Behold, There Came Up Out of the River Seven Kine After He Pharaoh Had

And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine (Gen. 41:2) After he (Pharaoh) had his dream, he summoned all his magicians. Whereupon the Holy Spirit called out: Where are they, then, thy wise men? (Isa. 19:12). Since they were unable to interpret the dream, the cup-bearer came forward and said: I make mention of my faults this day … And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain (Gen. 41:9–12). Accursed are the wicked, for even the good they do is accompanied by evil. For he said a young man, as though describing a callow youth without understanding; a Hebrew, as if to suggest that he was different from them; and a slave, an expression of contempt. Furthermore, it is written in Pharaoh”s constitution that a slave was not permitted to rule over them.

When Pharaoh heard this: Pharaoh sent and called Joseph (ibid., v. 13). R. Joshua the son of Levi said: Out of adversity comes tranquility; out of darkness, light; and out of the degradation of the righteous, their exaltation. Hence Scripture states: If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth (Prov. 30:2).

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were ultimately exalted as a consequence of their humiliation: Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, and their robes, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace (Dan. 3:21), but later they were exalted, as is said: Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon (ibid., v. 30). Daniel was hurled into the den of lions, and then was exalted: So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Cyrus the Persian (ibid. 6:29). It is written concerning Mordecai: And he put on sackcloth and ashes (Est. 4:1), but later Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel (ibid. 8:5). About Joseph it is said: His feet they hurt with fetters, his person was laid in iron (Ps. 105:18), but he too was exalted; and Joseph became ruler over the land.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: I have dreamed a dream, etc. Joseph replied: “God will give Pharaoh an answer” (Gen. 41:15–16). Because He ascribed greatness to Him who possessed greatness, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Since you did not seek to exalt yourself, be assured you will be elevated to greatness and leadership by Me.

And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: “I have dreamed a dream (ibid.). As he was about to relate the dream to him, he decided to test Joseph by altering the dream slightly. He said: “Seven kine went up out of the Nile, fat and well-formed,” whereupon Joseph replied: “That is not so, you saw fat and healthy kine.” “And there were,” he said to him, “seven lean and ill-favored kine.” And Joseph replied: “You did not see this but rather ugly-appearing and thin-fleshed kine.” “And there were seven full and good ears of corn,” he continued. Whereupon Joseph answered: “That too is not so, you saw fat and good ones.” “There were seven shrunken ears of corn,” he added. And Joseph responded: “That is not so, you beheld seven ears of corn, withered thin and blistered by the east wind.” Pharaoh began to wonder about this. He said to him: “You must have been behind me when I had my dream,” as it is said: For inasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou (ibid. v. 39).

He was the one his father had blessed with the words: Joseph is a fruitful vine (ibid. 49:22). You should not read this as porat (“a fruitful vine”), but as parot (“kine”). Thereupon Pharaoh told him: Thou shalt be over my house (ibid. 41:40).

Our sages interpreted the verse Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons (Ps. 45:17) to mean that everything that occurred to Jacob likewise happened to Joseph. Jacob was born circumcised, and so too was Joseph, as is said: These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph (Gen. 37:2). The former was called The son of my firstborn, Israel (Exod. 4:22), and the latter was spoken of as the firstborn was Joseph’s (I Chron. 5:2). The former was exiled to Haran, and the latter to Egypt. Jacob was exalted through a dream, as it is said: And He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth (Gen. 38:22). Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. R. Simeon the son of Gamliel said: Joseph was rewarded for his actions, for his mouth did not kiss in sin. Thus, according to thy mouth shall all my people be ruled (ibid. 41:40).