“It was in the morning and his spirit was troubled; he sent and summoned all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men; Pharaoh related his dreams to them but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh” (Genesis 41:8). “It was in the morning and his spirit was troubled [vatipaem ruḥo],” and elsewhere it says: “His spirit was troubled [vatitpaem ruḥo]” (Daniel 2:1)11Written with the letter tav doubled. – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda said: Here, he knew the dream and sought an interpretation from [Joseph].
But there, [he sought to know] the dream and its interpretation.12Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a dream he had, but he no longer remembered the dream, and asked his magicians to tell him the dream and its meaning (see Daniel ch. 2). Rabbi Neḥemya said: The dream of the idol and the dream of the tree.13The tav is doubled regarding Nebuchadnezzar because he had two entirely separate dreams, one concerning the idol (see Daniel 2:29–45) and one concerning the tree (see Daniel ch. 4), whereas Pharaoh’s two dreams were really just a doubling of one dream (see Genesis 41:25).
The Rabbis say: [It states] “vatitpaem ruḥo” there in order to accord prominence to four.14Daniel, Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya all rose to prominence in the aftermath of the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Here [it states] “vatipaem” to accord prominence to one.15Joseph rose to prominence after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. “Vatitpaem ruḥo” – in order to grant life to four; “vatipaem” – to grant life to one.16In the case of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the lives of Daniel, Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya were in danger, as Nebuchadnezzar had decreed that all the wise men would be put to death if they could not tell him his dream and its interpretation (see Daniel 2:13).
In the case of Pharoah’s dream, it was only Joseph who was in danger of dying in the dungeon. Here, because it was just before morning – “vatipaem ruḥo,” but there, where it came in the evening, it is written: “Vatitpaem ruḥo.”17The doubled tav indicates that Nebuchadnezzar had a lot of time until morning in which to be troubled by his dream. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Any dream that is just before morning is immediately actualized.