We all know the story of Joseph and his brothers, right? Sold into slavery in Egypt, he rises to prominence, eventually saving his family from famine. But let's rewind and look at the very beginning, at his arrival in Egypt, because even in those dark days, Joseph's character shines. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, draws on a wealth of rabbinic tradition to paint a vivid picture.
When Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites, he didn't reveal his true identity. He kept quiet about being the son of Jacob, a man of status and power. Why? Out of respect for his brothers. He didn't want to bring shame upon them, even after they'd sold him! Even when the Midianites questioned him, he maintained the facade, claiming to be a mere slave. Isn't that incredible? One of the Midianites, perceptive as can be, even called him out, saying, "Thou art no slave, thy appearance betrayeth thee!" He threatened Joseph with death, but Joseph stayed true to his word. What incredible loyalty!
Arriving in Egypt, the Ishmaelite merchants couldn't agree on who should own him. They were so eager to possess him! So, they left him with a shopkeeper while they went to get more merchandise. And here's where hashem, God, steps in. God granted Joseph favor in the eyes of the shopkeeper. Everything the shopkeeper owned, he entrusted to Joseph. The shopkeeper prospered because of Joseph. According to the text, he was blessed with much silver and gold, and Joseph stayed with him for three months and five days.
Then, the wife of Potiphar (sometimes spelled Poti-phera), an officer of Pharaoh, caught wind of this handsome Hebrew youth. She had heard about him from her eunuchs. She told her husband about the shopkeeper's sudden wealth and the young Hebrew. She even suggested that the youth was stolen from Canaan. "Go," she urged Potiphar, "and sit in judgment upon his owner, and take the youth unto thy house, that the God of the Hebrews may bless thee, for the grace of heaven rests upon the youth."
So, Potiphar confronted the shopkeeper. "What is this I hear?" he demanded, accusing him of stealing people from Canaan. The shopkeeper vehemently denied it, sticking to his story that the Ishmaelites had left Joseph in his care. Potiphar had him stripped and beaten, but the shopkeeper wouldn't budge.
Next, Potiphar summoned Joseph himself. Joseph, showing respect, prostrated himself before this high-ranking official. Potiphar questioned him: "Art thou a slave or a free-born man?" Joseph replied, "A slave." Potiphar pressed further, "Whose slave art thou?" Joseph: "I belong to the Ishmaelites." Potiphar: "How wast thou made a slave?" Joseph: "They bought me in the land of Canaan."
But Potiphar didn't believe him. He had Joseph stripped and beaten too! Talk about injustice! Potiphar's wife, witnessing this, intervened. "Thy verdict is unjust," she told her husband, "for thou punishest the free-born youth that was stolen away from his place as though he were the one that had committed a crime."
Joseph, unwavering, stuck to his story. So, Potiphar threw him in prison until his supposed masters returned. All this time, Potiphar’s wife was thinking of ways to get Joseph into her own household. She wanted him to serve her rather than languish in prison. Potiphar, however, refused. “The law of the Egyptians does not permit us to take what belongs to another before all titles are made clear,” he explained, and Joseph remained in prison for twenty-four days, until the return of the Ishmaelites to Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites had heard that Joseph was the son of Jacob! They confronted him in prison: "Why didst thou pretend that thou wast a slave? See, we have information that thou art the son of a powerful man in Canaan, and thy father mourns for thee in sackcloth." Joseph was tempted to reveal the truth but held back for his brothers' sake. He repeated that he was a slave.
The Ishmaelites, fearing Jacob's revenge, decided to sell Joseph. They also needed the shopkeeper to clear them of any suspicion of kidnapping. So, they told Joseph to testify that they had bought him. He agreed, and Potiphar released him and dismissed everyone.
Potiphar’s wife, still determined to have Joseph, sent a eunuch to buy him from the Ishmaelites. They demanded a high price, but she insisted he pay whatever it took. The eunuch paid eighty pieces of gold but told his mistress he'd paid a hundred, pocketing the difference. Joseph noticed the deception but remained silent to spare the eunuch embarrassment.
And so, Joseph became the slave of Potiphar, an idolatrous priest. According to the narrative, Potiphar wanted Joseph for "a lewd purpose," but the angel Gabriel intervened, preventing him from acting on his desires.
Potiphar quickly noticed Joseph's piety. Whenever Potiphar was occupied with his priestly duties, Joseph would whisper a prayer: "O Lord of the world, Thou art my trust, Thou art my protection. Let me find grace and favor in Thy sight and in the sight of all that see me, and in the sight of my master Potiphar." Potiphar, impressed, came to believe that God was with Joseph. He even tested Joseph's supposed miraculous powers, and each time, Joseph delivered.
As a result, Potiphar entrusted Joseph with everything, except his wife. He treated Joseph not as a slave but as a member of his family. He provided him with education and better food, recognizing that Joseph was "worthy of a prince's place." Joseph thanked God for his improved situation. "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, that Thou hast caused me to forget my father's house," he prayed. He reveled in the freedom from his brothers' envy.
Free from worry, Joseph focused on his appearance, dressing well and taking pride in his presentation. But God cautioned him, saying, "Thy father is mourning in sackcloth and ashes, while thou dost eat, drink, and dress thy hair. Therefore I will stir up thy mistress against thee, and thou shalt be embarrassed." And so, Joseph's secret wish to prove his piety under temptation was about to be fulfilled, just as his forefathers had been tested.
So, what do we take away from this? Joseph's initial struggles in Egypt highlight his unwavering character, his loyalty, and his deep faith. He faced injustice with grace, choosing to protect his brothers even at his own expense. He trusted in God, and even in slavery, he found favor and eventually, great responsibility. And even when things were going well, he was reminded that true piety requires constant vigilance, a concept we can find echoed throughout the entire Tanakh.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How would we react in similar circumstances? Would we be able to maintain our integrity and faith in the face of such adversity? It's a powerful reminder that even in the darkest of times, our actions define us. And sometimes, those actions set the stage for even greater things to come.