Another interpretation (of Gen. 39:1): WHEN JOSEPH WAS TAKEN DOWN TO EGYPT. This text is related (to Eccl. 10:7): I HAVE SEEN SLAVES ON HORSEBACK. This refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the one who destroyed the temple. When he did not enter it because he was afraid, what did Michael do? He came down, seized his horse, and brought him into the Holy of Holies. So the Holy Spirit says (ibid.): I HAVE SEEN SLAVES ON HORSEBACK, and this refers to Nebuchadnezzar. (Ibid., cont.:) AND PRINCES WALKING LIKE SLAVES UPON THE GROUND. This refers to Michael, as stated (in Dan. 10:21): AND NO ONE IS MAKING EFFORTS ALONG WITH ME AGAINST THESE (the princes of Persia and Greece) EXCEPT YOUR PRINCE, MICHAEL.

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 10:7): I HAVE SEEN SLAVES ON HORSEBACK. The text speaks about Midianites (in Gen. 37:36): THE MIDIANITES SOLD HIM INTO EGYPT. R. Abbin bar Hama the Levite said: The children of a female slave were selling, and the children of a male slave were buying.⁴⁵, Exod., 168 (citing Divre haYamim, edited by A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch [Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853—1877], vol. II, pp. 1 — 11), all Ham’s children were slaves (see Gen. 9:22-25). Between the former and the latter Joseph was sold.

footnotes: ⁴⁵ Eccl. R. 10:7:1. Although the Buber text has the singular “child” in both parts of this sentence, the plural verbs require a collective sense. “The child of the female slave” refers to the descendants of Ishmael, whose mother was Abraham’s female slave, Hagar (Gen. 16:1, 15). “The child of the male slave” denotes the descendants of Egypt (Mizraim), whose father was Ham (Gen. 10:6). According to Yalqut Shim‘oni

(Gen. 39:1:) WHEN JOSEPH WAS TAKEN DOWN TO EGYPT. The tribe was brought down to Egypt. To what is the matter compared? To a cow.⁴⁶., Gen. 9:4; Gen. R. 86:2; M. Pss. 105:5. When they wanted to bring her to the makellon⁴⁷ {i.e., the slaughterhouse}, she did not want to go in. What did they do? They took her offspring {to the slaughterhouse} and brought it to the makellon. When her offspring began to low, its mother unwillingly entered after it. So it was with our father Jacob and his children. They were the cow, as stated (in Hos. 4:16): FOR ISRAEL HAS BALKED LIKE A BALKY COW. Now Joseph went down to Egypt first in order to fulfill a decree which had been decreed about the patriarch, as stated (in Gen. 15:13): WHERE THEY SHALL SERVE THEM AND BE OPPRESSED BY THEM. When Jacob was afraid to go down, what did the Holy One do? He brought Joseph down to Egypt, and drew his father unwillingly. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 39:1): WHEN JOSEPH WAS TAKEN DOWN TO EGYPT.

footnotes: ⁴⁶ Tanh ⁴⁷ The word is Greek.