Joseph Fled Outside and the Sea Fled Before Israel

"And she caught him by his garment, and he fled and went outside" (Genesis 39:12). He leaped by the merit of the fathers, as you say, "And He brought him outside" (Genesis 15:5). Shimon of Kitron says: By the merit of Joseph's bones the sea split before Israel, as it says, "The sea saw and fled" (Psalms 114:3) — by the merit of "and he fled and went outside." "And she called to the men of her house" (Genesis 39:14) — she put him on the lips of all of them. "And she laid his garment beside her" (Genesis 39:16) — she embraced and kissed it. "Your servant did to me according to these words" (Genesis 39:19) — she said it to her husband at the time of intimacy. "And Joseph's master took him" (Genesis 39:20) — he said to him, "I know that it was not from you; only that I may not mix dross among my children." Rav Huna said: His service was pleasing to his master; he would go out and rinse the cups and arrange the tables and make the beds. She would say to him, "With this matter I have occupied you; by your life, I will oppress you with other matters," and he would answer, "He executes judgment for the oppressed" (Psalms 146:7). "I will cut off your rations," and he would answer, "He gives bread to the hungry." "I will put you in chains," and he would answer, "The LORD releases the bound." "I will blind your eyes," and he would answer, "The LORD opens the eyes of the blind." "I will bend your stature," and he would answer, "The LORD raises up those bowed down." To what extent? Until she placed an iron fork beneath his neck so that he would lift his eyes and look at her; even so he would not look at her, as it is written, "His soul came into iron" (Psalms 105:18). ("And the warden of the prison gave into Joseph's hand" — his service was pleasing to his master; he would go out and rinse the cups and arrange the tables and make the beds for him.) Joseph went down to Egypt and spent twelve months in Potiphar's house, as it says, "And it was from the time he appointed him in his house" — "in the house" because of the heat, "in the field" because of the cold. Twelve years he spent in prison, as it says, "They afflicted his foot with the fetter" (Psalms 105:18). "And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood," and so on. At that very period Isaac died. The seven years of plenty and two years of famine — Joseph was separated from his father, not seeing him for twenty-two years, just as Jacob was separated from his father.