פרשת מקץ תשי"ז - חלום פרעה

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: ‘The dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto Pharaoh.

The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

And the seven lean and ill-favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine.

That is the thing which I spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto Pharaoh.

Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.

And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which followeth; for it shall be very grievous.

And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

And the seven lean and ill-favoured kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine.

שבע שנים ושבע שנים SEVEN YEARS AND SEVEN YEARS —all together they are only seven years (not fourteen); and the reason why the dream was repeated is because the thing is ready to happen as he expressly stated to him afterwards (v. 32) “And for that the dream was doubled etc.” With reference to the seven good years it says (v. 25) “[What He is about to do] God hath declared unto Pharaoh”, because it (that period) was close at hand; whilst in the case of the seven years of famine it states (v. 28) “He hath shown unto Pharaoh” — because this thing was distant and far off (as regards time) the proper word to use in reference to it is “showing”.

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

ונשכח כל השבע AND ALL THE PLENTY SHALL BE FORGOTTEN — this is the interpretation of the act of swallowing.

ולא יודע השבע AND THE PLENTY SHALL NOT BE KNOWN — this is the interpretation of (v. 21) “And it could not be noticed that they had eaten them up”.