The Butler and the Baker

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1. "There Is None So Wise and Knowing As You"

   Rabbi Amnon Bazak

   All the dreams associated with Joseph come in pairs; Joseph dreamed two dreams, the butler and the baker's dreams complement each other, and Pharaoh dreams two dreams. The development of the dreams lies in the contrast of each pair, and the three pairs can be viewed as one system. The two initial pairs prepare Joseph for his meetings with Pharaoh, and provided him with the ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams.

2. Two Dreams and Two Solutions

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   What is the significance of Yosef's interpretation of the butler and the baker's dreams? We can understand the importance of the interpretation of the butler's dream, because he remembers Yosef, and it is thanks to his mention that Yosef is brought before the Egyptian king. The contribution of the butler's dream to the development of the plot, then, is obvious. His dream plays a role in the providential plan to get Yosef out of prison.

   But the baker, too, dreams an unusual dream. His dream is likewise interpreted most accurately by Yosef – however, it seems redundant. The baker's dream and its interpretation play no part in the flow of the events surrounding Yosef, such that if he had not dreamed at all, it would have made no difference to the story. Since it is clear that Yosef's trials and tribulations in Egypt are directed by Divine Providence, we must seek the role of the baker's dream in the overall development of the story of Yosef.

   What, then, is the significance of the baker's dream?

   Through an examination of the narrative we can learn that it is not a matter of the number of dreams that Yosef interprets correctly, but rather of the fine distinction that he detects between one dream and another, between "Pharaoh will lift up your head" and "Pharaoh will lift up your head from upon you."

3. Yosef's Misplaced Confidence

   Rabbi David Silverberg

4. The Meshech Chochma's Explanation of the Baker in Jail

   Reuven Weiser

5. The Cupbearer's Description of Yosef

   Rabbi David Silverberg

6. The Chizkuni — R. Chizkiya ben Manoach

   Dr. Avigail Rock

   The Chizkuni wrote a comprehensive commentary on the Torah, and his style is very clear and accessible.

   It appears that the Chizkuni had three aims in composing his commentary on the Torah:

   ·       To collect all the explanations in keeping with the peshat from the works of the commentators who preceded him.

   ·       To explain Rashi’s’ commentary by adding or changing to Rashi's words, by resolving difficulties in Rashi, and by pointing out inconsistencies in Rashi’s commentary.

   ·       To write an independent commentary on the Torah. Despite the fact that the Chizkuni utilizes many commentaries for the purposes of writing his work, there are more than a few original commentaries to be found in its lines, characterized mainly by his attempt to understand reality and the psychological motivations of the characters in each narrative.