Eshet Potifar and Yosef

Yosef's Success In Potifar's House

The story of Yosef and the wife of Potifar begins in Perek Lamed Tet, when we learn that Yosef was sold to Potifar.

(א) וְיוֹסֵ֖ף הוּרַ֣ד מִצְרָ֑יְמָה וַיִּקְנֵ֡הוּ פּוֹטִיפַר֩ סְרִ֨יס פַּרְעֹ֜ה שַׂ֤ר הַטַּבָּחִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מִיַּד֙ הַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹרִדֻ֖הוּ שָֽׁמָּה׃ (ב) וַיְהִ֤י ה' אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְהִ֖י אִ֣ישׁ מַצְלִ֑יחַ וַיְהִ֕י בְּבֵ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו הַמִּצְרִֽי׃ (ג) וַיַּ֣רְא אֲדֹנָ֔יו כִּ֥י ה' אִתּ֑וֹ וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא עֹשֶׂ֔ה ה' מַצְלִ֥יחַ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ד) וַיִּמְצָ֨א יוֹסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּפְקִדֵ֙הוּ֙ עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ וְכָל־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ה) וַיְהִ֡י מֵאָז֩ הִפְקִ֨יד אֹת֜וֹ בְּבֵית֗וֹ וְעַל֙ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ ה' אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֞י בִּרְכַּ֤ת ה' בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ בַּבַּ֖יִת וּבַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

Genesis 39:1-5

(1) And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither. (2) And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. (3) And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. (4) And Joseph found favour in his sight, and he ministered unto him. And he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. (5) And it came to pass from the time that he appointed him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.

The Pshat teaches us that Hashem was with Yosef and that He blessed the house of Potifar. Yosef was appointed as head of Potifar's house, and was given everything he needed.

בראשית ל״ט:ו׳

(ו) וַיַּעֲזֹ֣ב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֮ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵף֒ וְלֹא־יָדַ֤ע אִתּוֹ֙ מְא֔וּמָה כִּ֥י אִם־הַלֶּ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁר־ה֣וּא אוֹכֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף יְפֵה־תֹ֖אַר וִיפֵ֥ה מַרְאֶֽה׃

Genesis 39:6

(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.

This Pasuk continues talking about how Potifar trusted Yosef with everything, but it adds in "except for the bread that he ate." What does this mean? How does it connect to the end of the Pasuk, which explains that Yosef was "יפה תאר"?

רש"י על בראשית ל״ט:ו׳:א׳-ב׳

(א) ולא ידע אתו מאומה. לא היה נותן לבו לכלום: (ב) כי אם הלחם. היא אשתו, אלא שדבר בלשון נקיה:

Rashi on Genesis 39:6:1-2

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Rashi explains that Potifar didn't pay attention to anything Yosef did, except for when it came to אשת פוטיפר. It makes sense that Rashi would conclude that "כי אם הלחם" is talking about אשת פוטיפר, because it would make sense then why the Pasuk calls Yosef "יפה תאר" immediately after. The explanation that "כי אם הלחם" is talking about אשת פוטיפר also gives a valid reason for why the Torah would bring those words in.
Although Rashi explains the פסוק this way, many other commentaries dis-agree with this explanation. אבן עזרא, רד"ק, חזקוני, רמב"ן, and רשב"ם all explain that "כי אם הלחם" does mean לחם. They all note that Jews and Egyptians avoided eating meals together, and Potifar knew that Yosef was a Jew, so the only thing he concerned himself with when it came to Yosef was avoiding him when he ate.

רש"י על בראשית ל״ט:ו׳

(ג) ויהי יוסף יפה תאר. כיון שראה עצמו מושל, התחיל אוכל ושותה ומסלסל בשערו, אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא אביך מתאבל ואתה מסלסל בשערך, אני מגרה בך את הדב, מיד

Rashi on Genesis 39:6

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Rashi continues his commentary on our Pasuk and explains that the moment Yosef began acting like a ruler by eating and drinking like one, Hashem told him that He would send a "bear" on him, and therefore אשת פוטיפר started looking at him.

The Initial Request

בראשית ל״ט:ז׳-י׳

(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 לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃ (י) וַיְהִ֕י כְּדַבְּרָ֥הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף י֣וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֥ע אֵלֶ֛יהָ לִשְׁכַּ֥ב אֶצְלָ֖הּ לִהְי֥וֹת עִמָּֽהּ׃

Genesis 39:7-10

(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?’ (10) And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

אשת פוטיפר asked Yosef to sleep with her, but he refused, explaining that he would not betray Potifar or Hashem by sleeping with her. She persisted, asking him to lie with her day-in and day-out (Rashi explains that she even wanted to simply lie with him, without intercourse, and that she wanted to do עבודה זרע with him.)

The Seduction

בראשית ל״ט:י״א-י״ג

(יא) וַיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃ (יב) וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂ֧הוּ בְּבִגְד֛וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר שִׁכְבָ֣ה עִמִּ֑י וַיַּעֲזֹ֤ב בִּגְדוֹ֙ בְּיָדָ֔הּ וַיָּ֖נָס וַיֵּצֵ֥א הַחֽוּצָה׃ (יג) וַיְהִי֙ כִּרְאוֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־עָזַ֥ב בִּגְד֖וֹ בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַיָּ֖נָס הַחֽוּצָה׃

Genesis 39:11-13

(11) And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there within, (12) that she caught him by his garment, saying: ‘Lie with me.’ And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. (13) And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

The Pasuk explains that one day, Yosef went to Potifar's house to do work, and no one was in the house. So אשת פוטיפר grabbed Yosef's clothes and asked him again to sleep with her, and he left his clothes and ran away from her, and went outside, and when she saw that he ran away, she also ran away.

The first question we can ask about these three P'sukim is the following. In Potifar's house, there were many slaves and servants, so how could it have been that Yosef and אשת פוטיפר were the only two people in the house?

רש"י על בראשית ל״ט:י״א:א׳

(א) ויהי כהיום הזה. כלומר ויהי כאשר הגיע יום מיוחד, יום צחוק, יום איד שלהם שהלכו כלם לבית עבודה זרה, אמרה אין לי יום הגון להזקק ליוסף כהיום הזה אמרה להם חולה אני ואיני יכולה לילך:

Rashi on Genesis 39:11:1

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Rashi explains here that it was a holiday in Egypt, and everyone went out into the streets to celebrate. But אשת פוטיפר realized that because everyone was out of the house, it would be a perfect day for her to seduce Yosef. So she stayed home and pretended to be sick so that everyone would leave without her.

Now that our first question has been resolved, we can look at the words "ואין איש מאנשי הבית שם בבית." The שפתי חכמים points out that it is very interesting that the פסוק specifies that no one from the people that worked in the house were home. The Gemara in Sotah picks up on this, and therefore brings in a very interesting idea.

סוטה ל״ו ב:י״ב-י״ד

תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל:

אותו היום יום חגם היה והלכו כולן לבית עבודת כוכבים שלהם, והיא אמרה להן חולה היא אמרה אין לי יום שניזקק לי יוסף כיום הזה (בראשית לט, יב). "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.

Sotah 36b:12-14

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Rabbi Yishmael explains that אשת פוטיפר faked sick and then tried to seduce Yosef. While she was seducing him, יעקב appeared to יוסף and told him that if he sinned with this זונה, then his name would not be on the אבני אפוד with his brothers. Immediately, Yosef removed himself from the situation.
This Gemara shows how harmful אשת פוטיפר could have been to Yosef.