Parashat Miketz continues the story of Yosef's experiences in Egypt, telling of his sudden appointment as the country's viceroy after successfully interpreting Pharaoh's dreams that had baffled his team of experts. Yosef informed Pharaoh that the seven shriveled cows and lean sheaves of grain, which he envisioned in his dream, symbolized seven years of famine that will follow seven years of surplus. He then added, "Accordingly, let Pharaoh find a man who is intelligent and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt" (41:33). Yosef recommends that Pharaoh assign a qualified individual to oversee the storage of grain during the years of surplus so that the country could survive the seven harsh years of drought.
Yosef mentioned two qualifications required of such a person: he must be "navon" ("intelligent") and "chakham" ("wise"). The word "chakham," of course, is far more common and generally refers to general intellectual capability. Clearly, the person entrusted with Egypt's economic future must be a "chakham," a talented administrator with organizational and industrial skills, so that he can organize this major operation of storing enormous quantities of grain. But to what does the adjective "navon" refer? What kind of a person does Yosef have in mind, and why is this quality necessary for the job of storing grain?
The Ramban explains that "chokhma" in this verse refers to knowledge concerning healthy storage of different grains. Yosef emphasizes that the official in charge must have familiarity with the different species in grain prevalent in Egypt and understand how to best preserve them for an extended period of time. "Navon," on the other hand, refers to handling the distribution, the mathematical skills required to fairly and efficiently divide the limited amounts of grain to the different sectors of the population.
The Rashbam, however, explains differently. In his view, "chakham" refers to accumulated knowledge, whereas "navon" means, in the Rashbam's words, "that he understands the future and anticipates what will transpire." Why would Yosef require this particular quality of foresight in the person assigned to oversee the storage of grain?
Several writers, including Rav Eliyahu Lopian, suggested that it takes a considerable degree of foresight to undertake during a time of agricultural surplus a major operation to prepare for famine. When things are going well, people generally do not anticipate - let alone prepare for - the time when the tide will turn. True, people might have some awareness of the fact that good times are very often followed by hard times. But very few people would be prepared during periods of prosperity to exert themselves to the utmost in anticipation of crisis.
This, perhaps, at least according to the Rashbam, is what Yosef had in mind when he recommended that Pharaoh hire an "ish navon." In order for the person to take his job seriously, he must truly believe in and sense the disaster that will strike only several years later. This is not easy for people to do during times of prosperity. Understandably, then, Pharaoh selected Yosef. Only he, who prophetically foresaw the impending catastrophe, truly sensed the gravity of the situation and the dire need to prepare accordingly. Therefore, as Pharaoh, declares, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one 'navon' or 'chakham' as you" (41:39).