מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין, ולא זכר שר המשקים את יוסף (בראשית מ כג). אמר ר' ברכיה ההן ולא זכר, זכורהיה והיה נשואי אלא וישכחהו, היה אומר בחוץ אלך ואומר א פרעה עלו, מיד וישכחהו, עד שהגיע קצו לצאת הביא הקב"ה עלילות עליו כדי להוציאו, שנאמר ויהי מקץ שנתים ימים. What is written above on the matter (in Gen. 40:23): YET THE CHIEF CUPBEARER DID NOT REMEMBER JOSEPH. R. Berekhyah the Priest said: YET < THE CHIEF CUPBEARER > DID NOT REMEMBER. He had been remembered, and he was married.7Cf. Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34, which is probably correct in rendering the last clause as follows: AND HIS BURDEN LIFTED. But (ibid.) HE FORGOT HIM. He had said outside: I will go and tell Pharaoh about him. Immediately: HE FORGOT HIM. Until the proper time had arrived for him to leave, the Holy One brought false charges against him in order to slander him. Thus it is stated (in Genesis 41:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END OF TWO FULL YEARS.
[ופרעה חלם], אמר ר' חייא בר אבא חלם כלב המת חלם אלא לפי שעה על ידי הצדיק. [(Genesis 41:1, cont.:) THAT PHARAOH DREAMED.] R. Hiyya bar Abba said: < THAT PHARAOH > DREAMED. Does a dead dog dream? < In this case, he was granted prophetic dreams > merely a short while for the sake of the righteous one.
והנה עומד על היאור. הרשעים מתקיימים על אלהיהם, אבל הצדיקים בטוחים על בוראם. (Genesis 41:1, cont.:) AND HERE HE WAS STANDING OVER THE NILE….8A more idiomatic translation would be BY THE NILE, but the interpretation here requires this more literal rendering. The wicked ones establish themselves over their gods,9Like Pharaoh, who was standing over the divine Nile. but the righteous are secure over their Creator.10Cf. Gen. R. 89:4: “But, as for the righteous, their God establishes himself over them.”
והנה מן היאור וגו', ותרעינה באחו, מהו באחו, אלא כשהשנים טובות באות, הבריות נעשים אחין זה לזה, וכשהשנים הרעות באות, הבריות נעשות אחרים לחביריהן, שכן הוא אומר שבע פרות אחרות, מהו אחרות, שהיו רואות אלו לאלו והופכין פניהם מהם. (Gen. 41:2:) AND HERE WERE < SEVEN COWS COMING UP > FROM THE NILE … AND THEY GRAZED AMONG THE AHU. 11The word means “Nile grass.” What is the meaning of AHU? Simply that, when the good years come, the people become brothers (ahin) to each other. But, when bad years come, the people become aliens (aherim) to their colleagues. For this reason it says (in Gen. 41:3): < THEN HERE WERE > SEVEN ALIEN (aherot) COWS.12The usual translation would be OTHER COWS. What is the meaning of aherot? That the one group saw the other and turned away their faces from them.