MY GOBLET. Gavi’a (goblet) means a cup.

AND WHEREBY HE INDEED DIVINETH. He used this cup to test you to see if you are thieves.¹ Nachesh (divineth) in our verse is similar to nichashti (I have observed the signs) (Gen. 30:27).² to mean divines. Weiser explains I.E.’s comment on our verse as meaning tested by divination. However, this is not what I.E. seems to be saying. I.E. was apparently inconsistent. This is also the explanation of know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine (v. 15).³ Its meaning is, why were you not afraid to steal my goblet? I placed the goblet before you to test you. I looked aside and you stole it.⁴ in ve-hu nachesh yenachesh bo (and whereby he indeed divineth) means whereby, the meaning of the aforementioned being, and whereby he indeed tests. However, Rabbi Jonah says that bo (whereby) means for it. He interprets nachesh yenachesh bo as: he would indeed inquire of diviners for it. Similarly the meaning of I will indeed divine (v. 15) is: a man in my position has diviners. Some say that the cup had designs on it and that Joseph looked at the cup in the presence of his brothers and announced which of them was the oldest and which one was born next.⁵ 92:5. The point being and whereby he divineth and I will indeed divine are to be taken literally. Joseph, of course, did not practice magic. However, his servants and his brothers had no way of knowing this. Also according to this interpretation bo means whereby.

footnotes: ¹ According to I.E. divineth means tested. ² However, in Gen. 30:27 I.E. explains nichashti ³ That is, a man such as I will test you. ⁴ According to this interpretation bo ⁵ Cf. Bereshit Rabbah

[CLEAR OURSELVES.] There is a tet in place of the tav of the hitpa’el conjugation in the word nitztaddak (clear ourselves) because the first root letter is a tzadi.

GOD HAS FOUND OUT THE INIQUITY OF THY SERVANTS. They spoke by way of parable.⁶ is God, as it were, found (Krinsky). We committed a sin and it was, as it were, lost and long forgotten, but found today.

footnotes: ⁶ Found implies that God was unaware of the sin till the present, and he now found it. However, nothing is hidden from the Lord. Hence God found

Or the iniquity of thy servants means the punishment of thy servants, as in My iniquity is greater than I can bear (Gen. 4:13).⁷) at times has the meaning of punishment.

footnotes: ⁷ See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 4:13. I.E. points out that iniquity (avon

FOR THOU ART EVEN AS PHARAOH. Ki kha-mokha ke-faro means: thou art as the king⁸ and the king is as you. This is true in all instances where two cafs are prefixed to two words following each other.⁹. Compare, ke-ammi khe-ammekha (my people as thy people) (II Kings 3:7).¹⁰ (my people as thy people) which means my people as thy people and thy people as my people. The use of two cafs in this manner is an abridged form.¹¹ is short for thou art as Pharaoh and Pharaoh is as you.

footnotes: ⁸ Pharaoh. ⁹ As in our verse, ki-kha-mokha ke-faro ¹⁰ Here, too, we have two cafs, ke-ammi khe-ammekha ¹¹ Thus ki kha-mokha ke-faro

WE HAVE A FATHER, AN OLD MAN. They indicated that their father was an old man because he could have been a relatively young man in view of the fact that the oldest among them was only 45 years old.¹²

footnotes: ¹² Joseph was at this time 39 years old (see I.E.’s comments on Gen. 37:3 and the notes thereto), and he was six years younger than Reuben since he was born in the 14th year of Jacob’s stay in Laban’s house while Reuben was born in the eighth year of that same stay. Reuben was thus 45 at this time.

THAT I MAY SET MINE EYES UPON HIM. That I may see him.¹³ may be interpreted to mean, that I will take care of him, as in Jer. 24:6 and 39:12, hence I.E.’s comment. See also Nahmanides.

footnotes: ¹³ That I may set my eyes upon him

FOR IF HE SHOULD LEAVE HIS FATHER, HIS FATHER WOULD DIE. Why didn’t the one who lists the five undecided verses¹⁴ 92a,b) lists five verses wherein it is impossible to determine concerning what or of whom the verse speaks. Our verse and Ruth 4:8 are not included. I.E. asks, why not. It should be noted that according to Nahmanides’ reading, I.E. explains that the “he” in he would die refers to Jacob. In that case I.E. only questions why Ruth 4:8 is not included in Isi ben Judah’s list. not include our verse and And he drew off his shoe (Ruth 4:8) among them.¹⁵ refers to Boaz or the near kinsman.

footnotes: ¹⁴ Our text literally reads: For if he should leave his father, “he” would die. The “he” is vague. The Talmudic sage Isi ben Judah (Yoma ¹⁵ It isn’t clear whether the “he” in And he drew off his shoe

SURELY HE IS TORN IN PIECES. Proof of which is, And I have not seen him since.