We're looking at the story of Pharaoh's dream and how Joseph, the ultimate dream interpreter, finally gets his shot.

The text begins, "He sent and summoned…" referring to Pharaoh gathering his wise men and magicians. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, quoting Rabbi Levi, paints a rather unflattering picture of their attempts. Apparently, their interpretations "would not enter his ears." They offered simple, albeit grim, explanations: "The seven good cows [mean that] you will beget seven daughters. The seven bad cows – you will bury seven daughters." Similarly, the stalks of grain foretold either conquering kingdoms or facing rebellions. Pretty straightforward, right? And utterly useless.

Bereshit Rabbah then quotes Proverbs 14:6: “A scoffer seeks wisdom, and there is none” – applying it to Pharaoh’s magicians. Ouch! But the verse continues, “But knowledge is easy for the discerning” – and this, of course, refers to Joseph.

But there's more to this than just a contrast between good and bad advice. The text offers another layer, suggesting that every nation in the world gets five wise men to serve it. Furthermore, God provides each nation with three things: Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding), and Gevurah (might). The commentary even cites the wicked Sennacherib, who boasted, "With the power of my hand I have accomplished" (Isaiah 10:13).

However, when judgment comes, these gifts are taken away. The passage quotes Obadiah 1:8–9: “I will eliminate the wise from Edom, and understanding from the mountain of Esau…Your mighty will be intimidated, Teiman.”

Now, here's the really interesting question the Rabbis tackle: Why did God orchestrate events so that all these other advisors and magicians had their say before Joseph was even brought in? Why not just have Joseph interpret the dream from the start?

The answer is surprising. It was all about ensuring Joseph received proper recognition. The Holy One, blessed be He, reasoned that if Joseph had been the first to interpret the dream, the magicians could have dismissed his interpretation, claiming they would have come to the same conclusion eventually.

Instead, God waited until they had exhausted themselves, until their spirit, or ruach, was drained. Then, and only then, did Joseph arrive and restore Pharaoh's spirit. In this light, Solomon's words in Proverbs 29:11 take on new meaning: “The fool vents all his spirit” – that's Pharaoh's wise men. “But the wise man will soothe it, keeping it back” – that’s Joseph, who was recognized as unparalleled in understanding and wisdom (Genesis 41:39).

So what's the takeaway here? Sometimes, the path to the right answer is paved with wrong turns. Sometimes, we need to see the limitations of other perspectives before we can truly appreciate the value of true wisdom. And sometimes, a little bit of divine orchestration is necessary to ensure that the right person, with the right answer, gets the recognition they deserve. It makes you wonder how many "Josephs" are out there, waiting for their moment to shine after the "magicians" have had their say.