Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
When Yosef ends up in jail in מִצְרַיִם (Mitzrayim, Egypt), his fellow prisoners are Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. After Yosef interprets the cupbearer’s dream, this happens:
וַיַּרְא שַׂר הָאֹפִים כִּי טוֹב פָּתָר וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל יוֹסֵף אַף אֲנִי בַּחֲלוֹמִי וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה סַלֵּי חֹרִי עַל רֹאשִׁי׃
When the baker saw that he [Yosef] had interpreted well, he said to Yosef, “In my dream, similarly, there were three baskets on my head...”
What’s the meaning of the words כִּי טוֹב פָּתָר (ki tov patar, had interpreted well)? What did the baker see?
Here are two possibilities:
כִּי טוֹב פָּתָר – נִכָּרִין דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת.
Had interpreted well—they were recognizable as words of truth.
- The baker hadn’t yet seen Yosef’s interpretation for the cupbearer come true. What might have convinced him that Yosef was speaking the truth?
- Are you able to tell when something is true, even if it’s something that you don’t know much about? If so, how?
כִּי טוֹב פָּתָר – וְהָיָה מְקַוֶּה שֶׁיִּפְתֹּר גַּם בַּעֲדוֹ לְטוֹב.
Had interpreted well—and he (the baker) hoped that Yosef would also interpret favorably for him.
- Can you explain in your own words the two different understandings of ki tov patar (especially the word tov [well])?
- How does each interpretation change your understanding of the story, or your understanding of the baker?
- When you hear information about yourself, or information that might impact you, are you always ok hearing the truth? Do you ever find yourself only wanting to hear good things?
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