בראשית רבה פ״זBereshit Rabbah 87

Section 4ד׳

וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וגו' (בראשית לט, ז), הִרְהוּרֵי דְבָרִים הָיוּ שָׁם, מִי הִרְהֵר יוֹסֵף הִרְהֵר, אָמַר כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי בְּבֵית אַבָּא הָיָה אַבָּא רוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה מָנָה יָפָה הָיְתָה שָׁם וְהָיָה נוֹתְנָהּ לִי וְהָיוּ אַחַי מַכְנִיסִין בִּי עַיִן רָעָה, עַכְשָׁו שֶׁאֲנִי כָּאן מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְךָ שֶׁאֲנִי בִּרְוָחָה. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָטֶלִיס, חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי מְגָרֶה בְּךָ אֶת הַדֹּב. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר, אַבָּא נִתְנַסָּה, זְקֵנִי נִתְנַסָּה, וַאֲנִי אֵינִי מִתְנַסֶּה, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי מְנַסֶּה אוֹתְךָ יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם. רַבִּי מְנַחְמָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי בֵּיבַי אָמַר כָּךְ הָיָה וֶסְתָּן שֶׁל עוֹבְדֵּי כּוֹכָבִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶם לוֹקֵחַ עֲבָדִים הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ אֵצֶל אִסְטְרוֹלוֹגוֹס וְאָמַר לוֹ הִנֵּה טָבָא נַחְשָׁא טָבָא, אֵין לָשׁוֹן זֶה וַתִּשָּׂא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן אִסְטְרוֹלוֹגִין, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (דברים ד, יט): וּפֶן תִּשָּׂא עֵינֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וגו'. וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אֲרוּרִים הֵם הָרְשָׁעִים, לְהַלָּן (רות ג, ט): וּפָרַשְׂתָּ כְנָפֶיךָ עַל אֲמָתֶךָ, אֲבָל זוֹ כִּבְהֵמָה וַתֹּאמֶר שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי.

“It was after these matters…” – there was a contemplation of matters there. Who contemplated? Joseph contemplated. He said: ‘When I was in Father’s house, Father would see which fine portion was there, and he would give it to me. My brothers would look at me enviously. Now that I am here, I am grateful to You that I have relief.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Carefree one, as you live, I will incite the she-bear against you.’ Another matter, he said: ‘Father was subjected to ordeals, my grandfather was subjected to ordeals, will I not encounter ordeals?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, I will subject you to ordeals greater than theirs.’ Rabbi Menaḥama said in the name of Rabbi Beivai: This was the standard practice of the idolaters: When one of them would acquire slaves, he would go to the astrologer, who would say to him: ‘Behold it is good, a good portent.’ This term, “cast [vatisa],” is nothing other than a term of astrologers, just as it says: “Lest you lift [tisa] your eyes to the heavens [and see the sun and moon and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and you are led astray…]” (Deuteronomy 4:19). “She said: Lie with me” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The wicked are accursed. Elsewhere, “spread your garment over your maidservant” (Ruth 3:9), but this one, like an animal: “she said: Lie with me.”

Section 5ה׳

וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו וגו' (בראשית לט, ח), יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי אָמַר בִּדְבַר מִצְוָה מְמָאֲנִין בִּדְבַר עֲבֵרָה אֵין מְמַאֲנִין, בִּדְבַר מִצְוָה מְמָאֲנִין (דברים כה, ז): מֵאֵן יְבָמִי. בִּדְבַר עֲבֵרָה אֵין מְמָאֲנִין: וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר הֵן אֲדֹנִי וגו', אָמַר לָהּ לָמוּד הוּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִהְיוֹת בּוֹחֵר מֵאֲהוּבֵי בֵּית אַבָּא לְעוֹלָה, לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית כב, ב): קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ, אֶשָׁמַע לִיךְ וְשֶׁמָּא אֶבָּחֵר לְעוֹלָה וְאֶפָּסֵל מִן הַקָּרְבָּן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אֵשֶׁת אֲדֹנָיו, אָמַר לָהּ לָמוּד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִהְיוֹת נִגְלֶה עַל אוֹהֲבֵי בֵּית אַבָּא בַּלַּיְלָה, אַבְרָהָם (בראשית טו, א): אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה. יִצְחָק (בראשית כו, כד): וַיֵּרָא ה' אֵלָיו בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא. יַעֲקֹב (בראשית כח, יב): וַיַּחֲלֹם וְהִנֵּה סֻלָּם, אֶשָּׁמַע לִיךְ וְשֶׁמָּא יִגָּלֶה עָלַי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְיִמְצָא אוֹתִי טָמֵא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֵן אֲדֹנִי, אָמַר לָהּ מִתְיָרֵא אֲנִי, וּמָה אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן עַל מִצְוָה קַלָּה נִצְטַוָּה וְעָבַר וְנִטְרַד מִגַּן עֵדֶן, זוֹ שֶׁהִיא עֲבֵרָה חֲמוּרָה, גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. הֵן אֲדֹנִי, מִתְיָרֵא אֲנִי מֵאַבָּא שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, רְאוּבֵן עַל יְדֵי שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (בראשית לה, כב): וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה, נִטְלָה בְּכוֹרָתוֹ וְנִתְּנָה לִי, אֶשָּׁמַע לִיךְ וְאֶדָּחֶה מִבְּכוֹרָתִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֵן אֲדֹנִי, מִתְיָרֵא אֲנִי מֵאֲדוֹנִי, אָמְרָה לוֹ הוֹרַגְתּוֹ אָנִי. אָמַר לָהּ לֹא דַיִּי שֶׁאֶמָּנֶה בְּאַסְרָטִין שֶׁל נוֹאֲפִים, אֶלָּא בְּאַסְרָטִין שֶׁל רַצְחָנִים, וְאִם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אַתְּ מְבַקֶּשֶׁת הֵן אֲדֹנִי, הַיְדֵי לִדְקַמָּךְ [פרוש: לכי למתר לך, דהיינו בעלך]. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק חֲלֵב עִזִּים שְׁחוֹרוֹת וַחֲלֵב עִזִּים לְבָנוֹת אֶחָד הוּא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הֵן אֲדֹנִי, מִתְיָרֵא אֲנִי מֵה': אָמְרָה לוֹ, אֵינֶנּוּ. אָמַר לָהּ (תהלים קמה, ג): גָּדוֹל ה' וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד, אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין הִכְנִיסָה אוֹתוֹ מֵחֶדֶר לְחֶדֶר וּמִקִּיטוֹן לְקִיטוֹן עַד שֶׁהֶעֳמִידָה אוֹתוֹ עַל מִטָּתָהּ, וְהָיְתָה עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים שֶׁלָּהּ חֲקוּקָה לְמַעְלָה הֵימֶנָּה, וְנָטְלָה סָדִין וְכִסְּתָה פָנֶיהָ, אָמַר לָהּ יָאוּת הָדֵין אַפָּה כַּסֵּי, מִי שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (זכריה ד, י): עֵינֵי ה' הֵמָּה מְשׁוֹטְטִים בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. רַב הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַמֵּי אָמַר לָא שְׁבַק קְרָיָא כְּלוּם, וְחָטָאתִי לַה', אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא לֵאלֹהִים, לֵאלֹהִים אֵינִי עוֹשֶׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר הָרַע הַזֶה.

“He refused, and he said to his master's wife: Behold, my master, having me, does not know what is in the house, and he has placed everything that he has in my charge” (Genesis 39:8). “He refused, and he said to his master's wife” – Yehuda ben Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: If, in the matter of a mitzva, one may refuse, in the matter of a transgression, [is it] not [obvious] that one must refuse? In the matter of a mitzva one may refuse – “my husband’s brother has refused [to perpetuate a name for his brother in Israel, he is unwilling to perform levirate marriage with me]” (Deuteronomy 25:7). In the matter of a transgression, must one not refuse? “He refused, and he said…: Behold, my master….” He said to her: ‘The Holy One blessed be He is accustomed to choose from the beloved of my father’s household for a burnt offering – to Abraham: “Take now your son” (Genesis 22:2). Shall I accede to you? Perhaps I have been chosen as a burnt offering, and I will be disqualified from being an offering.’ Another matter, “he said to his master's wife” – he said to her: ‘The Holy One blessed be He is accustomed to reveal Himself to the beloved of my father’s household at night: Abraham – “After these matters, the word of the Lord was to Abram in a vision,” (Genesis 15:1); Isaac – “The Lord appeared to him that night” (Genesis 26:24); Jacob – “He dreamed, and behold, a ladder” (Genesis 28:12). If I accede to you, perhaps the Holy One blessed be He will reveal Himself to me and find me impure.’ Another matter, “Behold, my master” – he said to her: ‘I am afraid. If Adam the first man was commanded regarding a minor mitzva, and when he violated it, he was expelled from the Garden of Eden, this, which is a major transgression of forbidden sexual relations, all the more so.’ “Behold, my master” – [he said to her:] ‘I am afraid of my father, in the land of Canaan; Reuben, because it is written in his regard: “Reuben went and lay with Bilha” (Genesis 35:22), his birthright was taken from him and given to me. If I accede to you, I will be rejected from my birthright.’ Another matter, “Behold, my master” – [he said to her:] ‘I am afraid of my master.’ She said to him: ‘I will kill him.’ He said to her: ‘Is it not sufficient that I will be counted in the company of adulterers, that [I should also be among] the company of murderers? And if this matter is what you seek – “behold, my master” – go to the one who is before you’ . Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The milk of black goats and the milk of white goats is the same. Another matter, “Behold, my master” – [he said to her:] ‘I am afraid of the Lord.’ She said to him: ‘He is not here.’ He said to her: “The Lord is great and highly extolled, [and His greatness is unfathomable]” (Psalms 145:3). Rabbi Avin said: She took him from room to room aand from bed chamber to bed chamber until she positioned him next to her bed. Her idol was etched above it. She took a sheet and covered its face. He said to her: ‘You have done well that you covered its face. The one in whose regard it is written: “They are the eyes of the Lord roving throughout the earth” (Zechariah 4:10), all the more so.’ “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has not withheld anything from me but you, as you are his wife. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin to God?” (Genesis 39:9). Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ami: Was the verse missing anything? “And sin to the Lord” is not written here, but rather, “[and sin] to God.” By God, I will not perform this evil matter.