astonishing!