Monday, December 26, 2016

Miketz and Daf Yomi

Miketz thought:
Yosef asked the butler to make mention of him to Pharoah (end of Vayeshev, Bereishis 40:14):
כִּי אִם-זְכַרְתַּנִי אִתְּךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לָךְ, וְעָשִׂיתָ-נָּא עִמָּדִי, חָסֶד; וְהִזְכַּרְתַּנִי, אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, וְהוֹצֵאתַנִי, מִן-הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה.
and indeed, when the opportunity arises, due to Pharaoh's dream the butler does just that, in Mikeitz (41:9 and on):
וַיְדַבֵּר שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים, אֶת-פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר: אֶת-חֲטָאַי, אֲנִי מַזְכִּיר הַיּוֹם.
...
וְשָׁם אִתָּנוּ נַעַר עִבְרִי, עֶבֶד לְשַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים, וַנְּסַפֶּר-לוֹ, וַיִּפְתָּר-לָנוּ אֶת-חֲלֹמֹתֵינוּ: אִישׁ כַּחֲלֹמוֹ, פָּתָר.
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר פָּתַר-לָנוּ, כֵּן הָיָה: אֹתִי הֵשִׁיב עַל-כַּנִּי, וְאֹתוֹ תָלָה.
וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְרִיצֻהוּ מִן-הַבּוֹר; וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּבֹא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה.
The fault was not in forgetting Yosef, but in whatever caused Pharaoh to throw the butler in prison. Mazkir means mentioning his faults, not remembering (and thus is not the opposite of וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ).
This seems all according to Yosef's plan. The fly in the ointment (or wine cup) is the pasuk immediately preceding Miketz, in Bereishis 40:
וְלֹא-זָכַר שַׂר-הַמַּשְׁקִים אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵהוּ.
Cue Rashi's citation of the midrash that this was punishment to Yosef for formulating this plan and putting his trust in humans. (And miketz indicates two years from that time, further showing Divine punishment / the collapse of Yosef's plan.) This makes sense, as the plan does come to fruition, only after two years, and only after a prophetic dream sent by Hashem.
Maybe we aren't forced into this understanding though. Perhaps the plan all along was that the butler would mention him at the first opportune time, which didn't arrive until the end of two years (from when, unclear, either from then or from the time Yosef was first put in prison). He didn't zachar = *mention* Yosef to Pharaoh, and indeed forgot about him as time passed, until the Divine intervention arrived, causing Yosef's good original plan to succeed.

Daf Yomi, Bava Metzia 91a:
רב אחדבוי בר אמי אילו נאמר (ויקרא יט, יט) בהמתך לא תרביע הייתי אומר לא יאחוז אדם הבהמה בשעה שעולה עליה זכר ת"ל כלאים
According to the hava amina, we can explain this based on the Aramaic cognate. The tzadi in Hebrew is sometimes the ayin in Aramaic. Indeed, the trup symbol revia (commonly called revii) is actually Aramaic for the parallel Hebrew word רבץ.
The derasha Rav Achdevoi is making is to read tarbia as if it were an Aramaic word. Thus you are holding down the female animal, causing it to be rovetz.
Gemar chasima tova!

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