God’s Providence: Joseph’s Fall and Rise


Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim







Torah is exact; God’s providence is perfect. Simplistic explanations that do not address each verse—each word at times—ignores vital details that reveal God’s ingenuity and His intentionally orchestrated plan. 




And Joseph was taken down to Egypt, Potiphar, an officer to Pharaoh, his chief butcher, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. (Gen. 39:1) 


Joseph was brought to Egypt, not elsewhere. This was God’s plan, and why He tells us this in this opening verse. God ultimately desired the Jews to descend to Egypt where he would develop them into a people with a cohesive identity, and not left to assimilate while a free people (Rabbi Bernie Fox). Today’s 50%+ intermarriage validates this.

While in bondage, the Jew rejects his oppressor and does not assimilate. Of course, bondage was a just punishment for the Jews’ adoption of idolatry after the 12 Tribes—Jacob’s sons—passed away. 

God wanted Joseph in Potiphar’s house to ultimately arouse his wife's sexual interest, to incarcerate Joseph into a specific prison, and rise to viceroy status. Potiphar was close to Pharaoh. Thus, he was a prime candidate to purchase Joseph, essential for selecting which prison into which Joseph was imprisoned. Other masters would imprison Joseph in other prisons, wherein Joseph wold never come in contact with Pharaoh’s stewards. 




The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he stayed in the house of his Egyptian master. (Gen. 39:2) 


God made Joseph successful; He helped him recover from his depression generated by his brother’s demeaning sale. He gave Joseph back a good self-image, a “successful man.” Why? To evoke Joseph’s egoistical tendencies in order that Joseph finally overcome them, and also to evoke Potiphar’s wife’s sexual advances. 




And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord lent success to everything he undertook in his hands. He took a liking to Joseph. He made him his personal attendant and put him in charge of his household, placing in his hands all that he owned. And from the time that the put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake, and it was the blessing of the Lord was upon everything that he owned, in the house and in the field. He left all that he had in Joseph’s hands and, with him there, he paid attention to nothing save the bread that he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome. (Gen. 39:3-6) 


Joseph’s success drove Potiphar’s greed, positioning Joseph to drive even greater wealth. But this was intended to arouse Potiphar’s wife. God blessed Potiphar to ensure his wife noticed Joseph’s amazing talents. Only after Joseph was successful, did his good looks play a role. Therefore, only now does Torah mention his handsome appearance. 




And it was after these matters, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” (Gen. 39:7) 


Only after Joseph's success, did Potiphar's wife take notice of him. Meaning, God made him successful to #1, bring out his still-unresolved ego (he ate, drank, combed his hair; Rashi) and #2, get Potiphar’s wife to notice him, as he was no longer a slave, but head of household. God orchestrated this to deliver Jospeh into prison via Potiphar's wife's accusation. And not just any prison, but the one in specific in which Pharaoh's stewards were to be incarcerated, as the verse states specifically, “So Joseph’s master had him put in prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined” (Gen. 39:20). Thus, God ensured Joseph's success to correct his egoistical tendencies (prison humbles man), and to incarcerate him into the specific prison to meet Pharaoh’s stewards and ultimately become viceroy through his dream analyses. This explains why God orchestrated Potiphar to purchase Yosef at the slave auction. 


Only as viceroy, could Joseph perfect his brothers and father through the framing of Benjamin as “stealing the goblet.” Joseph understood his dreams of the wheat and stars’ subservience as his divine license to force them to repent. (The dreams were connected: when they bow to him for wheat, he is then directed to make their “stars” bow to him—stars refers to metaphysical matters, such as perfection. That is, he used the famine to recreate an identical scenario of his own sale. He framed Benjamin as a thief to offer the brothers a chance to repent for Joseph’s sale, by standing up for Benjamin. Demanding Benjamin come to Egypt also forced Jacob to part with his displaced love for Rachel, expressed in withholding Benjamin. That love was initially displaced onto Joseph, and then onto Benjamin. Jacob’s excessive attachment required correction. Rabbi Israel Chait). Without such divine license, we have no such rights to force others to repent.


As viceroy, Joseph could orchestrate the Jews’ descent to Egypt, the precursor to enslavement, and ultimately their freedom as a people following the God of Abraham. 


Finally, perhaps God's excessive providence was warranted here more than in other cases, as He was orchestrating the formation of the Jewish people. Alternatively, as there were many parties involved, God had to adjust the unfolding of events on many fronts. Thus, much providence was required.