AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED; AND HE SENT AND CALLED FOR ALL THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, AND ALL THE WISE MEN THEREOF. The word vatipo’em (and was troubled, akin to the word pa’am, time) indicates that the spirit kept on appearing to Pharaoh and leaving him, not staying with him long enough at any one time to enlighten him.
The same was the case at first with Samson, of whom it is written: “And the spirit of the Lord began to move him in time beats (I’pha’amo)” (Jud. 13, 25). In connection with Nebuchadnezzar it is written vatithpa’em (and was troubled) (Dan. 2, 1), to indicate that the coming and going of the spirit was twice as rapid.
AND HE SENT AND CALLED FOR ALL THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT AND ALL THE WISE MEN THEREOF, to wit, the bird-diviners. They all tried to make out the dream, but it baffled them.
R. Isaac said: ‘Although it has been affirmed that no man is shown anything in a dream save what falls within his own grade, it is different with kings, who are permitted to see more deeply than other men; for inasmuch as a king’s grade is higher than that of other men, he is permitted to see that which falls within a higher grade than that of other men. So Scripture says: WHAT GOD IS ABOUT TO DO HE HATH SHOWN UNTO PHARAOH. whereas to other men God does not reveal what He is about to do, except to the prophets, saints, or sages of the generation.
Now observe the words: ME HE RESTORED UNTO MINE OFFICE, AND HIM HE HANGED. From this we learn that a dream is determined by its interpretation, since the pronoun “he” can refer only to Joseph, indicating that it was Joseph who restored the one to his office, and hanged the other, through the medium of his interpretation.
וַיְהִי בַבֹּקֶר וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקְרָא אֶת כָּל חַרְטֻמֵּי מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת כָּל חֲכָמֶיהָ וְגו'. וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ. מַאי וַתִּפָּעֶם. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב וַתִּפָּעֶם, וּבִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר כְּתִיב, (דניאל ב׳:ד׳) וַתִּתְפָּעֶם, וְאוּקְמוּהָ דְּהָא בְּפַרְעֹה כְּתִיב וַתִּפָּעֶם, בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה יָדַע חֶלְמָא, וּפִשְׁרָא לָא הֲוָה יָדַע, אֲבָל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר, חָמָא חֶלְמָא, וְחָמָא פִּשְׁרָא, וְאִתְנְשֵׁי כֹּלָּא מִנֵּיהּ.
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED; AND HE SENT AND CALLED FOR ALL THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT, AND ALL THE WISE MEN THEREOF. The word vatipo’em (and was troubled, akin to the word pa’am, time) indicates that the spirit kept on appearing to Pharaoh and leaving him, not staying with him long enough at any one time to enlighten him.
אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שופטים יג) לְפַעֲמוֹ, דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי רוּחָא וְאָזִיל, וְאָתֵי וְאָזִיל. וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְיַישְׁבָא עִמֵּיהּ עֲדַיִין כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שופטים י״ג:כ״ה) וַתָּחֶל רוּחַ יְיָ לְפַעֲמוֹ, דִּכְדֵין הֲוָה שֵׁירוּתָא. אוּף הָכָא רוּחֵיהּ אִתְעַר בֵּיהּ, וְאָזִיל וְאִתְעַר, וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְיַשְּׁבָא עִמֵּיהּ לְמִנְדַע. נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, בְּאִתְעֲרוּתָא הֲוָה אִתְעַר עַל חַד תְּרִין, (תייבין) וְאָזְלִין וְתָיְיבִין, וְדָא הוּא כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (במדבר כ״ד:א׳) כְּפַעַם בְּפַעַם. פַּעַם בְּהַאי, וּפַעַם בְּהַאי, וְלָא מִתְיַשְּׁבָא דַּעְתֵּיהּ וְרוּחֵיהּ.
The same was the case at first with Samson, of whom it is written: “And the spirit of the Lord began to move him in time beats (I’pha’amo)” (Jud. 13, 25). In connection with Nebuchadnezzar it is written vatithpa’em (and was troubled) (Dan. 2, 1), to indicate that the coming and going of the spirit was twice as rapid.
וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקְרָא אֶת כָּל חַרְטוּמֵי מִצְרַיִם, אִלֵּין חֳרָשִׁין. וְאֶת כָּל חֲכָמֶיהָ, אִלֵּין חַכִּימִין בְּטַיְירָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ הֲווּ מִסְתַּכְּלָן לְמִנְדַע וְלא יָכִילוּ לְאַדְבָּקָא.
AND HE SENT AND CALLED FOR ALL THE MAGICIANS OF EGYPT AND ALL THE WISE MEN THEREOF, to wit, the bird-diviners. They all tried to make out the dream, but it baffled them.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְּמָר דְּלָא אַחְזְיָין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ אֶלָּא בְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דִילֵיהּ, שָׁאנִי לִמְלָכִים, דְּאַחְזְיָין לוֹן מִלִּין עִלָּאִין, וּמְשַׁנְיָין מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא אָחֳרָנִין. כְּמָה דְמַלְכָּא דַּרְגֵּיהּ עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל שְׁאָר אָחֳרָנִין, הָכִי נָמֵי אַחֲזִיאוּ לֵיהּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל שְׁאָר אָחֳרָנִין. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר אֶת אֲשֶׁר הָאֱלהִים עוֹשֶׂה הֶרְאָה אֶת פַּרְעֹה. (רלח א) אֲבָל לִשְׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, לָא גָלֵי לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַה דְּאִיהוּ עָבַד, בַּר לִנְבִיאֵי אוֹ לַחֲסִידֵי אוֹ לְחַכִּימֵי דָרָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
R. Isaac said: ‘Although it has been affirmed that no man is shown anything in a dream save what falls within his own grade, it is different with kings, who are permitted to see more deeply than other men; for inasmuch as a king’s grade is higher than that of other men, he is permitted to see that which falls within a higher grade than that of other men. So Scripture says: WHAT GOD IS ABOUT TO DO HE HATH SHOWN UNTO PHARAOH. whereas to other men God does not reveal what He is about to do, except to the prophets, saints, or sages of the generation.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב, אוֹתִי הֵשִׁיב עַל כַּנִּי וְאוֹתוֹ תָּלָה, מִכָּאן דְּחֶלְמָא אָזִיל בָּתַר פִּישְׁרָא. הֵשִׁיב עַל כַּנִּי מַאן, אֶלָּא דָּא יוֹסֵף. וְאוֹתוֹ תָלָה, בְּהַהוּא פִּישְׁרָא דְּקָא פָּשַׁר לֵיהּ, וּכְתִיב וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּתַר לָנוּ כֵּן הָיָה:
Now observe the words: ME HE RESTORED UNTO MINE OFFICE, AND HIM HE HANGED. From this we learn that a dream is determined by its interpretation, since the pronoun “he” can refer only to Joseph, indicating that it was Joseph who restored the one to his office, and hanged the other, through the medium of his interpretation.