At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, we follow the story of Yosef in Egypt. Pharaoh has dreams which no one can interpret. Yosef is brought from prison to the palace and successfully interprets the dreams. There will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. He then suggests a prudent governmental policy. Pharaoh should store grain during the 7 years of plenty, and distribute it during the 7 years of famine, safeguarding Egypt and Pharaoh’s kingdom. The narrative then switches back to the house of Jacob.

בראשית מ"ב

(א) וַיַּ֣רְא יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ׃

Beresheit 42

(1) Yaakov saw that there was grain in Egypt and Yaakov said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at one another?"

Rashi picks up on the particular phrasing in this verse. Assumedly, Yaakov heard there was food in Egypt. Why does it say “and Yaakov saw”?

רש"י בראשית מ"ב:א'

וירא יעקב כי יש שבר – ומהיכן ראה, והלא לא ראה אלא שמע: הנה שמעתי וגו' (בראשית מ"ב:ב'). ומהו וירא? ראה באספקלריא של קודש שיש לו סבר עוד במצרים. ולא היתה נבואה ממש להודיעו בפירוש שזה יוסף.

Rashi Beresheit 42:1

Jacob saw that there was grain being sold in Egypt. From where did he see it? Is it not true that he did not see it, only that he heard of it, as it is said: “Behold, I have heard, etc.” (verse 2)? What then is the meaning of “saw”? He saw with the divine “mirror” that he still had hope (שֶׂבֶר) in Egypt, but it was not a real prophecy to explicitly inform him that this was Joseph. — [from Gen. Rabbah 91:6]

Rashi explains that indeed the wording is indicating something beyond a simple read. He notes that Yaakov did not receive definitive prophecy. He did not know for sure that Yosef was in Egypt. But clearly something caught his attention. What caught his attention? What did it have to do with Yosef?

On a basic level, Yaakov didn’t merely hear about the available food in Egypt, but he noticed something. The Egyptians had the foresight to store up grain during the 7 years of plenty which affected the region. Imagine after a stock market crash one was to hear that a particular state or country had divested completely from the financial markets in the months prior to the crash. They must have perceived something which others did not. This was perhaps what Jacob “saw” or discerned, a prodigious degree of foresight and wisdom in Egypt. However, the Rav describes something else that captured Yaakov’s attention.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik - “Joseph the Ruler”

Joseph had introduced a rationing system. He sold food retail, in small quantities indispensable for the survival of each family or individual. Each head of a family had to appear before Joseph or his subordinate to be cross-examined. Hoarding was forbidden. Buying for speculation was made impossible. Each person was allowed to carry away one loaded animal. Delicacies were not sold.

Egypt had instituted a system typical of our Jewish philosophy and ethics. We read regarding the manna, "Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer per head, according to the number of you shall you take it" (Ex. 16:16). Hoarding food while there are people who do not have anything is a sin. It reflects an egotistical, loveless being. In times of curses, famine, and trouble, people must share with each other whatever they possess. This is the foundation of the moral code of economics.

In other words: Jacob was amazed to see that the method of distribution of the food by the Egyptian government, the adoption of the rationing system in order to avoid inflationary prices, speculation, and hoarding, reflected Abraham's economic morality, which dictates that the powerful and rich should not profit from the misery of the poor. But how was it possible for pagan Egypt, Jacob thought, to act in the spirit of Abraham? How did it display such fine moral sensitivity?

Something else baffled Jacob. There was a famine not only in Egypt but in all the Mideastern states. The adjacent countries were also suffering from the hunger. Had Egypt been guided by the pagan morality, it would have refused to sell food to other countries. Since the sale of grain to foreigners caused a reduction of the rations for the Egyptians, the latter had less for their own use on account of the benevolent policy to feed the starving all over the Middle East. Jacob simply could not grasp what made Egypt act so charitably in the spirit of Abraham. He said, "There is shever in Egypt," there are food rations to be had there in other words, there is an equitable system of distribution. They sell food to foreigners. (p.29-30)

The Rav explains what puzzled Yaakov. Most kingdoms or countries that find themselves in a position of exceptional power utilize that power to their own advantage, often at the expense or exclusion of others. Pharaoh could have used the opportunity to starve and control the citizenry. Egypt certainly did not have to share their resources with the surrounding countries. They could have starved them, invaded, and expanded their empire. But the Egyptian policies during the famine reflected a remarkable degree of generosity and fairness. There was no price gouging by the government, and the government did not allow others to profit unfairly. Yaakov didn’t know it was Yosef at work, but he did take notice of a surprising degree of ethics in action in an otherwise pagan society.

Yosef and his policies serve as a shining example of moral leadership in times of crisis. No doubt these policies were beneficial to Pharaoh and his kingdom. But Yosef was successful in explaining the advantages of this approach. It would engender goodwill among the populace and the surrounding nations. It would avoid civil unrest and resentment. It would enrich Pharaoh in a stable and sustainable fashion, all the while implementing the Torah’s philosophy of using one’s additional resources to take care of those in need.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Soloveitchik J. D. Shatz D. Wolowelsky J. B. & Ziegler R. (2013). Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses. Published for Toras HoRav Foundation by KTAV Pub. House.

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