A new king arose over Mitzrayim, who “did not know Yosef.” What’s the intention and significance of the Torah telling us that this Pharaoh did not know Yosef?
The Kli Yakar explains that this Pharaoh did not know what occurred to Yosef. Meaning to say, says the Kli Yakar, that Pharaoh wasn’t aware of Yosef’s life story—of how his brothers with all their might attempted to get rid of Yosef and thwart the predictions of his dreams (which depicted his leadership over his brothers and their subservience to him), and that despite their harassment and conspiracy they did not succeed, since it was Hashem’s Will for Yosef to achieve greatness, and “the Word of our God shall stand forever” (Yeshaya, 40:8). Pharaoh thus went down this similar mistaken road: He began institutionalizing slavery of Jews for he was concerned they would overpower him, as he exclaimed, “Lest it increase” (1:10). However, this was against the will of Hashem Who said, “Indeed it will increase” (see v. 12 and Shemot Rabbah 1:11). [Like Rashi (1:12) comments, that the more the Egyptians would set their hearts to afflict Am Yisrael, the more Hashem would set His heart—so-to-speak—to increase Am Yisrael].
We can perhaps learn from the Kli Yakar that when Hashem wants something for a person—much like by Yosef, or when Hashem wants something for a nation—much like by Am Yisrael in Mitzrayim, while people might try their hardest to thwart such plans, however, Hashem’s will will ultimately prevail.
Pharaoh decreeing the death of the infants was another attempt to stifle Am Yisrael’s redemption: The midrash says that Pharoah decreed that the male infants be thrown in the water because his astrologers informed him that the savior of Am Yisrael would be stricken by water (Shemot Rabbah 1:18). What ended up happening was that Moshe was placed onto the water, only to then be saved by Bityah—Pharaoh’s very own daughter—to be raised in the lap of luxury. Pharaoh went to such “thought out” and drastic attempts, but yet, since Hashem wanted otherwise, he failed, so much so that the man who would ultimately redeem the Jews—the very savior he so feared of arising—was rescued by his own daughter and grew up in his home, right under his nose (see Birkat Peretz, Shemot 1:22, and Oznayim Latorah, Shemot 2:10). Like the Ramban (Bamidbar 3:14) points out, that a few pesukim after the decree of throwing the infants into the water (v. 16), it states (v. 20), “And the people [Am Yisrael] increased and became very strong,” which—in effect—was Hashem’s way of saying “We shall see ‘whose word will prevail, Mine or theirs’” (stylistic citation based on Yeshaya 44:28).
The pasuk (Mishlei 21:30) states, “There is neither wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Hashem,” perhaps teaching us that all the wisdom one puts to attempt to harm another will not prevail if it’s “against Hashem”—meaning, if it’s contrary to what Hashem ultimately wishes. Perhaps this can also be an understanding to, “Many designs [i.e., plans] are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of Hashem, only it will prevail” (Mishlei, 19:21).
There is perhaps another idea that may be deduced from the Kli Yakar’s insight, and that is that while it may seem that darkness and difficulty are separate from light and salvation, however, not only can it be that darkness leads to light, but even more than that—that those difficult circumstances may be the very cause for the eventual light, salvation and redemption. Yosef was a young boy, where all of a sudden, one day, his life turned upside down. Torn away from his father, his brothers sold him as a slave, and he ended up in a dungeon for 12 years. Like Rav Yerucham Levovitz (Da’at Torah, Shelach, Maamarim, “Hanhaga Bachoshech”) comments on the circumstances Yosef found himself in: “Is there a darkness greater than this?”
Indeed, that period of life for Yosef was deeply dark. Seemingly, perhaps, it all started from that fateful day of him being sold away. Yet, from that very incident he ultimately landed in Egypt and became viceroy, thus being in power to sustain his family during the intense famine years later. His selling can thus perhaps be looked at as the very cause for the ultimate salvation (see Yechi Reuven, Shemot 2:6-10). Similarly, Bnei Yisrael were tormented, in such painful ways. Yet, these stressful and difficult conditions caused a great amount of goodness to emerge, like we could glean from Rashi’s aforementioned comment. Likewise, the terrible decree of infants being thrown in the water was perhaps the cause for Moshe to be perceived by Bitya who saved and raised Am Yisrael’s future savior.
Indeed, Rabbeinu Yona (Shaarei Teshuva, 2:5) comments that “One who trusts in Hashem should be hopeful—[even] from the midst of the darkness of his distress—that the [present] darkness will be the cause of the [eventual] light, as it states (Micha 7:8), ‘For though I fell, I will rise! Though I sit in the darkness, Hashem is a light unto me!’ And our Sages (Midrash Tehillim 5) explain that this expresses the following idea: ‘Had I not fallen, I never would have risen! And had I not sat in darkness, I never would have experienced light’”! On this, Rav Yitzchak Hutner (seen in Ohel Moshe, Vayigash 45:5) commented that one who believes that “It will be good” is lacking in his level of trust in Hashem, for we learn from Rabbeinu Yona that bitachon in Hashem includes believing that the darkness and distress one is experiencing will be the very cause for a great good to emerge.
Similarly perhaps, Rav Chaim Friedlander (Siftei Chaim, Vayechi), based on the words of the Ramchal (Da’at Tevunot, 166), seems to explains the pasuk (Tehillim 90:15), “Gladden us according to the days you afflicted us,” to be teaching us that those experiences of afflictions and distress will produce and bring forth days of joy; and thus commensurate to the amount of afflictions that we went through, will we experience joy, since those days of pain are the very source for our joyful days.
As a reaction to Yosef being torn away from him, Yaakov complained, blaming his sons for the situation he found himself in: “Why did you treat me badly?” The midrash (Bereishit Rabbah, 91:10) says that to this comment Hashem responded, “I am working to coronate his son in Egypt, and he says ‘why did you treat me badly?’” Rav Elya Svei, zt”l says that we learn from this midrash that at the very moment Yaakov was experiencing distress and complained, Hashem was busy preparing the redemption through Yosef becoming ruler; thus teaching us that all the difficulties of life are the cause for the eventual redemption of Am Yisrael (Ruach Eliyahu, Vayigash, Maamer 42). As Rav Yerucham Levovitz puts it: distress and pain is the salvation. Much like for a fruit to grow requires a seed being planted and only through that does the fruit emerge, so too difficulty and distress is like the seed being planted through which the salvation will emerge. This is the case with all distress, as was the case regarding the difficulties experienced in Mitzrayim. Likewise, the agony of Yosef being torn from Yaakov sprouted the salvation—it was the cause for him becoming ruler. Indeed, from the distress itself, salvation is born (Da’at Chochma Umussar, 4:4).
There is perhaps a third idea we can glean from the Kli Yakar’s comment and that is that one’s evil plans to harm others could backfire and be the very device for one’s own downfall. We can suggest that the brothers’ act of selling Yosef so they wouldn’t become subservient to him, ultimately was the cause for them to—in fact—become subservient to him. Pharaoh’s decree to afflict the Jews with harsh slavery in an attempt to halt their growth was the very vehicle that caused the opposite effect he hoped for. His decree to throw the infants in the water also turned against him as it preserved Moshe. In short, the brothers’ plans were seemingly thwarted through their own very actions, and this may have occurred to Pharaoh as well. We may also see this by Haman who was hung on the very gallows he planned to use to kill Mordechai. “Many designs are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of Hashem, only it will prevail,” and the Shem M’Shmuel (Purim) quotes Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa who explained that we learn from this pasuk that Hashem’s plans and the fulfillment of them emerge from man’s very designs and plans; man’s plans cause and are used to fulfill Hashem’s master plan.
Hence, we can suggest that not only did Pharaoh not “know Yosef” in the sense that he didn’t realize that no persons’ evil plans and actions against another can prevail over Hashem’s ultimate wishes and plans; but also, perhaps, that he didn’t realize the extent of it—that any evil he tries to attempt could backfire, and be the very cause of his downfall and his opponents salvation.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and of Wurzweiler School of Social Work
