We get a glimpse into just how crazy things were from the ancient collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah. Specifically, Bereshit Rabbah 90 really digs in.
The verse in Genesis 41:47 tells us, "The earth produced, during the seven years of plenty, in abundance." But what kind of abundance are we talking about?
Rabbi Yoḥanan gives us a mind-blowing image. He says the produce went directly "from the reaping [kotzetz] to the mill." Can you imagine? No need for threshing, no need for winnowing – just straight from the field to the grindstone! That’s "likmatzim," or "in abundance," for you. It was all about "savings [dekamtzeta]"… and maybe, according to some, not even about savings, because there was so much.
But the Rabbis have another take. They say it was both for savings and not for savings! There was enough to eat right away and enough to store away for the future. Overflowing storehouses kind of abundant.
Genesis 41:48 tells us Joseph "gathered all the food of the seven years that were in the land of Egypt, and placed food in the cities; he placed the food of the fields that were around the city in it." So, how did Joseph manage this logistical feat?
The text gives us a fascinating detail: "He placed what was in the outskirts of Tiberias into Tiberias, and what was on the outskirts of Tzippori into Tzippori." Now, wait a minute. Tiberias and Tzippori aren't in Egypt! They're cities in the land of Israel. What's going on here?
The text clarifies that these are just examples. The point is that each land preserves its own produce best. Keep the food local, so to speak.
Rabbi Neḥemya suggests something even more practical: Joseph mixed dust and ashes with the grain to preserve it. Pretty clever, right?
But the Rabbis offer a different perspective. They say that if everyone in Tiberias ate only what was grown within the boundaries of Tiberias, and everyone in Tzippori ate only what was grown within the boundaries of Tzippori, they wouldn't even get a handful each! That's when the verse "Blessing is located in the storehouses" (Genesis 41:49) comes into play. According to this midrash, the grain increased when it was stored away. Miraculously.
That’s how, the Rabbis are suggesting, grain grown around each city was able to suffice for the residents of that city, without needing to import grain from distant lands. It was a blessing, a miracle, born from the abundance of those seven years.
So, next time you read about Joseph and the years of plenty, remember it wasn't just about stockpiling grain. It was about a miraculous abundance, a blessing that stretched the limits of what seemed possible. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what kind of abundance we might be overlooking in our own lives?