(א) וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הוּרַ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּקְנֵ֡הוּ פּוֹטִיפַר֩ סְרִ֨יס פַּרְעֹ֜ה שַׂ֤ר הַטַּבָּחִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מִיַּד֙ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃ (ב) וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֖ית אֲדֹנָ֥יו הַמִּצְרִֽי׃ (ג) וַיַּ֣רְא אֲדֹנָ֔יו כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִתּ֑וֹ וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֔ה יְהוָ֖ה מַצְלִ֥יחַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ד) וַיִּמְצָ֨א יוֹסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּפְקִדֵ֙הוּ֙ עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ וְכָל־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ה) וַיְהִ֡י מֵאָז֩ הִפְקִ֨יד אֹת֜וֹ בְּבֵית֗וֹ וְעַל֙ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֞י בִּרְכַּ֤ת יְהוָה֙ בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ בַּבַּ֖יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֮ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵף֒ וְלֹא־יָדַ֤ע אִתּוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אוֹכֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃ (ז) וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֵֽשֶׁת־אֲדֹנָ֛יו אֶת־עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי׃ (ח) וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִתִּ֖י מַה־בַּבָּ֑יִת וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי׃ (ט) אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָד֜וֹל בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּנִּי֒ וְלֹֽא־חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־אוֹתָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃ (י) וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְי֥וֹת עִמָּֽהּ׃ (יא) וַיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃ (יב) וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְד֛וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃ (יג) וַיְהִי֙ כִּרְאוֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־עָזַ֥ב בִּגְד֖וֹ בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃ (יד) וַתִּקְרָ֞א לְאַנְשֵׁ֣י בֵיתָ֗הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר רְא֗וּ הֵ֥בִיא לָ֛נוּ אִ֥ישׁ עִבְרִ֖י לְצַ֣חֶק בָּ֑נוּ בָּ֤א אֵלַי֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמִּ֔י וָאֶקְרָ֖א בְּק֥וֹל גָּדֽוֹל׃ (טו) וַיְהִ֣י כְשָׁמְע֔וֹ כִּֽי־הֲרִימֹ֥תִי קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ אֶצְלִ֔י וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃ (טז) וַתַּנַּ֥ח בִּגְד֖וֹ אֶצְלָ֑הּ עַד־בּ֥וֹא אֲדֹנָ֖יו אֶל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃ (יז) וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃ (יח) וַיְהִ֕י כַּהֲרִימִ֥י קוֹלִ֖י וָאֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּעֲזֹ֥ב בִּגְד֛וֹ אֶצְלִ֖י וַיָּ֥נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃ (יט) וַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אֲדֹנָ֜יו אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבְּרָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה עָ֥שָׂהּ לִ֖י עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיִּ֖חַר אַפּֽוֹ׃ (כ) וַיִּקַּח֩ אֲדֹנֵ֨י יוֹסֵ֜ף אֹת֗וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֔הַר מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁר־אסורי [אֲסִירֵ֥י] הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲסוּרִ֑ים וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר׃ (כא) וַיְהִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיֵּ֥ט אֵלָ֖יו חָ֑סֶד וַיִּתֵּ֣ן חִנּ֔וֹ בְּעֵינֵ֖י שַׂ֥ר בֵּית־הַסֹּֽהַר׃
Genesis 39:1 Now when Yosef was brought down to Egypt, Potifar, an official of Pharaoh, and chief of the
guard, an Egyptian man, acquired him from the hand of the Yishmaelites who brought him down there. 2 But YHVH was with Yosef, so that he became a man of success: while he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian,
Genesis 3 his lord saw that YHVH was with him, so that whatever he did, YHVH made succeed in his hands.
4 Yosef found favor in his eyes, and he waited upon him; he appointed him over his house, and everything belonging to him he placed in his hands.
5 And it was, from when he had appointed him over his house and over everything that belonged to him, that YHVH blessed the Egyptian's house because of Yosef; YHVH'S blessing was upon everything that belonged to him, in the house and in the fields.
6 So he left everything that was his in Yosef's hands, not concerning himself about anything with him there, except for the bread that he ate. Now Yosef was fair of form and fair to look at.
7 Now after these events it was that his lord's wife fixed her eyes upon Yosef and said: Lie with me!
8 But he refused, he said to his lord's wife: Look, my lord need not concern himself with anything in the house, with me here, and everything that belongs to him, he has placed in my hands.
9 He is no greater in this house than I and has withheld nothing from me except for yourself, since you are his wife. So how could I do this great ill? I would be sinning against God!
10 Now it was, as she would speak to Yosef day after day, that he would not hearken to her, to lie beside her, to be with her-
11 so it was, on such a day, when he came into the house to do his work, and none of the house- people was there in the house-
12 that she grabbed him by his garment, saying: Lie with me! But he left his garment in her hand and fled, escaping outside.
13 Now it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,
14 that she called in her house-people and said to them, saying: See! He has brought to us a Hebrew man to play around with us! He came to me, to lie with me, but I called out with a loud voice,
15 and it was, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and called out that he left his garment beside me and fled, escaping outside!
16 Now she kept his garment beside her, until his lord came back to the house.
17 Then she spoke to him according to these words, saying: There came to me the Hebrew servant whom you brought to us, to play around with me;
18 but it was, when I lifted up my voice and called out, that he left his garment beside me and fled outside.
19 Now it was, when his lord heard his wife's words which she spoke to him, saying: According to these words, your servant did to me!- that his anger flared up;
20 Yosef's lord took him and put him in the dungeon house, in the place where the king's prisoners are imprisoned. But while he was there in the dungeon house,
21 YHVH was with Yosef and extended kindness to him: he put his favor in the eyes of the dungeon warden.
Joseph's Beauty
זרוק חוטרא לארעא ועל עיקרא נפיק
If you throw a stick in to the air, it will fall back to its source (Midrash Rabbah 86:6)
וַיְהִי יוֹסֵף יְפֵה תֹאַר וִיפֵה מַרְאֶה, לְגִבּוֹר שֶׁהָיָה עוֹמֵד בַּשּׁוּק וּמְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּעֵינָיו וּמְתַקֵּן בְּשַׂעֲרוֹ וּמְתַלֶּה בַּעֲקֵבוֹ, אָמַר לִי נָאֶה לִי יָאֵי, נָאֶה גִּבּוֹר. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ אִי אַתְּ גִבּוֹר אִי אַתְּ יָאֵי, הָא דֻּבָּא קַמָּךְ קוּם קַפְּחֶינָּה.
A man was standing in the market penciling his eyes, combing his hair, and dangling his feet. He was saying to himself: "I am indeed a man." The people said to him, if you are a man, then here is a bear, get up and attack it (Midrash Rabbah 87:3)!
She said, "O Joseph, how beautiful your hair is" He answered, "It is the first thing that will fall off of my body." She said, "O Joseph, how beautiful your eyes are!" He answered, "They are the first things that will melt into the earth from my body." She said, "O Joseph how beautiful your face is! He answered, "The earth will eat it (Al-Tabari 380)
ויוסף בן שמונה עשרה שנה יפה בחור יפה עיניים וטוב רואי, וכמוהו לא היה בכל ארץ מצרים. בעת ההיא בהיות יוסף בבית אדוניו, יוצא ובא בבית ומשרת את ה׳. ותשא זליכא אשת אדוניו את עיניה אל יוסף ותראהו, והנה נער יפה תואר ויפה מראה מאוד ותחמוד יופיו בלבה. ותדבק נפשה ביוסף מאוד, ותסיתהו יום יום להיות איתה ותלבישהו בגדים יום יום. ותפתה זליכה את יוסף יום יום בכל דבר יום יום, ולא נשא יוסף את עיניו לראות באשת אדוניו. ותאמר אליו זליכה, מה טוב מראיך ותוארך מאוד הלא ראיתי בכל עבד ולא ראיתי עבד יפה כמותך. ויאמר אליה יוסף, הלא אשר בראני בבטן אמי הוא אשר ברא את כל האדם. ותאמר אליו, מה נאוו עיניך כי הרהבת בהם את כל יושבי מצרים איש ואישה. ויאמר אליה, מה טובם בעודני חי ואם ראיתם בקבר הלא תנוד מהם. ותאמר אליו, מה יפו ומה נעמו כל דבריך, קח נא לך את הכינור אשק בבית ונגן בידך ואשמע את דבריך. ויאמר אליה, מה יפו ומה נעמו דבריי בשבחי את שבח אלוקיי ואת תהילתו.
And Joseph was eighteen years of age, a youth of beautiful eyes and pleasant appearance, and there was not his like in the whole land of Egypt. At that time when Joseph was in his master's house, coming in and going out and attending to his master's affairs, Zulycah, his master's wife, lifted up her eyes unto Joseph, and she beheld his comely appearance, and his beauty tempted her heart. And her soul became attached unto Joseph, and she beguiled him and persuaded him day after day, but he would not lift up his eyes to look at his master's wife. And Zulycah said unto him: How comely is thy appearance and how graceful thy figure. Verily I have looked at all the servants, but I could not find one as fair as thou art. And Joseph replied unto her: He who hath created me hath created likewise all the sons of man. And she said unto him: How beautiful are those eyes of thine and thou hast captivated with them all the inhabitants of Egypt, men and women alike. And he said unto her: Verily they are beautiful while alive, but if thou wert to see them in the grave thou wouldst tremble before them. And she continued: How pleasant and sweet are thy words, do take the harp which is in the house and play with thy hands and let us hear thy voice. And Joseph said: How pleasant and sweet are my words when I sing the praises and the glory of my Lord.
Joseph's Refusal
Suddenly Jacob appeared to him, standing in the house and biting his fingers, saying, O Joseph, do not have intercourse with her . . . . Joseph loosened his waistband and sat with her as one who possesses would sit. . . . . She lay on her back for him and he sat between her legs removing his clothes (Al-Tabari 381)
(ב) מה עשה יעקב, הביא שרץ של זהב שם הקדש כתוב בו ותלה על צוארה, ושלחה והלכה, והכל צפוי לפני הב"ה. וירד מיכאל המלאך והורידה למצרים לבית פוטיפרע, שהיתה אסנת ראויה ליוסף לאשה, והיתה אשתו של פוטיפרע עקרה, וגדלה עמה כבת, וכשירד יוסף למצרים לקחה לו לאשה, שנ' ויתן לו את אסנת בת פוטיפרע.
(2) What did (Jacob) do? He wrote the Holy Name upon a golden plate, and suspended it about her neck and sent her away. She went her way. Everything is revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and Michael the angel descended and took her, and brought her down to Egypt to the house of Potiphera; because Asenath was destined to become the wife of Joseph. Now the wife of Potiphera was barren, and (Asenath) grew up with her as a daughter. When Joseph came down to Egypt he married her, as it is said, "And he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On" (Gen. 41:45).
Who is Potiphar?
“And Potiphar, an officer [seris] of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down there” (Genesis 39:1). Rav says: He purchased the handsome Joseph for himself, for the intended purpose of homosexual intercourse, but was unable to fulfill his desires, as the angel Gabriel came and castrated Potiphar [seireso]. Then Gabriel came again and further mutilated him [ fero] in the same part of his body. This is alluded to in the verses that write Potiphar’s name differently: Initially, it is written “Potiphar” (Genesis 39:1) and in the end it is written “Poti-phera” (Genesis 41:45). The change in his name indicates that a part of himself was mutilated.
The king married Joseph to Potiphar's wife Ra'il. When she was brought to him, he said, "Is this not better than what you desired?" It is said that she answered. "O honest one, do not blame me, for as you see I was a beautiful and graceful woman, comfortable in my possessions and worldly goods, and my master ddi not have intercourse with women. And you were as God made you, with your beauty and appearance, and I could not control myself, as you saw." They said that he found her to be a virgin . . . . she bore him two sons, Ephraim b. Joseph and Manasseh b. Joseph (Al-Tabari, 392).
דא"ר יהושע בן לוי רואה היתה באסטרולוגין שלה שהיא עתידה להעמיד ממנו בן ולא היתה יודעת אם ממנה אם מבתה, הה"ד (שם ישעיהו מז) מודיעים לחדשים מאשר יבואו עליך, ר' איבו אמר מאשר ולא כל אשר, ודכוותה
Bereshit Rabbah:
She [Potiphar's wife ] saw through her astrological arts that she would give birth to a boy by him [Joseph], but she did not know whether it was to be from her or her daughter. Thus it is written: " let the astrologers come forward now and save you, the star-gazers who announce month by month what will happen to you next (Isaiah 47:13).
(א) כתיב, וּבָא הַבַּיִת וְסָמַךְ יָדוֹ עַל הַקִּיר וּנְשָׁכוֹ הַנָּחָשׁ (עמוס ה, יט). וכשבא יעקב לארץ אחוזתו שבארץ כנען נשכו הנחש, ואי זה הוא הנחש, זה שכם בן חמור שהיתה בתו של יעקב יושבת אוהלים ולא היתה יוצאה לחוץ מה עשה שכם בן חמור הביא נערות משחקות חוצה לו מתופפות ויצאה דינה לראות בבנות הארץ המשחקות ושללה ושכב עמה והרתה וילדה את אסנת ואמרו בני ישראל להורגה שאמרה עכשו יאמרו בכל הארץ שיש בית זנות באהלי יעקב.
(ב) מה עשה יעקב, הביא שרץ של זהב שם הקדש כתוב בו ותלה על צוארה, ושלחה והלכה, והכל צפוי לפני הב"ה. וירד מיכאל המלאך והורידה למצרים לבית פוטיפרע, שהיתה אסנת ראויה ליוסף לאשה, והיתה אשתו של פוטיפרע עקרה, וגדלה עמה כבת, וכשירד יוסף למצרים לקחה לו לאשה, שנ' ויתן לו את אסנת בת פוטיפרע.
(1) JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN
"OR went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and the serpent bit him" (Amos 5:19). When Jacob went into his house in the land of Canaan the serpent bit him. || And who was the serpent? This was Shechem, the son of Chamor. Because the daughter of Jacob was abiding in the tents, and she did not go into the street; what did Shechem, the son of Chamor, do? He brought dancing girls who were (also) playing on pipes in the streets. Dinah went forth to see those girls who were making merry; and he seized her, and he slept with her, and she conceived and bare Asenath. The sons of Israel said that she should be killed, for they said that now people would say in all the land that there was an immoral daughter in the tents of Jacob.
(2) What did (Jacob) do? He wrote the Holy Name upon a golden plate, and suspended it about her neck and sent her away. She went her way. Everything is revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and Michael the angel descended and took her, and brought her down to Egypt to the house of Potiphera; because Asenath was destined to become the wife of Joseph. Now the wife of Potiphera was barren, and (Asenath) grew up with her as a daughter. When Joseph came down to Egypt he married her, as it is said, "And he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potiphera priest of On" (Gen. 41:45).