Selective Memory/2

לא ידע את יוסף – Ignorance or Selective Memory?

Exegetical Approaches

In order to address the question of how the new king had never heard of Yosef, exegetes grapple with the meaning of "לֹא יָדַע" in our verse. As the root ידע can generally take on an assortment of meanings, the commentators here present a spectrum of opinions:

Did Not Know

The words "לֹא יָדַע" should be rendered literally, and the new Egyptian king had truly never heard of Yosef.

Sources:JosephusAntiquities 2:9:1About Josephus, AbarbanelShemot 1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel.

Egyptian chronology – This possibility subdivides in explaining how it is possible that the Egyptian king didn't know of Yosef.

• A new dynasty arose in Egypt – Josephus. See Melekh Chadash for other proponents of the new dynasty theory and further analysis.
• There were intervening kings and generations between Yosef's death and this new king – Abarbanel. See Melekh Chadash for more details.¹

Incomplete Knowledge

The words "לֹא יָדַע" refer to a lack of full understanding, and the new king had heard of Yosef, but had incomplete knowledge about him. There are a couple of variations of this option:

Paroh knew of Yosef, but did not know of all he had done on behalf of Egypt

Sources:R. SaadiaCommentary Mishlei 3:6About R. Saadia.²

The root ידע – R. Saadia compares our verse to others which speak of knowledge of Hashem. He claims that these verses refer not to a perfunctory factual knowledge of the existence of Hashem but rather to a deeper understanding of human dependence on Him.³

Effect on Paroh's actions – R. Saadia explains that had Paroh known of Yosef's deeds, he would not have enslaved the Children of Israel.

Paroh knew of Yosef, but did not know that he was a Hebrew

Sources:SefornoShemot 1:8About R. Ovadyah Seforno.

Effect on Paroh's actions – Seforno assumes that Paroh must have read of Yosef's accomplishments in the Egyptian chronicles. He thus tries to chart a compromise position in order to explain why Paroh would have mistreated the Israelites despite knowing how Yosef saved Egypt.

Really Did Know

The words "לֹא יָדַע" need to be reinterpreted, as the new king knew all about Yosef and his achievements. This possibility also subdivides:

"לֹא יָדַע" means that the new Paroh had never seen or met Yosef personally

Sources:R. SaadiaIntro. to TehillimTafsir Shemot 1:8About R. Saadia, R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 1:8About R. Avraham b. HaRambam.

The root ידע – This approach can maintain that ידע in our verse refers either to firsthand knowledge or to visual perception. See ידע for other possible cases.

"לֹא יָדַע" means that the new Paroh did not like Yosef

Sources:R. Yosef ibn KaspiShemot 1:8About Ibn Kaspi.

The root ידע – It is unclear whether there are other Biblical occurrences with this connotation, but see ידע for other possible cases.

"לֹא יָדַע" means that the king behaved as if he did not know Yosef

Sources:Rav or Shemuel⁴ in the Talmud BavliEiruvin 53aSotah 11aAbout the Bavli and Shemot Rabbah1:8About Shemot Rabbah, TanchumaShemot 5About the Tanchuma, Tanchuma (Buber)Shemot 7About Tanchuma (Buber), Rabbis in Shemot Rabbah1:8About Shemot Rabbah,⁵ Lekach TovShemot 1:8About Lekach Tov, RashiShemot 1:8About Rashi.

"וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ חָדָשׁ" – According to all of these sources, this was not a new king, but rather a reinstated king (Tanchuma) or a king who changed his policies (Talmud Bavli). See Melekh Chadash for elaboration.

The root ידע – One could suggest for this approach that ידע means to acknowledge or recognize.⁶

Intentional hardening of heart – According to this option, Paroh was intentionally ungrateful for Yosef's actions. Cf. the hardening of Paroh's heart in the subsequent chapters of Shemot.

¹ See Ibn Ezra Shemot 1:6About Ibn Ezra who explains based on "וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא" that the entire generation of Egyptians who knew Yosef had died out. Cf. Ibn Ezra in his comments to 1:8About Ibn Ezra where he maintains like Josephus that the new king was of a new dynasty.

² This is one possible reading of R. Saadia's position in his Commentary on Mishlei. Alternatively, it is possible that R. Saadia here means that Paroh knew about all of Yosef's meritorious activities, but intentionally disregarded and did not acknowledge them (similar to the Midrashim below). A third completely different interpretation is presented by R. Saadia in his Tafsir as well as in his commentary to Tehillim – see below.

³ Compare to the rationalist interpretations of the commandment of Yediat Hashem.

⁴ The Gemara does not identify which of Rav or Shemuel takes this approach.

⁵ Shemot Rabbah combines the elements of the Bavli and the Tanchuma.

⁶ This is possibly the meaning of the interpretation given by R. Saadia in his commentary on Mishlei 3:6 – see above. Cf. Devarim 33:9.