אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר רבי שמעון חסידא ואמרי לה אמר רבי יוחנן משום ר' שמעון בן יוחי נוח לו לאדם שיפיל עצמו לתוך כבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חבירו ברבים מנלן מתמר (בראשית לח, כה) הכר נא א"ר חמא ברבי חנינא בהכר בישר לאביו בהכר בישרוהו (...) הכר נא למי נא אין נא אלא לשון בקשה אמרה ליה בבקשה ממך הכר פני בוראך ואל תעלים עיניך ממני (בראשית לח, כו) ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני
Said Rabbi Hanah Bar Bizna, said Rabbi Shimon Hasida and there are those who said it was Rabbi Yochanan in name of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai: Better for a person to throw himself inside a fiery furnace that to embarrass his friend in public. From where do you learn this: From Tamar. "Recognize". Said Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Hanina: With a "recognize" he (Judah) announced to his father (that Joseph was gone), with "recognize" was announced to him (...) "Recognize please whose...". The word "please" is a word of request. She said to him: Please recognize the face of your Creator and do not ignore me. And Judah recognized and said: "She is more righteous than I".
(ו) וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֮ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵף֒ וְלֹא־יָדַ֤ע אִתּוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אוֹכֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃ (ז) וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַתִּשָּׂ֧א אֵֽשֶׁת־אֲדֹנָ֛יו אֶת־עֵינֶ֖יהָ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַתֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁכְבָ֥ה עִמִּֽי׃ (ח) וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת אֲדֹנָ֔יו הֵ֣ן אֲדֹנִ֔י לֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִתִּ֖י מַה־בַּבָּ֑יִת וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדִֽי׃ (ט) אֵינֶ֨נּוּ גָד֜וֹל בַּבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּה֮ מִמֶּנִּי֒ וְלֹֽא־חָשַׂ֤ךְ מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־אוֹתָ֖ךְ בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתְּ־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨יךְ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֜ה הָרָעָ֤ה הַגְּדֹלָה֙ הַזֹּ֔את וְחָטָ֖אתִי לֵֽאלֹקִֽים׃
(6) And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon. (7) And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: ‘Lie with me.’ (8) But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife: ‘Behold, my master, having me, knoweth not what is in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand; (9) he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’
כיון שראה יוסף את עצמו בכך התחיל אוכל ושותה מסלסל בשערו ואומר ברוך המקום שהשכיחני בית אבי, א"ל הקב"ה אביך מתאבל עליך בשק ואפר ואתה אוכל ושותה ומסלסל בשערך... לכך כתיב ותשא אשת אדוניו
As soon as Joseph found himself [in the position of] ruler] he began eating and drinking and curling his hair, and saying "Thank God that I have forgotten my father's house!" Said the Holy One, blessed be He: “Your father is mourning for you in sack and ashes and you eat and drink and you curl your hair!... Therefor it's written "his master's wife cast her eyes."
ותתפשהו בבגדו לאמר וגו' באותה שעה באתה דיוקנו של אביו ונראתה לו בחלון אמר לו יוסף עתידין אחיך שיכתבו על אבני אפוד ואתה ביניהם רצונך שימחה שמך מביניהם ותקרא רועה זונות דכתיב (משלי כט, ג) ורועה זונות יאבד הון מיד (בראשית מט, כד) ותשב באיתן קשתו א"ר יוחנן משום ר' מאיר ששבה קשתו לאיתנו
And she caught him by his garment, saying etc. At that moment his father's image came and appeared to him through the window and said: 'Joseph, thy brothers will have their names inscribed upon the stones of the ephod and thine amongst theirs; is it thy wish to have thy name expunged from amongst theirs and be called an associate of harlots?' (As it is written: He that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance.) Immediately his bow abode in strength — R. Johanan said in the name of R. Meir: [This means] that his passion subsided.
Nechama Leibowtiz
As such, we can understand that ultimately from these two episodes emerged the two redeemers of Israel –Mashiach ben Yosef, and Mashiach ben David. There is a tradition among Jewish thinkers that there will be two stages to the messianic redemption involving the advent of two messianic figures – Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Mashiach ben Yosef is described as a warrior who will effect the national reunification of the Jewish people prior to the arrival of Mashiach ben David.
Shlomo Carlebach
Some great rabbis say that the greatest thing Yosef the Tzadik did was that he withstood the test of Potiphar’s wife. He didn’t give in to that temptation. Who am I to say this; maybe I am wrong, but my theory is that the greatest thing Yosef the Tzadik ever did was to forgive his brothers.