For an explanation of the methodology of this series, see the introduction.

"Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan with the grain that they were buying, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house." (Gen. 47:14)

Peshat (basic meaning):

Rashi: "with the grain that they were buying"
they gave him the money.

Siftei Chachamim: the term "shever" can mean buying or selling.  Rashi indicates here that it means buying, as we see from the end of the verse which indicates that Joseph was in possession of the money after the transaction.

Pharaoh did not remember the good that Joseph had done for him...

Remez (hinted meaning):

Baal HaTurim:"Into the House of Pharoah"
Tradition indicates that this expression appears only twice in TaNaCh: (1) here and (2) "A severe swarm of wild beasts came into the house of Pharaoh". (Ex. 8:20) Because Pharaoh did not remember the good that Joseph had done for him, by bringing the money into his house, the swarms of wild beasts entered into Pharaoh's home first. Also, just as money is brought into the innermost parts of the house, as alluded by the Targum - which renders Baytah/inside, so too the swarms of wild animals entered Pharaoh's most inner chambers.

Derash (interpretive meaning):

Ramban: "Joseph gathered up all the money":
This section makes known that Joseph excelled in "wisdom, understanding, and knowledge" and that he was a "faithful man" in that he brought all the money into Pharaoh's house and did not accumulate for himself treasures of money and secret hiding places for wealth in the land of Egypt or send it to the land of Canaan. Instead he gave all the money to the king who trusted him and purchased the land for him and even the bodies of the Egyptians. Through this endeavor he found grace even in the peoples' eyes, for it is G‑d Who causes those who fear Him to prosper.

Ohr HaChayim: "Joseph gathered all the money": The Torah uses the word "leket/gather" for the manner in which Joseph collected the money to tell us that after Joseph gathered, there was absolutely no money left.

Sod (esoteric, mystical meaning):

Zohar Miketz 196:
And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt. ...Rabbi Shimon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, created everything in such a manner. This He did because He wanted to fulfill His promise. Come and see: First He supplied the world with its needs, and then He put man in it and gave him sustenance.

Similarly, G‑d said to Abraham, "Know surely that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs...and afterwards shall they come out with great substance". (Gen. 15:13-14) When Joseph arrived in Egypt, there was no great substance in it. G‑d brought famine upon the world. People then brought silver and gold to Egypt until the land of Egypt was filled with silver and gold. After great substance was acquired, He brought Jacob to Egypt.
These are the G‑d's ways: He first creates the medicine and then inflicts the wound.
These are the G‑d's ways: He first creates the medicine and then inflicts the wound. First He brought great substance and then He brought them into exile. He arranged matters and brought famine upon the whole world so that people would bring silver and gold from all over the world into Egypt.

BeRahamim LeHayyim:
Joseph, the tzadik is associated with yesod, the sefira where the radiance of the celestial emanations is collected. Yesod is also called Mashbir, meaning "food collector" or "provider." Joseph Mashbir has the letters Mem-Bet-'Yashar'.--"[The Name of] 42 is straight". Also Mashbir is spelled Mem-Shin-Bet-Yud-Resh, which can be arranged to spell Shevi Ram, for the sparks of holiness are in yesod, which are Shevuim/captured, and there they are elevated and rectified.

Joseph was acting as the Mashbir by collecting first all the land of Egypt, then the food, then the money. This money represents the sparks of Holiness that needed to be taken out of Egypt, and was the real reason why Joseph was kidnapped there in the first place.


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