But there's a twist. In Legends of the Jews, we hear how she noticed a sudden change in Joseph's face. "My friend and true-love, why art thou so affrighted that thou art near to swooning?" she asks.

She searches the room, confused. “Where is he? Why, there is none in the house."

Joseph's response, though, is sharp, revealing a spiritual divide. "Thou belongest to a people that is like unto the ass, it perceiveth nothing. But I belong to those who can see things." Ouch.

He flees the house, the very same house where, according to tradition, wonders had once been done for Sarah when she was held captive by Pharaoh. It's a loaded location, steeped in history.

But here’s the thing about temptation: it can be persistent. Almost as soon as Joseph escapes, the “sinful passion” overwhelms him, and he turns back. Can you feel the internal struggle? The pull in opposite directions?

Then, in a moment of divine intervention, the Lord appears to him, holding the Eben Shetiyah in His hand. The Eben Shetiyah? That's the Foundation Stone, the very bedrock of the world! The message is clear: "If thou touchest her, I will cast away this stone upon which the earth is founded, and the world will fall to ruin." Talk about high stakes!

Sobered by this vision, Joseph tries again to escape. But Zuleika isn't giving up so easily. She grabs his garment and draws a sword, pressing it against his throat. "As the king liveth, if thou wilt not fulfil my wish, thou must die," she threatens. A stark choice: succumb to her desire or face death.

In a desperate act, Joseph tears himself free, leaving a piece of his garment in her hand. He chooses integrity, even at the risk of his life. It was a quick, energetic motion that speaks of the inner strength he found in his moment of crisis.

What does this story tell us? Perhaps it's about the constant battle between temptation and integrity, or the power of divine intervention when we're at our weakest. Or maybe it's about the importance of seeing beyond the immediate moment, of understanding the deeper consequences of our choices. As Ginzberg retells this ancient tale, we see Joseph not just as a figure in a story, but as a human being wrestling with profound moral dilemmas. It makes you wonder: what Eben Shetiyah, what foundational principle, guides our own decisions when we face similar trials?