We know that Yosef attributed everything he did to Hashem. But when we read the story of his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, the ability for which he attributes to Hashem, we don’t hear Hashem speaking to Yosef directly. So how did Hashem help? Rabbi David Fohrman, in lectures I heard over 15 years ago, suggested that Hashem made the very details in the dream to speak to Yosef personally. The story of Yosef’s life was embedded in it, and only Yosef could interpret it. I am writing this from memory, so please attribute to me any errors.
In Pharoah’s dream, as he relates it to Yosef (Bereishis 41: 18-21), he sees seven beautiful cows (וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר) grazing among the reeds (‘achu’). (וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ). Seven other cows come up after them, scrawny, very sickly and thin (רַקּ֣וֹת). These thin cows ate up the first seven healthy cows. But you could not tell (וְלֹ֤א נוֹדַע֙) that they had eaten them, for they still looked as bad as before. Pharoah then has a second dream relating to ears of grain, with similar content.
It is peculiar for Pharoah to dream about cows; this was not the sustenance of Egypt. It is likewise strange to describe cows as beautiful, and to use the unusual word ‘achu’ for reeds.
Yosef hears the dream. He previously interpreted the butler and baker’s dreams with three objects representing three days; that is, objects can represent time. So when he hears the dream, he hears seven years and a second seven years. Yosef hears this as relating to his life; Yaakov worked seven years and then another seven years. The cows are grazing in the ‘achu’ (וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ.) Achu evokes ‘echav’, meaning his brothers, and the whole phrase evokes an association with the brothers pasturing the flocks (וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם; Ber 37:13). Then, cows are rarely described as וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר, of beautiful appearance. But Rachel is described this way (Ber 29:17), and so is Yosef (Ber 39:6). The scrawny cows are described as רַקּ֣וֹת, thin. But Leah is described as having eyes that are רַכּ֣וֹת (Ber 29:17). So the Rachel or Yosef cows are being eaten by the Leah cows, and it is not even known (וְלֹ֤א נוֹדַע) that Yosef was ‘eaten’ by his brothers, just as Yosef was ‘consumed’ and disappeared in Yaakov’s eyes.
So Yosef can then interpret the dream to Pharoah as meaning there will be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine, and the plenty will be forgotten because the famine is so bad. But then, surprisingly, Yosef adds something that is not in the dreams. He advises Pharoah to appoint a wise person over Egypt, save the grain from the years of plenty, and use it to feed the people in the years of famine. Here, Yosef realizes that the thin cows don’t die, but they must be saved. His plan will save not only the Egyptian people, but his family as well. And he becomes the viceroy to implement the plan.
So, Hashem provides the interpretation to Yosef by having the dream reflect only Yosef’s reality. Divine aid can be provided not only by direct communication, but indirectly by structuring a situation for us to interpret. One thing this reminds me of is the question of how we can pray for someone to do teshuva (repentance), when teshuva is a matter of personal bechira, the person’s own free will. One answer is that Hashem can provide situations in that person’s life which will give him the opportunity to use his bechira wisely and for the good. May we be able to perceive Hashem’s Hand in the situations in our lives.
L'elui nishmas Shragie’s parents, Benjamin and Marian Sunness, whose yahrtzeits are this week.
