AND THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, AND HE WAS A PROSPEROUS MAN; AND HE WAS IN THE HOUSE OF HIS MASTER THE EGYPTIAN. R. Jose quoted here the verse: “For the Lord loveth justice, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever” (Ps. 37, 28).
Observe’, he said ‘that wherever the righteous walk, God protects them and never abandons them, as David said: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me” (Ibid. 23, 4); wherever the righteous walk the Shekinah accompanies them and does not abandon them.
Joseph walked through the valley of the shadow of death, having been brought down to Egypt, but the Shekinah was with him, as we read: “And the Lord was with Joseph”, and by reason of the presence of the Shekinah all that he did prospered in his hand; so much so that if he had something in his hand and his master wanted something of a different kind, it changed in his hand to the kind his master wanted. Hence, it says “made to prosper in his hand”, the reason being that the Lord was with him.
Observe, too, that it is not written here, “And his master knew“, but “And his master saw”, signifying that he saw every day with his eyes the miracles God performed by the hand of Joseph; hence: “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake”. God guards the righteous, and for their sakes He guards also the wicked, so that the wicked receive blessings through the righteous. So we find it written: “The Lord blessed the house of Obededom… because of the ark of God” (II Sam. 6, 12).
Others are sustained for the sake of those righteous, but they are not able to sustain or save themselves by their own merits. So Joseph, although his master was blessed for his sake, could not himself escape from him through his own merits and gain his freedom.
He was even thrown afterwards into the dungeon, as we read: “His feet they hurt with fetters, his person was laid in iron” (Ps. 105, 18), until God liberated him and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt, and thus it is written: “and he forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever.” God shields the righteous in this world and in the world to come, as it is written: “So shall all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, they shall ever shout for joy, and thou shalt shelter them; let them also that love thy name exult in thee” (Ibid. 5, 12).’
וַיְהִי יְיָ אֶת יוֹסֵף וַיְהִי אִישׁ מַצְלִיחַ וַיְהִי בְּבֵית אֲדוֹנָיו וְגו'. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, (תהילים ל״ז:כ״ח) כִּי ה' אוֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט וְלֹא יַעֲזֹב אֶת חֲסִידָיו לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ. הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּאַבְרָהָם, אֶת חֲסִידָיו, חֲסִידוֹ כְּתִיב, וְהָא אִתְּמָר.
AND THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, AND HE WAS A PROSPEROUS MAN; AND HE WAS IN THE HOUSE OF HIS MASTER THE EGYPTIAN. R. Jose quoted here the verse: “For the Lord loveth justice, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever” (Ps. 37, 28).
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּצַדִּיקַיָא אָזְלֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לוֹן וְלָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן. דָּוִד אָמַר, (תהילים כ״ג:ד׳) גַּם כִּי אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת לֹא אִירָא רָע כִּי אַתָּה עִמָּדִי שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתְּךָ וְגו'. בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּצַדִּיקַיָא אָזְלֵי, שְׁכִינְתָּא אָזְלָא עִמְּהוֹן וְלָא שָׁבִיק לוֹן.
Observe’, he said ‘that wherever the righteous walk, God protects them and never abandons them, as David said: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me” (Ibid. 23, 4); wherever the righteous walk the Shekinah accompanies them and does not abandon them.
יוֹסֵף אָזַל בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת וְנָחֲתוּ לֵיהּ לְמִצְרַיִם, שְׁכִינְתָא הֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב, וַיְהִי יְיָ אֶת יוֹסֵף. וּבְגִין דְּהֲוַת עִמֵּיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא בְּכָל מַה דְּהֲוָה עָבִיד הֲוָה מַצְלַח בִּידֵיהּ. דְּאָפִילּוּ מַאי דְהֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ וְהֲוָה תָּבַע לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ בְּגַוְונָא אָחֳרָא, הֲוָה מִתְהַפֵּךְ בִּידֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גַוְונָא דִּרְעוּתָא דְמָארֵיהּ הֲוָה רָעֵי בֵּיהּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, וַיַּרְא אֲדוֹנָיו כִּי יְיָ אִתּוֹ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר הוּא עוֹשֶׂה יְיָ מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ, מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ וַדַּאי, כִּי יְיָ אִתּוֹ.
Joseph walked through the valley of the shadow of death, having been brought down to Egypt, but the Shekinah was with him, as we read: “And the Lord was with Joseph”, and by reason of the presence of the Shekinah all that he did prospered in his hand; so much so that if he had something in his hand and his master wanted something of a different kind, it changed in his hand to the kind his master wanted. Hence, it says “made to prosper in his hand”, the reason being that the Lord was with him.
תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיֵּדַע אֲדֹנָיו כִּי יְיָ אִתּוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וַיַּרְא אֲדֹנָיו, דְּהָא בְּעֵינוֹי הֲוָה חָמֵי עוֹבָדָא דְנִסִּין בְּכָל יוֹמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד בִּידֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא וַיְבָרֶךְ יְיָ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּצְרִי בִּגְלַל יוֹסֵף. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיר לוֹן לְצַדִּיקַיָא וּבְגִינֵהוֹן נָטַר לוֹן לְרַשִּׁיעַיָא, דְּהָא רַשִּׁיעַיָא מִתְבָּרְכִין בְּגִינֵהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָא כְּתִיב, (שמואל ב ו׳:י״ב) וַיְבָרֶךְ יְיָ אֶת בֵּית עוֹבֵד אֱדוֹם הַגִּתֵּי בַּעֲבוּר אֲרוֹן הָאֱלהִים.
Observe, too, that it is not written here, “And his master knew“, but “And his master saw”, signifying that he saw every day with his eyes the miracles God performed by the hand of Joseph; hence: “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake”. God guards the righteous, and for their sakes He guards also the wicked, so that the wicked receive blessings through the righteous. So we find it written: “The Lord blessed the house of Obededom… because of the ark of God” (II Sam. 6, 12).
צַדִּיקַיָא, אָחֳרָנִין מִתְבָּרְכִין בְּגִינַייהוּ, וְאִינוּן לָא יָכְלוּ לְאִתְּזְנָא (ס"א לאשתזבא) בִּזְכוּתַיְיהוּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. יוֹסֵף אִתְבָּרֵךְ מָארֵיהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְאִיהוּ לָא יָכִיל לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא בִּזְכוּתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ וּלְנָפְקָא לְחֵירוּ.
Others are sustained for the sake of those righteous, but they are not able to sustain or save themselves by their own merits. So Joseph, although his master was blessed for his sake, could not himself escape from him through his own merits and gain his freedom.
וּלְבָתַר אָעִיל לֵיהּ בְּבֵית הַסֹּהַר כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים ק״ה:י״ח-י״ט) עִנּוּ בַכֶּבֶל רַגְלוֹ בַּרְזֶל בָּאָה נַפְשׁוֹ, עַד דִּלְבָתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק לֵיהּ לְחֵירוּ וְשַׁלְטֵיהּ עַל כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב וְלא יַעֲזֹב אֶת חֲסִידָיו לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ, חֲסִידוֹ כְּתִיב וְאִתְּמָר. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָגִין עֲלַיְיהוּ דְּצַדִּיקַיָא, בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ה׳:י״ב) וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל חוֹסֵי בָךְ לְעוֹלָם יְרַנִּנוּ וְתָסֵךְ עָלֵימוּ וְיַעְלְצוּ בְךָ אוֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ:
He was even thrown afterwards into the dungeon, as we read: “His feet they hurt with fetters, his person was laid in iron” (Ps. 105, 18), until God liberated him and made him ruler over all the land of Egypt, and thus it is written: “and he forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever.” God shields the righteous in this world and in the world to come, as it is written: “So shall all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, they shall ever shout for joy, and thou shalt shelter them; let them also that love thy name exult in thee” (Ibid. 5, 12).’