Literary Devices – Bereshit 39/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 39

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Literary Envelope

• Bereshit 39 begins (verses 2-5) and ends (verses 21-23) with statements that God was with Yosef (וַיְהִי י״י אֶת יוֹסֵף), causing him to be successful (וַאֲשֶׁר הוּא עֹשֶׂה י״י מַצְלִיחַ) and trusted by others. A literary envelope generally connotes a sense of harmony and consistency. In this case, the message is that God was with Yosef throughout all of his tribulations.
• Secondary Literature – For discussion this inclusio and how such literary envelopes might help a reader demarcate the boundaries of a story, see Professor Yonatan Grossman's Narrative Demarcation (I) - "You Have Set an Inviolable Boundary"

Key Words

"פקד"

• Though the root "פקד" appears only twice in the chapter, see the concordance that, with one exception, all appearances of the root (and the related noun פקיד) in Sefer Bereshit are found in the Yosef narratives,¹ suggesting that the word might play an important role.
• Secondary Literature – Professor Yonatan Grossman, in his article Leitwort (III) discusses the repetition of the root, noting that it takes various forms with different meanings:: “פקד” (to take account or remember), “הפקיד” (appoint), and “פקיד” (agent) . The various usages and different contexts² underscore the theme of dual causality that is central to the story of Yosef, playing with the question: “Who is the ruler? Who is the agent?”  (God or man?) 

בית, יד, אדון

Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the three words most frequently used in this chapter are בית, יד, and אדון.  All of these words relate to Yosef’s position in Potiphar’s house (בית), where he is given great responsibility and even authority (יד), but is ultimately a servant, at the whim of his master (אדון).  

Relational Epithets

Potiphar

• פּוֹטִיפַר סְרִיס פַּרְעֹה שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים אִישׁ מִצְרִי – When first introduced n verse 1, Potiphar is given a full title, making his position in Paroh's palace clear.
• אדון – Other than in the first verse, though, Potiphar is consistently referred to as Yosef’s master "אדון", rather than by his name. This highlights Yosef’s subservient stature throughout this narrative.

Mrs. Potiphar

• "אשתו" – Not unexpectedly, Mrs. Potiphar is never mentioned by name, but only in relationship to her husband. 
• "אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו" – In verses 7-8 which speak of her attempts to seduce Yosef, she is referred to as “the wife of his master” (rather than "the wife of Potiphar").  As above, this relational epithet underscores the power imbalance between them.  

Allusions

• Yosef's refusal (“וַיְמָאֵן”) of Mrs. Potiphar (verse 8), calls to mind the only other previous appearance of this word,³ Yaakov’s refusal to be comforted for his loss of Yosef (Bereshit 37:35).⁴ This hints that Yosef’s refusal of Mrs.Potiphar’s advances is connected to the unsevered emotional connection between Yaakov and Yosef, which strengthens Yosef’s convictions.
• This idea emerges in the midrash that describes Yosef’s moral resolve being fortified by seeing Yaakov’s image in the window (see Sotah 36b).

Symbolism

Clothing

• Clothes are an important symbol in the Yosef story, with their bestowal and removal perhaps reflecting a change in status. At the beginning of the story, Yosef is given a coat that represents Yaakov’s love, but his brothers later strip him of it. In Chapter 39, Yosef again loses his clothes when Potiphar’s wife pulls them off of him. He is given new clothes when he is taken from prison to appear before Paroh, and again when he becomes Paroh’s viceroy. He later gives gifts of clothing to his brothers.
• Secondary Literature – For analysis of the meaning of clothing in the Yosef story, see Joseph and the Imagery of Clothing by Samuel Borodach, who suggests that in these stories clothing might reflect not just a change in status but also a change in character.

Pits

• Pits are symbolic in the story of Yosef, as are descents and ascents in general.  Yosef is thrown into a pit by his brothers, then rises to a position of power in Potiphar's house, but then descends again as he is thrown into jail (referred to as a בּוֹר, pit, in Bereshit 40:15) by Potiphar.⁵
• Secondary Literature –
• See The Prince and the Prison by R. Chanoch Waxman, who suggests that Yosef’s series of descents reflect the development of his character from a somewhat arrogant leader into a humble one.⁶
• See Robert Alter’s article Character in the Bible, as well as his chapter on characterization in The Art of Biblical Narrative, for exploration of how character is developed in Tanakh.

Techniques of Dialogue

As has been noted by many modern commentators, Potiphar’s abrupt two-word command to Yosef in verse 7 stands in contrast to Yosef’s wordy refusal in 8-9, highlighting her imperious demand and his frightened response.

¹ Together they appear ten times.

² The root first appears in Bereshit 39:4-5, when Yosef is appointed to a position of authority in Potiphar’s house, and in the following chapter when Yosef is appointed to serve the butler and baker in jail (Bereshit 40:4). Later, it is used in the context of other people who will be given authority to collect grain and administer a plan for Egypt’s welfare (41:33-34). Finally, it describes Hashem’s taking account of Bnei Yisrael in the future (50:24-25). This mirrors the process by which Yosef comes to realize that Hashem is the One who takes account and Who directs the course of human experience.

³ See the concordance.

⁴ There is also one subsequent use of the verb in Bereshit, also with Yaakov as the subject, in Bereshit 48:19.

⁵ R. Chanoch Waxman suggests that Yosef’s series of descents reflect the development of his character.  Yosef begins, in Ch. 37, as his father’s favored son, or “headman”, and is then thrown into a pit by his brothers.  He then becomes Potiphar’s headman -- a loss in status from his first position as favored among brothers -- and is ultimately thrown by Potiphar into the pit of prison.  He then becomes the headman of prison -- yet another degradation in status from his first two “headman” positions.  

We see the development of Yosef’s humility and leadership through these three episodes.  In Ch. 37, he speaks arrogantly to his brothers of his dreams.  In Potiphar’s house, he demonstrates moral fiber by rejecting the advances of Eshet Potiphar and mentions God once in that context, but also twice alludes to his own exalted position in Potiphar’s house.  Finally, in prison, he appears genuinely concerned with the emotional wellbeing of the butler and baker (verse 7)  and mentions God without mentioning his own talents.  We thus see Yosef’s development into a humble leader.

⁶ Yosef begins, in Chapter 37, as his father’s favored son, or “headman”, and is then thrown into a pit by his brothers.  He then becomes Potiphar’s headman -- a loss in status from his first position as favored among brothers -- and is ultimately thrown by Potiphar into the pit of prison.  He then becomes the headman of prison -- yet another degradation in status from his first two “headman” positions.
These three episodes portray a development in Yosef’s humility and leadership.  In Chapter 37 he speaks arrogantly to his brothers of his dreams.  In Potiphar’s house, though he demonstrates moral fiber by rejecting the advances of Mrs. Potiphar and mentions God once in that context, he also twice alludes to his own exalted position, retaining a measure of arrogance. Finally, in prison, he appears genuinely concerned with the emotional well being of the butler and baker (verse 7)  and mentions God without mentioning his own talents.  We thus see Yosef’s development into a humble leader.