Pharaoh is desperate for an interpretation to his dream. He’s told of a Hebrew prisoner who has successfully interpreted dreams in the past and orders that he be brought before him. Yosef is hurried out of the prison and he stands before Pharaoh.
Let’s think about the situation Yosef finds himself in. You have a prisoner standing before a very nervous ruler who Yosef knows threw two of his closest servants( his wine butler and baker) into prison for committing a small mistake and even hung one of them for it. The Pharaohs of Egypt also considered themselves deities. Yosef has to be very careful with what he says.
Pharaoh says to Yosef,
חֲלוֹם חָלַמְתִּי וּפֹתֵר אֵין אֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר תִּשְׁמַע חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ׃
I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it. Now I have heard it said of you that you hear a dream to tell its meaning. (41:15)
Before Pharaoh can continue Yosef interrupts him and says,
בִּלְעָדָי אֱ-לֹהִים יַעֲנֶה אֶת־שְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה׃
Not I! God will see to Pharaoh’s welfare. (41:16)
Yosef’s response seems very untactful and even reckless. It doesn’t seem wise to interrupt and correct an uptight ruler and to do so by mentioning Hashem who he probably doesn’t recognize. Couldn’t Yosef let Pharaoh say his piece , give the interpretation, and then credit it to Hashem? Apparently, Yosef felt that he couldn’t allow Hashem to go unrecognized and to take credit for himself even for a second! From where did Yosef draw the strength and composure to do this under this kind of pressure?
Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon explains based on a verse in last week’s parsha.
וַיַּרְא אֲדֹנָיו כִּי ה’ אִתּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־הוּא עֹשֶׂה ה’ מַצְלִיחַ בְּיָדוֹ׃
And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD lent success to everything he undertook.
Rashi comments on the words, “the LORD was with him” that the name of God was a familiar word in his mouth. The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 14:3) elaborates that Yosef blessed Hashem for everything that he did. His master noticed him whispering and asked him what he’s saying. Yosef responded I am blessing the Almighty. His master responded, “I’d like to see him.” Yosef replied, “The sun is one of His many servants and you can’t gaze at that. How can you expect to gaze at His glory!”
We see from here that Yosef was constantly thanking Hashem. He wasn’t just thinking about it. He was actually saying it. Speech is a very powerful way to internalize what one believes. When we thank Hashem we are acknowledging His presence in our lives. Yosef’s constant thanking Hashem made His presence so real to him that he remained unfazed and composed in front of the world’s mightiest ruler. Hashem was right there with him, so what’s there to get unnerved about?
Now, we seem to do the same thing that Yosef did. Don’t we also often say, “Baruch Hashem (blessed be G-d)”? So why aren’t we like Yosef? The answer is that Yosef blessed Hashem with thought and feeling. We tend to say it by rote. The more we genuinely bless Hashem, whether it be saying baruch hashem or reciting a bracha (a blessing), the more we will feel His presence in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak