Parashat Vayeishev Part 5
Bereishit 39:06 – 39:06
Joseph Fares Well In Egypt

The Torah brings us back to Joseph in Egypt to update us on how he is doing.

As mentioned before, Potiphar was a prominent Egyptian. He was a courtier to Pharaoh, and Chamberlain of the Butchers. Potiphar bought Joseph from the Ishmailites.

Joseph stayed in his master’s house, unlike most slaves who are assigned to hard labor in the fields.

Potiphar was a prominent Egyptian.   At that time Egyptians looked down upon people from Canaan. They had a special contempt for the moral code of Abraham and his descendants. Which makes it highly significant that Potiphar trusted Joseph and appointed him over the entire household.

Potiphar noticed that wherever Joseph went, prosperity followed. To Potiphar this meant that Joseph was blessed by God. Therefore, if Joseph was inside the house, the house enjoyed God’s blessings. If Joseph was outside, the fields enjoyed God’s blessings.

Potiphar left everything in Joseph’s custody and never felt uneasy about it. At the end of this part, the Torah reminds us that Joseph was very handsome in appearance. This leads to what happens next.