(א) וַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים וּפַרְעֹ֣ה חֹלֵ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֖ה עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־הַיְאֹֽר׃ ... (ז) וַיִּיקַ֥ץ פַּרְעֹ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֲלֽוֹם׃ (ח) וַיְהִ֤י בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם רוּח֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־כׇּל־חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־כׇּל־חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לָהֶם֙ אֶת־חֲלֹמ֔וֹ וְאֵין־פּוֹתֵ֥ר אוֹתָ֖ם לְפַרְעֹֽה׃
(1) After two years’ time, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, ... (7) Then Pharaoh awoke: it was a dream! (8) Next morning, his spirit was agitated, and he sent for all the magician-priests of Egypt, and all its sages; and Pharaoh told them his dreams, but none could interpret them for Pharaoh.
(כה) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה׃ ... (כח) ה֣וּא הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֶת־פַּרְעֹֽה׃ ... (לב) וְעַ֨ל הִשָּׁנ֧וֹת הַחֲל֛וֹם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה פַּעֲמָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נָכ֤וֹן הַדָּבָר֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וּמְמַהֵ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃
(25) And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same: Pharaoh has been told what God is about to do. ... (28) It is just as I have told Pharaoh: Pharaoh has been shown what God is about to do. ... (32) As for Pharaoh having had the same dream twice, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and that God will soon carry it out.
(ו) וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקְרָא וגו' (בראשית מא, ח), רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי פּוֹתְרִין הָיוּ אוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹא הָיָה קוֹלָן נִכְנַס בְּאָזְנָיו, שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת, שֶׁבַּע בָּנוֹת אַתָּה מוֹלִיד. שֶׁבַע פָּרוֹת הָרָעוֹת, שֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת אַתָּה קוֹבֵר. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ שֶׁבַע שִׁבֳּלִים הַטּוֹבוֹת, שֶׁבַע מַלְכֻיּוֹת אַתָּה מְכַבֵּשׁ. שֶׁבַּע שִׁבֳּלִים הָרָעוֹת, שֶׁבַע אִפַּרְכִיּוֹת מוֹרְדוֹת בָּךְ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (משלי יד, ו): בִּקֶּשׁ לֵץ חָכְמָה וָאָיִן, אֵלּוּ חַכְמֵי פַרְעֹה וְחַרְטֻמֵּי מִצְרַיִם. (משלי יד, ו): וְדַעַת לְנָבוֹן נָקֵל, זֶה יוֹסֵף. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּשְׁלַח וַיִּקְרָא, לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שֶׁכָּל אֻמָּה וְאֻמָּה שֶׁהִיא עוֹמֶדֶת בָּעוֹלָם מַעֲמֶדֶת לָהּ חֲמִשָּׁה חֲכָמִים שֶׁיְשַׁמְּשׁוּ אוֹתָהּ, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא נָתַן בָּהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, חָכְמָה, וּבִינָה, וּגְבוּרָה. ... וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבוֹא יוֹסֵף בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וְיִטֹּל גְּדֻלָּה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם יָבוֹא יוֹסֵף תְּחִלָּה וְיִפְתֹּר אֶת הַחֲלוֹם אֵין זֶה שִׁבְחוֹ, יְכוֹלִין הַחַרְטֻמִּים שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, אִלּוּ שָׁאַלְתָּ אוֹתָנוּ כְּבָר פָּתַרְנוּ אוֹתוֹ לָךְ. אֶלָּא הִמְתִּין לָהֶם עַד שֶׁנִּתְיַגְעוּ וְהוֹצִיאוּ אֶת רוּחוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא יוֹסֵף וְהֶחֱזִירָהּ, עָלָיו אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (משלי כט, יא): כָּל רוּחוֹ יוֹצִיא כְסִיל, אֵלּוּ חַכְמֵי פַּרְעֹה. (משלי כט, יא): וְחָכָם בְּאָחוֹר יְשַׁבְּחֶנָּה, זֶה יוֹסֵף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מא, לט): אֵין נָכוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמוֹךָ.
(6) R. Yehoshua of Sakhnin in the name of R. Levi, "They would interpret it, but their voices would not enter his ears. 'The seven good cows are seven daughters that you will beget, and the seven bad cows are seven daughters that you will bury.' Likewise they said, 'The seven good sheaves are seven kingdoms that you will conquer, and the seven bad sheaves are seven ministers that will rebel against you'"...
Another interpretation: "And he sent and called" - to inform you that each and every nation that stands in the world is granted five wise men to serve it. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed be [God], gives it three things: wisdom , understanding and strength. ...
And why so much? So that Joseph will come at the end and attain greatness. The Holy One, blessed be [God], said, "If Joseph comes first and interprets the dream, this [will not earn] him praise. The magicians will be able to say to him, 'If you had asked us, we would have already interpreted it for you [the same way].'" Rather, [Joseph] waited for them until they tired him out and extracted his spirit. And afterwards Joseph came and brought it back [to him]. About this did Solomon say (Proverbs 29:11), "The fool extracts his entire spirit" - these are the wise men of Egypt; "but the wise man lowers it back" - this is Joseph, as it is stated (Genesis 41:39), "there is no one wise and understanding like you."
In a long chain of those transmitting this statement, it is said that Rabbi Bizna bar Zavda said that Rabbi Akiva said that Rabbi Panda said that Rav Naḥum said that Rabbi Birayim said in the name of one elder, and who is he, Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of them to interpret it. What one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and, nevertheless, all of the interpretations were realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouth of the interpreter.
The Gemara asks: Is that to say that all dreams follow the mouth is a verse cited as corroboration? The Gemara responds: Yes, and in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: From where is it derived that all dreams follow the mouth of the interpreter? As it is stated in the story of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers. The butler said to Pharaoh: “And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was” (Genesis 41:13). Rava said, one must attach a caveat to this: This is only in a case where it is interpreted for him in a manner akin to the dream, where the interpretation is relevant to the dream, as it is stated in the story of Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers: “Each man according to his dream he did interpret” (Genesis 41:12).