בראשית רבה פ״טBereshit Rabbah 89

Section 1א׳

וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים (בראשית מא, א), (איוב כח, ג): קֵץ שָׂם לַחשֶׁךְ, זְמַן נָתַן לָעוֹלָם כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵלָה, וּמַאי טַעַם קֵץ שָׂם לַחשֶׁךְ, שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵצֶר הָרָע בָּעוֹלָם אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם, דִּכְתִיב (איוב כח, ג): אֶבֶן אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת, נֶעֱקַר יֵצֶר הָרָע מִן הָעוֹלָם, אֵין אֹפֶל וְצַלְמָוֶת בָּעוֹלָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, קֵץ שָׂם לַחשֶׁךְ, זְמַן נָתַן לְיוֹסֵף כַּמָּה שָׁנִים יַעֲשֶׂה בָּאֲפֵלָה בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ חָלַם פַּרְעֹה חֲלוֹם.

“It was at the conclusion of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming: and, behold, he stood at the Nile” (Genesis 41:1). “It was at the conclusion of two years.” “He sets an end to darkness” (Job 28:3) – He set a time for the world, how many years it would spend in darkness. Why did He set a time for darkness? Because as long as the evil inclination is in the world, there is darkness and the shadow of death in the world, as it is written: “The stone of thick darkness and the shadow of death” (Job 28:3). If the evil inclination is removed from the world, there is no darkness and shadow of death in the world. Another matter, “He sets an end to darkness” – He set a time for Joseph, how many years he would spend in the darkness in prison. When the end came, Pharaoh dreamed a dream.

Section 2ב׳

וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים, (משלי יד, כג): בְּכָל עֶצֶב יִהְיֶה מוֹתָר וּדְבַר שְׂפָתַיִם אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא כְּגוֹן בֵּין שׁוֹתֶה חַמִּין לְשׁוֹתֶה צוֹנֵן. וּדְבַר שְׂפָתַיִם אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר, מְלַקֵּט עֲצָמוֹת אֶחָד בְּצִיפּוֹרִין וְאִית דְּאָמְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא הֲוָה וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה עֲצָמוֹת שְׁחוֹרוֹת הָיָה אוֹמֵר אֵלּוּ שֶׁל שׁוֹתֵי מַיִם. אֲדֻמּוֹת, אוֹמֵר אֵלּוּ שֶׁל שׁוֹתֵי יַיִן. לְבָנוֹת, אֵלּוּ שֶׁל שׁוֹתֵי מַיִם חַמִּין. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּכָל עֶצֶב יִהְיֶה מוֹתָר, כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁנִּצְטַעֵר יוֹסֵף עִם אֲדוֹנָתוֹ הָיָה לוֹ יִתְרוֹן מִמֶּנָּה, לָמָּה שֶׁנָּטַל אֶת בִּתָּה. וּדְבַר שְׂפָתַיִם אַךְ לְמַחְסוֹר, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁאָמַר לְשַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים (בראשית מ, יד): זְכַרְתַּנִּי וְהִזְכַּרְתַּנִּי, נִתּוֹסַף לוֹ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ וגו'.

“It was at the conclusion of two years.” “In all toil there is advantage, but lips’ talk is only for detriment” (Proverbs 14:23). Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said: Like the difference between one who drinks hot water and one who drinks cold. “But lips’ talk is only for detriment.” There was a certain bone gatherer in Tzippori, some say he was Rabbi Shimon bar Abba. When he would see black bones, he would say, these are drinkers of water; red, these are drinkers of wine; white, these are drinkers of hot water. Another matter, “in all toil there is advantage” – from all the suffering Joseph underwent with his master’s wife, he gained an advantage. How so? He took her daughter. “But lips’ talk is only for detriment” – because he said to the chief butler: “Remember me…and mention me” (Genesis 40:14), two years were added for him, as it is stated: “It was at the conclusion [of two years].”

Section 3ג׳

אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׂם ה' מִבְטַחוֹ (תהלים מ, ה), זֶה יוֹסֵף. (תהלים מ, ה): וְלֹא פָנָה אֶל רְהָבִים, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁאָמַר לְשַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים (בראשית מ, יד): זְכַרְתַּנִּי וְהִזְכַּרְתַּנִּי, נִתּוֹסַף לוֹ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים. אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר שָׂם ה' מִבְטַחוֹ, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר הָמוֹן רִבֵּי רַבְרְבַיָא שֶׁהֵם שָׂטִים אַחֲרֵי כָּזָב, אוֹי לוֹ לְמִי שֶׁהוּא בּוֹטֵחַ בָּהֶם. (קהלת ה, ב): כִּי בָּא הַחֲלוֹם בְּרֹב עִנְיָן, אָמַר פַּרְעֹה מִי מִתְקַיֵּם עַל מִי אֲנִי עַל אֱלֹהָי אוֹ אֱלֹהָי עָלַי, אָמַר לוֹ אַתָּה עַל אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ וגו'. (קהלת ד, יד): כִּי מִבֵּית הָסוּרִים יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ, זֶה יוֹסֵף שֶׁיָּצָא מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים שֶׁל פַּרְעֹה. יָצָא לִמְלֹךְ, (בראשית מא, יד): וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה, (קהלת ד, יד): כִּי גַּם בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ נוֹלַד רָשׁ, בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף נוֹלְדָה רָשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל פּוֹטִיפֶרַע. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ (קהלת ד, טו): רָאִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַחַיִּים הַמְהַלְּכִים תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, זֶה יוֹסֵף. (קהלת ד, טו): עִם הַיֶּלֶד הַשֵּׁנִי, אֵלּוּ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים שֶׁנִּתּוֹסְפוּ לוֹ, וְלָמָּה נִתּוֹסַף לוֹ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּחֲלֹם פַּרְעֹה וְיִתְגַּדֵּל עַל יְדֵי חֲלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים.

“Happy is the man who has made the Lord his trust” (Psalms 40:5) – this is Joseph. “And did not turn to the proud” (Psalms 40:5) – because he said to the chief butler: “Remember me…and mention me,” two years were added for him. “Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust” – Rabbi Yudan said: Many myriads of myriads tend after falsehood, woe unto anyone who puts his trust in them. “For a dream comes with a multitude of concerns” (Ecclesiastes 5:2) – Pharaoh said: ‘Who stands over whom – I for my god, or my god over me?’ [Joseph] said to him: ‘You, over your god.’ That is what is written: “It was at the conclusion [of two years, and Pharaoh was dreaming: and, behold, he stood at the Nile.]” “For he emerged from prison to reign” (Ecclesiastes 4:14) – this is Joseph, who emerged from Pharaoh’s prison. “Emerged…to reign” – “Pharaoh sent [and summoned Joseph, and they rushed him from the dungeon]” (Genesis 41:14). “For even in his reign, he is revealed as poor” (Ecclesiastes 4:14) – due to Joseph’s reign, the impoverishment of Potifera was revealed. Another matter, “it was at the conclusion.” “I saw all the living, who walk under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:15) – this is Joseph. “With the second child” (Ecclesiastes 4:15) – these are the two years that were added for him. Why were two years added for him? So that Pharaoh would dream and [Joseph] would be elevated by means of the dream, as it is stated: “It was at the conclusion of two years.”