Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 41

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but none can interpret it, and I have heard about you that you can understand a dream and interpret it.”   טווַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְתִּי וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַֽאֲנִ֗י שָׁמַ֤עְתִּי עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תִּשְׁמַ֥ע חֲל֖וֹם לִפְתֹּ֥ר אֹתֽוֹ:
תִּשְׁמַע חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ - means you listen carefully and understand a dream to interpret it.   תִּשְׁמַע חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ.  תַּאֲזִין וְתָבִין חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אוֹתוֹ:
תִּשְׁמַע - here is an expression meaning “understanding and listening carefully,” similar to: “Joseph understood (שֹׁמֵעַ)”; 1 “a nation whose language you will not understand (תִשְׁמַע)”; 2 “entendre” in Old French.   תִּשְׁמַע.  לְשׁוֹן הֲבָנָה וְהַאֲזָנָה, כְּמוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ יוֹסֵף, אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִשְׁמַע לְשֹׁנוֹ, אנטינ"דרא בְּלַעַז:
16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not by my own power; God will provide an answer through me for Pharaoh’s welfare.”   טזוַיַּ֨עַן יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֱלֹהִ֕ים יַֽעֲנֶ֖ה אֶת־שְׁל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹֽה:
בִּלְעָדָי - (lit.) It is not by me - i.e., the wisdom to interpret dreams is not my own, but “God will answer,” i.e., He will provide a response in my mouth “for Pharaoh’s welfare.”   בִּלְעָדָי.  אֵין הַחָכְמָה מִשֶּׁלִּי, אֶלָּא אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה – יִתֵּן עֲנִיָּה בְּפִי – לִשְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה:
17Pharaoh then spoke to Joseph: “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River.   יזוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף בַּֽחֲלֹמִ֕י הִנְנִ֥י עֹמֵ֖ד עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר:
18And then, out of the Nile River emerged seven cows, robust and well-formed, and they grazed in the marsh.   יחוְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ:
19Then seven other cows emerged after them, meager, very ill-formed, and emaciated; I have never seen such bad-looking ones in all Egypt.   יטוְהִנֵּ֞ה שֶֽׁבַע־פָּר֤וֹת אֲחֵרוֹת֙ עֹל֣וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן דַּלּ֨וֹת וְרָע֥וֹת תֹּ֛אַר מְאֹ֖ד וְרַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר לֹֽא־רָאִ֧יתִי כָהֵ֛נָּה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָרֹֽעַ:
דַּלּוֹת - means “Lean” - as in: “Why are you so thin (דַּל)?” 3 concerning Amnon.   דַּלּוֹת.  כְּחוּשׁוֹת, כְּמוֹ מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה כָּכָה דַּל, דְּאַמְנוֹן (שמואל ב י"ג):
וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר - And emaciated. Wherever רַקּוֹת is mentioned in Scripture it means “deficient in flesh”; “bloses” in Old French.   וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר.  כָּל לְשׁוֹן רַקּוֹת שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא חַסְרֵי בָשָׂר, וּבְלַעַז בלוא"ש:
20The emaciated, ill-formed cows then ate up the first seven robust cows.   כוַתֹּאכַ֨לְנָה֙ הַפָּר֔וֹת הָֽרַקּ֖וֹת וְהָֽרָע֑וֹת אֵ֣ת שֶׁ֧בַע הַפָּר֛וֹת הָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הַבְּרִיאֹֽת:
21These were ingested whole inside them, but it wasn’t visibly apparent that they had been ingested whole inside them: their appearance was just as ill-formed as before. Then I woke up.   כאוַתָּבֹ֣אנָה אֶל־קִרְבֶּ֗נָה וְלֹ֤א נוֹדַע֙ כִּי־בָ֣אוּ אֶל־קִרְבֶּ֔נָה וּמַרְאֵיהֶ֣ן רַ֔ע כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּתְּחִלָּ֑ה וָֽאִיקָֽץ:
22I fell asleep again and saw in my second dream that seven full, good-looking ears of grain were growing on a single stalk.   כבוָאֵ֖רֶא בַּֽחֲלֹמִ֑י וְהִנֵּ֣ה | שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹלֹ֛ת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד מְלֵאֹ֥ת וְטֹבֽוֹת:
23Then seven ears of grain, shriveled, gaunt, and battered by the east wind, sprouted after them.   כגוְהִנֵּה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים צְנֻמ֥וֹת דַּקּ֖וֹת שְׁדֻפ֣וֹת קָדִ֑ים צֹֽמְח֖וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶֽם:
צְנֻמוֹת - צוּנְמָא is a rock in Aramaic. Thus here it means: they were like wood without moisture and as hard as rock. Onkelos translates this as: נָצָן לָקְיָן – “נָצָן and damaged.” נָצָן means there is nothing in them besides their bud (נֵץ), because they have been emptied of the kernel.   צְנֻמוֹת.  צוּנְמָא בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי סֶלַע, הֲרֵי הֵן כְּעֵץ בְּלִי לִחְלוּחַ וְקָשׁוֹת כְּסֶלַע, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ נָצָן לָקְיָן, נָצָן – אֵין בָּהֶם אֶלָּא הַנֵּץ, לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְרוֹקְנוּ מִן הַזֶּרַע:
24The gaunt ears of grain then swallowed up the seven good-looking ears. I told this to the necromancers, but not even one of them could explain it to me.”   כדוַתִּבְלַ֨עְןָ֙ הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקֹּ֔ת אֵ֛ת שֶׁ֥בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֖ים הַטֹּב֑וֹת וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֶל־הַֽחַרְטֻמִּ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין מַגִּ֖יד לִֽי:
25Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The two parts of Pharaoh’s dream are actually a repetition of one and the same dream. God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do.   כהוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה:
26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are the same seven years; it is all one dream.   כושֶׁ֧בַע פָּרֹ֣ת הַטֹּבֹ֗ת שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הַטֹּבֹ֔ת שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים הֵ֑נָּה חֲל֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד הֽוּא:
שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים - Seven years…and seven years. i.e., altogether they are only seven years and not twice seven years, and the reason why the dream was repeated is because the matter is ready to happen – as he explained to him afterwards: “As for Pharaoh having dreamed the same dream twice….” 4 About the seven good years it says: “God has told (הִגִּיד) Pharaoh,” 5 because they were close at hand; but about the seven years of famine it says: “He has shown (הֶרְאָה) Pharaoh,” 6 because they were far-off and distant in time and so an expression of “showing” is suitable.   שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים.  כֻּלָּן אֵינָן אֶלָּא שֶׁבַע, וַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁנָה הַחֲלוֹם פַּעֲמַיִם, לְפִי שֶׁהַדָּבָר מְזֻמָּן כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ בַּסּוֹף ועל השנות החלום וגו' בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הַטּוֹבוֹת נֶאֱמַר הגיד לפרעה לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה סָמוּךְ וּבְשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי רָעָב נֶאֱמַר הראה את פרעה, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה הַדָּבָר מֻפְלָג וְרָחוֹק, נוֹפֵל בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן מַרְאֶה:
27The seven emaciated, ill-formed cows that emerged after them are seven years, as are also the seven empty ears of grain that were battered by the east wind. They will be seven years of famine.   כזוְשֶׁ֣בַע הַ֠פָּר֠וֹת הָֽרַקּ֨וֹת וְהָֽרָעֹ֜ת הָֽעֹלֹ֣ת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֗ן שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הָֽרֵק֔וֹת שְׁדֻפ֖וֹת הַקָּדִ֑ים יִֽהְי֕וּ שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י רָעָֽב:
28With regard to these years of famine, it is also as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is going to do after the years of plenty.   כחה֣וּא הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֶת־פַּרְעֹֽה:
29Seven years are coming during which there will be great abundance in all Egypt.   כטהִנֵּ֛ה שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים בָּא֑וֹת שָׂבָ֥ע גָּד֖וֹל בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
30These seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine, when all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will ravage the land.   לוְ֠קָ֠מוּ שֶׁ֨בַע שְׁנֵ֤י רָעָב֙ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן וְנִשְׁכַּ֥ח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָ֖ע בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְכִלָּ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ב אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
וְנִשְׁכַּח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָע - All the abundance will be forgotten. This is the interpretation of the swallowing.   וְנִשְׁכַּח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָע.  הוּא פִתְרוֹן הַבְּלִיעָה:
31The former abundance will not be discernible in the land, due to the famine that is to follow, for it will be very severe.   לאוְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַ֤ע הַשָּׂבָע֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֛י הָֽרָעָ֥ב הַה֖וּא אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֑ן כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד ה֖וּא מְאֹֽד:
וְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַע הַשָּׂבָע - The former abundance will not be discernable. This is the interpretation of “but it wasn’t visibly apparent that they had been ingested whole inside them.” 7   וְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַע הַשָּׂבָע.  הוּא פִּתְרוֹן "ולא נודע כי באו אל קרבנה":
32As for Pharaoh having dreamed the same dream twice, this is because the matter stands ready before God, and God is moving quickly to carry it out.   לבוְעַ֨ל הִשָּׁנ֧וֹת הַֽחֲל֛וֹם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה פַּֽעֲמָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נָכ֤וֹן הַדָּבָר֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וּמְמַהֵ֥ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים לַֽעֲשׂתֽוֹ:
נָכוֹן - here means “ready.”   נָכוֹן.  מְזֻמָּן:
33So now, let Pharaoh seek out a man of discernment and wisdom and put him in charge of Egypt.   לגוְעַתָּה֙ יֵרֶ֣א פַרְעֹ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ נָב֣וֹן וְחָכָ֑ם וִֽישִׁיתֵ֖הוּ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
34Let Pharaoh take steps to appoint officials over the land and prepare Egypt for the years of famine during the seven years of plenty.   לדיַֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְחִמֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י הַשָּׂבָֽע:
וְחִמֵּשׁ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וִיזָרְזוּן – “and they shall equip” and similarly we find: וַחֲמֻשִׁים “and armed.” 8   וְחִמֵּשׁ.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וִיזָרְזוּן; וְכֵן וַחֲמֻשִׁים (שמות י"ג):
35Let them gather all the food during these coming good years, and let them store grain to be under Pharaoh’s control for food in the cities, and guard it.   להוְיִקְבְּצ֗וּ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֨כֶל֙ הַשָּׁנִ֣ים הַטֹּב֔וֹת הַבָּאֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְיִצְבְּרוּ־בָ֞ר תַּ֧חַת יַד־פַּרְעֹ֛ה אֹ֥כֶל בֶּֽעָרִ֖ים וְשָׁמָֽרוּ:
אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל - Here אֹכֶל is a noun, i.e., food, and therefore the accent is on the א, and the כ is vocalized with a patach-katan (segol – כֶ); but אוֹכֵל, which is a verb, as in: “for whoever eats (אוֹכֵל) fat,” 9 has the accent on the last syllable, on the כ, and is vocalized with a kamatz-katan (tzeireh – כֵ).   אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל.  שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, לְפִיכָךְ טַעֲמוֹ בָּאָלֶ"ף וְנָקוּד בְּפַתָּח קָטָן, וְאוֹכֵל שֶׁהוּא פֹּעַל, כְּגוֹן כִּי כָּל אֹכֵל חֵלֶב, טַעֲמוֹ לְמַטָּה בַּכַּ"ף, וְנָקוּד קָמָץ קָטָן:
תַּחַת יַד־פַּרְעֹה - (lit.) Under the hand of Pharaoh - means: within his property and in his storehouses.   תַּחַת יַד־פַּרְעֹה.  בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ וּבְאוֹצְרוֹתָיו:
36The stored food will then be held in reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will occur in Egypt, so that the land not be depopulated by the famine.”   לווְהָיָ֨ה הָאֹ֤כֶל לְפִקָּדוֹן֙ לָאָ֔רֶץ לְשֶׁ֨בַע֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּֽהְיֶ֖יןָ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־תִכָּרֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ בָּֽרָעָֽב:
וְהָיָה הָאֹכֶל - The [stored] food will be - like any other article of safekeeping (פִּקָּדוֹן) hidden away to ensure survival of the land’s population (לָאָרֶץ).   וְהָיָה הָאֹכֶל.  הַצָּבוּר כִּשְׁאָר פִּקָּדוֹן הַגָּנוּז לְקִיּוּם הָאָרֶץ:
37The way in which Joseph explained the dream pleased Pharaoh and all his courtiers,   לזוַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲבָדָֽיו:
38and Pharaoh said to his courtiers, “Could we find another man like this, who has the spirit of God within him?”   לחוַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו הֲנִמְצָ֣א כָזֶ֔ה אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בּֽוֹ:
הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: הֲנַשְׁכַּח כְּדֵין “will we find a man like this” – i.e., if we go and look for him, would we find another like him? The ה of הֲנִמְצָא expresses a question, and so does any ה which is prefixed to a word and is vocalized with a chataf-patach (הֲ).   הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה.  הֲנִשְׁכַּח כְּדֵין? אִם נֵלֵךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁנּוּ, הֲנִמְצָא כָמוֹהוּ? הֲנִמְצָא לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָה; וְכֵן כָּל הֵ"א הַמְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בְּרֹאשׁ תֵּבָה וּנְקוּדָה בַחֲטַף פַּתָּח: