ל״ט
ז׳וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֵֽשֶׁת־אֲדֹנָ֛יו אֶת־עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי׃
7After a time, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
ותשא אשת אדוניו וגו'. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אַחַר סָמוּךְ:
ותשא אשת אדניו HIS LORD’S WIFE LIFTED UP HER EYES etc. — wherever אחר is used and not אחרי it means immediately after (Genesis Rabbah 44:5).
ח׳וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִתִּ֖י מַה־בַּבָּ֑יִת וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי׃
8But he refused. He said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master gives no thought to anything in this house, and all that he owns he has placed in my hands.
ט׳אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָד֜וֹל בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּ֒נִּי֒ וְלֹֽא־חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־אוֹתָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃
9He wields no more authority in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except yourself, since you are his wife. How then could I do this most wicked thing, and sin before God?”
וחטאתי לאלהים. בְּנֵי נֹחַ נִצְטַוּוּ עַל הָעֲרָיוֹת:
וחטאתי לאלהים AND SIN AGAINST GOD — The “Sons of Noah” (בני נח) were subject to the command which forbade immorality (Sanhedrin 56b).
י׳וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְי֥וֹת עִמָּֽהּ׃
10And much as she coaxed Joseph day after day, he did not yield to her request to lie beside her, to be with her.
לשכב אצלה. אֲפִלּוּ בְלֹא תַשְׁמִישׁ:
לשכב אצלה TO LIE BY HER — even without sinning (Genesis Rabbah 87:6).
להיות עמה. לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
להיות עמה TO BE WITH HER, in the world to come (Gehinnom) (Genesis Rabbah 87:6).
י״אוַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃
11One such day, he came into the house to do his work. None of the household being there inside,
ויהי כהיום הזה. כְּלוֹמַר וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִגִּיעַ יוֹם מְיֻחָד, יוֹם צְחוֹק, יוֹם אֵיד שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁהָלְכוּ כֻּלָּם לְבֵית עֲ"זָ, אָמְרָה אֵין לִי יוֹם הָגוּן לְהִזָּקֵק לְיוֹסֵף כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, אָמְרָה לָהֶם חוֹלָה אֲנִי וְאֵינִי יְכוֹלָה לֵילֵךְ (תַּנְחוּמָא):
ויהי כהיום הזה AND IT CAME TO PASS ON A CERTAIN DAY — This means as much as “and it came to pass when a certain distinguished day arrived” — a day of merriment, a day of their sacred feast when they all went to the temple of their idols, — she said), “I shall find no day fitting to associate with Joseph as this day”. She therefore told her attendants I am sick and cannot go to the temple (Sotah 36b).
לעשות מלאכתו. רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל, חַד אָמַר מְלַאכְתּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וְחַד אָמַר לַעֲשׂוֹת צְרָכָיו עִמָּהּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּרְאֵית לוֹ דְּמוּת דְּיוּקְנוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו וכו' כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת סוֹטָה (דף ל"ז):
לעשות מלאכתו TO DO HIS WORK — Rab and Samuel differ as to what this means. One holds that it means, his actual house-work; the other that it means to associate with her, but a vision of his father’s face appeared to him and he resisted temptation and did not sin as is stated in Treatise Sotah 36b.
י״בוַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְד֛וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נׇס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃
12she caught hold of him by his garment and said, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and got away and fled outside.
י״גוַֽיְהִי֙ כִּרְאוֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־עָזַ֥ב בִּגְד֖וֹ בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נׇס הַחֽוּצָה׃
13When she saw that he had left it in her hand and had fled outside,
י״דוַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר רְא֗וּ הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י וָאֶקְרָ֖א בְּק֥וֹל גָּדֽוֹל׃
14she called out to her servants and said to them, “Look, he had to bring us a Hebrew to dally with us! This one came to lie with me; but I screamed loud.
ראו הביא לנו. הֲרֵי זֶה לָשׁוֹן קְצָרָה – הֵבִיא לָנוּ, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ מִי הֱבִיאוֹ, וְעַל בַּעֲלָהּ אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן:
ראו הביא לנו SEE, HE HATH BROUGHT IN UNTO US — This is an elliptical phrase: “he hath brought in to us” without stating plainly who brought him in She was referring to her husband.
עברי. מֵעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר, מִבְּנֵי עֵבֶר (בראשית רבה):
עברי A HEBREW — is one who came from the other side (עבר) of the river Euphrates, being at the same time of the sons of Eber (אדניו).
ט״ווַיְהִ֣י כְשׇׁמְע֔וֹ כִּֽי־הֲרִימֹ֥תִי קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ אֶצְלִ֔י וַיָּ֖נׇס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃
15And when he heard me screaming at the top of my voice, he left his garment with me and got away and fled outside.”
ט״זוַתַּנַּ֥ח בִּגְד֖וֹ אֶצְלָ֑הּ עַד־בּ֥וֹא אֲדֹנָ֖יו אֶל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃
16She kept his garment beside her, until his master came home.
אדניו. שֶׁל יוֹסֵף:
אדניו HIS MASTER — Joseph’s master (not the master or owner of the garment).
י״זוַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃
17Then she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew slave whom you brought into our house came to me to dally with me;
בא אלי. לְצַחֶק בִּי הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתָ לָּנוּ:
בא אלי —The sentence means: the Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us came to me to have his sport with me.
י״חוַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְד֛וֹ אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נׇס הַחֽוּצָה׃
18but when I screamed at the top of my voice, he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
י״טוַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אֲדֹנָ֜יו אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּרָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיִּ֖חַר אַפּֽוֹ׃
19When his master heard the story that his wife told him, namely, “Thus and so your slave did to me,” he was furious.
ויהי כשמע אדניו וגו'. בִּשְׁעַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ אָמְרָה לוֹ כֵן, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרָה כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עָשָׂה לִי עַבְדֶּךָ, עִנְיְנֵי תַשְׁמִישׁ כָּאֵלֶּה:
ויהי כשמע אדניו AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN HIS LORD HEARD etc. — She said this when he was alone with her, caressing her. This is what she meant by כדברים האלה “things like these did thy servant do to me” — caresses such as these.
כ׳וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲדֹנֵ֨י יוֹסֵ֜ף אֹת֗וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֔הַר מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁר־[אֲסִירֵ֥י] (אסורי) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲסוּרִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר׃
20So Joseph’s master had him put in prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. But even while he was there in prison,
כ״אוַיְהִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיֵּ֥ט אֵלָ֖יו חָ֑סֶד וַיִּתֵּ֣ן חִנּ֔וֹ בְּעֵינֵ֖י שַׂ֥ר בֵּית־הַסֹּֽהַר׃
21GOD was with Joseph—extending kindness to him and disposing the chief jailer favorably toward him.
ויט אליו חסד. שֶׁהָיָה מְקֻבָּל לְכָל רוֹאָיו, לְשׁוֹן "כַּלָּה נָאָה וַחֲסוּדָה" שֶׁבַּמִּשְׁנָה:
ויט אליו חסד AND CAUSED HIM TO FIND FAVOUR — so that he was liked by all who saw him. We have the expression חסד in a like sense in the Mishna (Baraitha): “a handsome bride liked by all (חסודה)” (Ketubot 17a).
כ״בוַיִּתֵּ֞ן שַׂ֤ר בֵּית־הַסֹּ֙הַר֙ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵ֔ף אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָ֣אֲסִירִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַסֹּ֑הַר וְאֵ֨ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר עֹשִׂים֙ שָׁ֔ם ה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה עֹשֶֽׂה׃
22The chief jailer put in Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in that prison, and he was the one to carry out everything that was done there.
הוא היה עושה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בְּמֵימְרֵהּ הֲוָה מִתְעֲבֵיד:
הוא היה עושה HE WAS THE DOER OF IT — understand this as the Targum does: it was done at his command.
כ״גאֵ֣ין ׀ שַׂ֣ר בֵּית־הַסֹּ֗הַר רֹאֶ֤ה אֶֽת־כׇּל־מְא֙וּמָה֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אִתּ֑וֹ וַֽאֲשֶׁר־ה֥וּא עֹשֶׂ֖ה יְהֹוָ֥ה מַצְלִֽיחַ׃ {פ}
23The chief jailer did not supervise anything that was in Joseph’saJoseph’s Lit. “his.” charge, because GOD was with him, and whatever he did GOD made successful.
באשר ה' אתו. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁה' אִתּוֹ:
באשר ה' אתו — means BECAUSE THE LORD WAS WITH HIM (i.e. באשר means because).