Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 40:7/אור החיים על בראשית מ׳:ז׳
אוַיִּשְׁאַל וְגוֹ׳. צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת לָמָּה הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בְמִשְׁמַר, גַּם לָמָּה הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר בְּבֵית אֲדוֹנָיו?
1 וישאל את סריסי פרעה, He enquired from Pharaoh's ministers, etc. Why did the Torah have to add the words: "who were with him in jail?" Also, why did the Torah add: "in the house of his master?"
בוְנִרְאֶה כִּי יִתֵּן הַכָּתוּב טַעַם לִשְׁאֵלַת יוֹסֵף לִשְׁנֵי שָׂרִים ״מַדּוּעַ פְּנֵיכֶם״, כִּי אֵין זֶה מֵהִלְכוֹת דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ לְבַקֵּשׁ לָדַעַת מַחְשְׁבוֹת הַגְּדוֹלִים. וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ וַיִּשְׁאַל יוֹסֵף אֶת סְרִיסֵי פַרְעֹה, פֵּרוּשׁ, הֲגַם שֶׁהוּא יוֹסֵף כַּיָּדוּעַ עֶבֶד וְהֵם סְרִיסֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן שְׁאָלָם. וְהַטַּעַם הוּא ״אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בְמִשְׁמַר״ – יֵשׁ בָּזֶה שְׁנֵי טְעָמִים: הָאֶחָד, כִּי לֶהֱיוֹתָם עִמּוֹ בַּמִּשְׁמָר חָשׁ כִּי זַעְפָּם עִמּוֹ הוּא, וְהַשֵּׁנִי, כִּי לְצַד שֶׁהֵם אִתּוֹ בַּמִּשְׁמָר כָּל הַפָּנִים שָׁוִים וְכֻלָּן יִקָּרְאוּ אֲסוּרִים, וּלְצַד זֶה לֹא חָשׁ לִגְדֻלָּתָם. וְעוֹד שֶׁהָיוּ בְּבֵית אֲדוֹנָיו, וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי נוֹגֵעַ זַעַף זֶה לַאֲדוֹנוֹ, וְשָׁאַל מִשְׁפַּט עֶבֶד נֶאֱמָן לַאֲדוֹנוֹ לְפַקֵּחַ בְּעִנְיָנָיו, וְלָזֶה שְׁאָלָם לֵאמֹר אֵלָיו ״מַדּוּעַ״ וְגוֹ׳.
2Perhaps the Torah provided us with the reason why Joseph enquired from the two ministers as to why they seemed so distressed. It was certainly unbecoming for people of inferior standing to enquire into the state of mind of their superiors. The Torah says: "Joseph enquired from Pharaoh's ministers," i.e. although Joseph was only a slave whereas they were ministers of the king he still decided to ask them. The reason was that as of then they were both in jail, normal distinctions between their standing in society did not apply. He may also have thought that their distress had something to do with him personally. The reason the Torah underlined: "in the house of his master," is that Joseph wondered if the distress of the ministers was directed against Joseph's superior, the chief warden. Joseph who was a loyal servant wanted to know if he could perhaps do a service to his master by finding out the reason for the ministers' distress.
גדִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר הַיּוֹם, כִּי אֵין לוֹמַר שֶׁפְּנֵיהֶם רָעִים לְצַד אָסְרָם בְּבֵית מִשְׁמָר, כִּי דָּבָר זֶה אֵינוֹ חָדָשׁ, וְהָיָה לָהֶם לִהְיוֹת כֵּן גַּם אֶתְמוֹל גַּם מִשִּׁלְשׁוֹם.
3Joseph added: היום, "this day," meaning that he did not refer to their general distress about being in jail which is something they had reason to be distressed about already yesterday and the day before, but about their special distress on that day.