Or HaChaim on Genesis 40:8/אור החיים על בראשית מ׳:ח׳

1 ויאמרו אליו…ופותר אין אתו, "and there is no one to interpret it." They meant that there was no one to interpret it at all, as distinct from Pharaoh's dream (41,8) when a variety of interpretations were offered, none of which satisfied Pharaoh.

2הלא לאלוקים פתרונים, "don't interpretations belong to G'd?" This was Joseph's way of saying that although he offered his services as an interpreter they should not think that he claimed to boast about his ability, but that G'd had many interpreters at His disposal; he, Joseph, was only one of them. He invited them to tell him their dreams.

3When Joseph referred to "interpretations" in the plural, he alluded to a story from the Talmud Berachot 55 according to which there were twenty four regular dream-interpreters in Jerusalem. All of them interpreted the dream of Rabbi Banah, each one offering a different interpretation. All their interpretations happened to come true. This is what Joseph had in mind when he said: "G'd has interpretations." Joseph meant that a dream is capable of many different interpretations all of which are correct.

4Joseph had two reasons for saying נא, please, when inviting the ministers to tell him their dreams. 1) An interpretation can only claim to be accurate when it is given on the day after the night the dream has occurred, and this is the reason that one may fast even on the Sabbath after having had a bad dream; on the other hand, if one delayed fasting, one may not fast on the Sabbath on account of that dream. Joseph's use of the word נא, meant that he urged the ministers to tell him their dreams at once before the interpretations would become useless to them.

5The second reason Joseph said נא, is also related to a statement in the Talmud on the next folio. We are told there that most dreams follow the mouth, i.e. the interpreter [I have explained this on page 301. Ed.]. This is why Joseph was anxious that they should tell their dreams to him rather than to someone else in order that his interpretation would be fulfilled. He said: ספרו נא, "please tell now!" Although we have mentioned that there were twenty four interpreters in Jersualem each one of whom was able to give a different yet true interpretation to the same dream, I maintain that this was so only because none of the twenty four interpretations contradicted one another. If, for instance, the first interpreter would say that the prisoner would be released whereas the second interpreter would say that the prisoner would remain in jail until dead, only the first interpretation would be fulfilled. Joseph urged them to make him the first interpreter of their dreams for their sakes.