Pharaoh's Dreams and the End Set for Darkness

Parashat Miketz. (Genesis 41:1) (Job 28:3) "He set an end to darkness, and searches out every limit," etc. — a time was given to the world, how many years it would spend in gloom. What is the meaning of "He set an end to darkness"? As long as the evil inclination is in the world, "gloom and the shadow of death" are in the world; when the evil inclination is uprooted from the world, light and joy are in the world, and gloom and the shadow of death pass from the world. Another interpretation: "He set an end to darkness" — a time was given to Joseph, how many years he would spend in the prison; once the appointed end arrived, Pharaoh dreamed a dream, "And it came to pass at the end of two years' time." Another interpretation of "And it came to pass at the end of two years' time": it is written "In all toil there is profit, but mere talk of the lips leads only to want." Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said: there was a certain man in Sepphoris who gathered bones for a living; when he saw black bones he would say, these belong to a water-drinker; reddish ones, these to a wine-drinker; white ones, these to a drinker of hot water. Another interpretation: "In all toil there is profit" — the suffering Joseph endured with his mistress gained him profit from her, for he married her daughter. "But mere talk of the lips leads only to want" — because he said to the chief cupbearer, "But remember me... and mention me to Pharaoh," two more years were added to him. (Psalms 40:5) "Happy is the man who makes the LORD his trust" — this is Joseph; "and turns not to the arrogant and to those who stray after falsehood" — because he said to the chief cupbearer, etc. "For out of prison he came forth to reign" — this is Joseph, literally from the prison; "though even in his kingdom he was born poor" — in the kingdom of Joseph the impoverishment of Potiphar was born. (Ecclesiastes 5:2) "For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." Pharaoh said: who endures upon whom — I upon my god, or my god upon me? They said to him: you endure upon your god. The wicked endure upon their gods, "and behold he stood upon the river." The righteous, their God endures upon them, (Genesis 28:13) "and behold the LORD stood over him." The Patriarchs themselves are the divine Chariot. "And Pharaoh dreams" — and all other creatures do not dream? Rather, a king's dream concerns the whole world. Why were two years added to him? So that Pharaoh would dream and Joseph be exalted by means of a dream. (Genesis 41:2-3) "And behold, out of the river came up seven cows." When the years are good, people become brothers to one another, "and they grazed in the reed-grass" — brotherhood and love in the world; and so it says "Your cattle will graze that day in a broad meadow." When the years are bad, they become strangers to their fellows, as it is said "seven other cows" — that turn their faces away from them. (Genesis 41:6) "And behold, seven ears, thin and blasted by the east wind" — when the years are bad, people's bodies break out in boils. "And it came to pass in the morning, and his spirit was troubled." Here you say "his spirit was troubled," and elsewhere you say "and his spirit was greatly troubled." Rabbi Yehudah says: here he needed the dream itself by him; there, the dream and its interpretation. Rabbi Nechemiah says: the dream of the statue and the dream of the tree. The Rabbis say: here, to give greatness to one; there, to give greatness to four. Here, because it was close to morning, "his spirit was troubled"; there, because it was from the evening, "his spirit was greatly troubled." Rabbi Yochanan said: every dream that is close to morning comes true at once. "And Pharaoh told them his dream, but none could interpret them for Pharaoh." They were interpreting it, but it did not enter his ears: seven good cows — seven daughters you will father; seven bad cows — seven daughters you will bury; seven good ears — seven provinces you will conquer; seven bad ears — seven provinces will rebel against you. This is what is written (Proverbs 14:6) "A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none" — these are the magicians of Egypt; "but knowledge comes easily to the discerning" — this is Joseph. (Genesis 41:10) "Pharaoh was angry with his servants," etc.; "Bigthan and Teresh grew angry," etc. (written above). (Genesis 41:12) "And there with us was a young Hebrew lad." Cursed are the wicked, who do no complete good: "lad" — a fool; "Hebrew" — he hates us; a slave, for thus it is written in their statutes, that a slave may not be king nor wear noble garments. (Genesis 41:13) "And it came to pass, just as he interpreted to us, so it was." A certain woman went to Rabbi Eliezer and said to him: I saw in a dream that the beam of the house split. He said to her: that woman will conceive and bear a male child. So it was. She returned and saw the same dream a second time; she went again to Rabbi Eliezer, etc. She returned and saw it a third time; she came to him and did not find him. She said to his students: where is your master? They said: what do you want of him? She said: let me tell you, perhaps you who are wise from your master's wisdom are wise. She said to them: I saw in a dream, etc. They said to her: that woman will bury her husband. She went, and so it happened to her. When Rabbi Eliezer came, he heard the sound of her weeping. He said to them: what is this? They recounted to him the matter. He said to them: you have killed a man! Is it not written, "just as he interpreted to us, so it was"? Rabbi Yochanan said: all dreams follow the mouth, except for wine — a scholar drinks and it goes well for him, an ignoramus drinks and it goes ill for him. (Genesis 41:14) "And he shaved and changed his garments" — in order to show honor to the kingship. One who sees a haircut in a dream should rise early and say "and he shaved and changed his garments," before another verse precedes it: "and when he shaved, his strength left him."