Ramban on Genesis 41:33

יֵרֶא פַרְעֹה אִישׁ נָבוֹן וְחָכָם אָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לְאִישׁ נָבוֹן וְחָכָם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְמֻנֶּה עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ, וְיַפְקֵד עוֹד פְּקִידִים תַּחְתָּיו שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ בָּאָרֶץ וְיִקְבְּצוּ אֶת כָּל אֹכֶל, כִּי לֹא יוּכַל הַשַּׁלִּיט לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ. וְאָמַר לוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נָבוֹן וְחָכָם, נָבוֹן שֶׁיֵּדַע לְנַהֵל עִם אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּלֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף מִיָּדוֹ וְלָתֵת לָהֶם כְּדֵי חַיּוּתָם, וְיִמְכֹּר הַמּוֹתָר לָאֲרָצוֹת הָאֲחֵרוֹת לֶאֱסֹף עֹשֶׁר וּמָמוֹן לְפַרְעֹה; וְחָכָם שֶׁיֵּדַע לְקַיֵּם הַתְּבוּאָה שֶׁלֹּא תֵּרָקֵב, שֶׁיְּעָרֵב עִם כָּל מִין דָּבָר הַמְּקַיֵּם אוֹתוֹ בְּטִבְעוֹ, כְּגוֹן חוּמְטִין שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (שבת לא), וְהַכֶּסֶף הַחַי הַמֵּמִית הַכְּנִימָה, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. וְאָמְרוּ בִּבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה צ':ה'), עֵרַב בָּהֶן עָפָר וְקִיסוֹמִיּוֹת, דְּבָרִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה. וְאָמַר יוֹסֵף כָּל זֶה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּבְחֲרוּ אוֹתוֹ, כִּי הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ: NOW THEREFORE LET PHARAOH FIND A MAN UNDERSTANDING AND WISE. Joseph told Pharaoh that he will need an understanding and wise man who will be appointed to administer the entire land, and he in turn will appoint overseers under him who will go through the land and gather all the food since the ruler cannot travel throughout the entire land. He told him that the man must be understanding and wise. Understanding, in order to know how to support the people of Egypt from his hand with bread, in accordance with their family requirements, to supply them with their sustenance, and sell the balance to other countries in order to accumulate wealth and money for Pharaoh. Wise, in order to know how to preserve the produce so that it should not rot, by mixing with each kind some natural preservative such as the salty substances used for the preservation of wheat, which our Rabbis have mentioned,⁵⁸Shabbath 31a. and some raw silver dust, which prevents the grain from getting mothy,⁵⁹Machshirin VI, 1. Rashi, Shabbath 88b. and similar things. Thus the Sages said in Bereshith Rabbah:⁶⁰90:50. “He mixed the grain with earth and sawdust, things which preserve the grain.” Joseph mentioned all this so that they should choose him for this task, for the wise man’s eyes are in his head.⁶¹Ecclesiastes 2:14.