But remember me when it will be good for you, and please show kindness to me and mention me to Pharoah and take me out of this house. (Bereshit 40:14)

Yet, Yosef's request is realized only two years later:

ולא זכר שר המשקים את יוסף וישכחהו. ויהי מקץ שנתיים שנה ופרעה חולם…(בראשית מ:כג, מא:א)

And the butler did not remember Yosef, but forgot him. And it came to pass at the end of two years that Pharoah dreamed …(Bereshit 40:23,41:1)

The commentators are divided as to whether there is a causal relationship between Yosef's request to the butler and the two year extension of his confinement. Rashi understands from the juxtaposition of the two events in the narrative that Yosef was punished for placing his trust in the efforts of the butler. For that reason, he remained in prison an additional two years:

ולא זכר את יוסף - בו ביום. וישכחהו - לאחר מכאן. מפני שתלה בו יוסף לזכרו הוזקק להיות אסור שתי שנים שנאמר אשרי הגבר אשר שם ה' מבטחו ולא פנה אל רהבים (תהילים מ:ה) – ולא בטח על מצרים הקרויים רהב.

And he did not remember Yosef - On that day. And he forgot him -After that. Because Yosef depended on his memory, he had to be in prison an additional two years, as it says: “Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust and looks not to the proud” (Tehillim 40:5) – and does not trust in the Egyptians who are called “proud”.

Yet, Rashi's interpretation is difficult to understand. Does Rashi imply that it is forbidden to trust in human effort? If so, how are we to explain that some of the righteous leaders of the nation did not rely on miracles, but extended the maximum human effort? Yitzchak Arama in his introduction to Parashat Vayishlach sharpens the question, suggesting that it is imperative to engage in human effort, and a transgression not to do so:

העדר החריצות וחסרון החריצות במקום הצורך הוא עוון…אבל יעשה עד מקום שידו מגעת ולא יקווה … וכל אדם חייב לראות עצמו כמו שהשתדלותו תועיל לו…. ומי לנו גדול ואהוב לא-לוהיו כדוד אדונינו אשר היה מובטח מנביא נאמן … ואם זה לא סר מלהשתדל בכל מאמצי כוחו להינצל מכף כל אויביו ומכף שאול … כי ידע כי ישועת ה' וההבטחותיו לא יחולו כי אם על המשלים את חוקו בפעולותיו האנושית.

An absence or lack of diligence at a time of need is a transgression …Rather he should act to the limits of his capability and not rely on hope … and every person should see his own efforts as productive…. Who was greater and more beloved to God than David our master who was secured by a trusted prophet, … and nevertheless did not refrain from extending an effort with all of his capability to be saved from the hand of all of his enemies and from the hand of Shaul, … for he knew that God's salvation and his promises would only be fulfilled through one who fulfilled his decrees with human activity.

Similarly, Avraham Ben Harambam also suggests that Yosef did not do anything wrong by relying on the butler:

ואפשר שלא תהיה עליו (על יוסף) גנות בזה שהרי אם יהיה בטחונו של המאמין שלם בלבו לא יגרע מבטחונו אם ישתמש בסיבות הרגילות.

And it is possible that there is no disgrace for him (Yosef) in this, for if the trust of the believer is complete in his heart, it does not reduce his faith if he utilizes the normal efforts.

Both of these commentators underscore the need for a combination of human effort and faith in God. Perhaps Rashi disagrees with Arama and Avraham Ben Harambam, and holds like Alshich (Bereshit 41:1) that one should rely exclusively on faith in God:

כוונות כללות הכתוב ללמדינו דעת בל יאמר איש כי החריצות הוא מועיל.

The general intent of the verse is to teach us that a person should not say that diligence is productive.

But this position seems inconsistent with Rashi's commentaries in other places which seem to praise the value of human effort. For example, in his explanation of Ya'akov's preparation for his encounter with Esav, Rashi states (בראשית לב:ט):

“התקין עצמו לדורון לתפילה ולמלחמה” – “he prepared himself with gifts, with prayer, and for battle.” Rashi does not seem to see in Ya'akov's actions any lack of faith. Why then does Rashi find fault with Yosef ‘s reliance on the butler?

Yosef Is Held to a Higher Standard

Let us look at the Midrash Rabbah relating to Tehillim 40:5 on which Rashi bases his interpretation. The Midrash seems inconsistent in its evaluation of Yosef:

אשרי הגבר אשר שם בה' מבטחו – זה יוסף. ולא פנה אל רהבים – על ידישאמר לשר המשקים "זכרתני" ו"הזכרתני" ניתוסף לו שתי שנים.

Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust – this is Yosef; and looks not to the proud – because he said to the butler “remember me” and “mention me”, two years were added to him.

There is an apparent internal contradiction in the midrash. While the first part of the midrash praises Yosef for his exemplary faith in God, the latter part castigates him for his reliance on the butler. The commentators on the midrash are divided as to whether it constitutes praise or criticism of Yosef.

R. Ya'akov Moshe Ashkenazi in his commentary “Yedei Moshe” interprets the midrash as a criticism of Yosef, based on an alternative reading of the text:

"אשרי הגבר אשר שם בה' מבטחו ולא פנה אל רהבים –זה יוסף." כך צריךלומר, ורצונו לומר: אשרי האיש שלא עשה כמו יוסף שפנה אל רהבים.

“Happy is the man who makes the Lord his trust and looks not to the proud – this is Yosef.” That is what we must say, and it means: happy is the man who does not turn to the proud as did Yosef.

R. Chanoch Zundel adopts this reading in his commentary, and adds:

ורוצה לומר שאמיתות לימוד כתוב זה שהוא לבטוח בה' נראה מעניין יוסף שבטח בשר המשקים ולא עלתה לו. ולא די שלא הזכירו, אף נענש על זהממיעוט בטחונו בה' בתוספת ב' שנים במאסר.

And it wants to say that the true reading of this verse is that one should trust in God, which we see from Yosef who relied on the butler and it did not help him. And it is not enough that he did not remember him, but he was also punished for his lack of faith in God with two more years in prison.

This reading portrays Yosef as the one “who looks to the proud”, and not as the one “who makes the Lord his trust”[1].

In contrast, the Rashash interprets the midrash as praise of Yosef:

הוה רגיל [יוסף] לדקדק בכך (במידת הבטחון) הקפיד הקב"ה עליו על אותו פעם, כי אמת אין זה חטא שישתדל האדם קצת על פי תחבולות אנושיות.

[Yosef] was accustomed to be exact in this (in the quality of faith), and God was strict with him in that instance, for in truth it is not a sin for a person to extend some human effort based on rational consideration.

Similarly, the Netziv interprets the midrash as follows:

זה יוסף, בשביל שאמר "כי אך זכרתני אתך" נתווספו לו שתי שנים, דמזה העונש שמענו שיוסף הצדיק מעולם לא פנה אל רהבי בני אדם – משום כך נענש ששינה ממידתו הרגיל. וזהו כלל גדול, כשאדם רגיל במדה טובה נעשה עליו כנדר ואחר כך כשעובר עליו הרי הוא נענש.

This is Yosef – Because he said: “But remember me when it will be good for you”, two years were added to him. From this punishment, we understand that the righteous Yosef never turned to the proud among men. For that reason he was punished in that he deviated from his customary quality. And this is a great principle – that when a person regularly practices a particular good quality, it is as if he took an oath and is therefore punished if he subsequently transgresses it.

The Rashash and the Netziv provide a possible explanation of Rashi's comment based on a special quality that was unique to Yosef. Yosef, who recognized the direction of God in his odyssey, and in whose mouth the name of God was regularly mentioned, was uniquely required to continue and strengthen this personal quality of faith. From the punishment of Yosef, we see his extremely high level of faith, and the unusual expectations that were, therefore, placed upon him.

We might further understand this concept by examining the section of Tehillim on which the midrash is based:

קוה קויתי ה' ויט אלי וישמע שועתי . ויעלני מבור שאון מטיט היון ויקם על סלע רגלי כונן אשורי. ויתן בפי שיר חדש תהלה לאלוהינו יראו רבים וייראו ויבטחו בה'. אשרי הגבר אשר שם ה' מבטחו ולא פנה אל רהבים ושטי כזב. (תהילים מ:ב-ה)

I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of the gruesome pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my footsteps. And he has put a new song in my mouth, a praise to our God. Many shall see and fear, and trust in the Lord. Happy is the man that makes the Lord his trust, and looks not to the Proud, nor to those who turn aside to lies.(Tehillim 40:2-5)

According to the midrash, the hero of the Psalm, Yosef, praises God for hearing his call for help and taking him out of the “gruesome pit”. He calls on others to learn this trait of faith. In this case, however, he placed his trust in the butler. This approach does not negate the value of human effort, as demonstrated in the actions of Ya'akov and David. However, Yosef, who served as a paradygm of faith and a model to others, was held to a higher standard and held accountable for trust in the butler. Yosef had to remain in prison for an additional two years in order to forget the butler and place his trust, once again, only in God. After this cleansing process, Yosef can again tell from his personal experience of the value of faith in God.

The approach of the Rashash and the Netziv bases the distinction between Yosef and Ya'akov on Yosef's established quality of faith. Yet, Rashi does not emphasize explicitly this aspect of Yosef's personality. The midrash offers an alternative way to explain Rashi's comment. The midrash describes Yosef as a righteous person who trusted in God, but erred in this situation in that he exaggerated his reliance on the butler. The problem lies in Yosef's double request of the butler – “זכרתני” (“remember me”) and “הזכרתני” (“mention me”). One request would have been sufficient.

A similar idea is alluded to in Midrash Aggadah:

ויהי מקץ שנתיים ימים . [מלמד שהקב''ה מדקדק עם חסידיו כחוט השערה] היינו דכתיב ''וסביביו נשערה מאד'' (תהילים נ ג). ומפני מה נתעכב יוסף בבית האסורים שנתיים , לפי שאמר יוסף ''כי אם זכרתני אתך'' והניח להקב''ה .

And it was at the end of two years: [It teaches that God is exacting of his righteous followers as the strand of a hair], as it is written: “and it is very tempestuous around him” (Tehillim 50:3). And why was Yosef detained in prison an additional two years? Because Yosef said: “if you will remember me”, and left out God.[2]

In these interpretations, Yosef is punished because of a lack of the appropriate balance between faith and human effort - for exaggerating his reliance on the butler, or for completely abandoning the path of prayer. This in contrast to Ya'akov whose preparations included plans for diplomacy and war, as well as prayer.

The Butler's Intervention

The commentators are divided as to whether the intervention of the butler was favorable toward Yosef or not. Rashi interprets the butler's statement to Pharoah as a denegration of Yosef:

ושם עמנו נער עברי עבד לשר הטבחים. (בראשית מא:יב)

רש''י: ארורים הרשעים שאין טובתם שלמה! מזכירו בלשון בזיון: נער – שוטה ואין ראוי לגדולה; עבד- אפילו לשוננו אינו מכיר; עבד- וכתוב בנימוסי מצרים שאין עבד מולך ולא לובש בגדי שרים.

Rashi: Cursed are the wicked, for even their favors are not complete. He mentioned him in a derogatory manner: “a youth” – a fool who is not suitable for greatness; “a Hebrew” – he doesn't even know our language; “a servant” – and it is written in the protocols of Egypt that a servant cannot rule or even wear ministerial clothes.

One can see a relationship between Rashi's view that Yosef's reliance on the butler was a transgression and the fact that he interprets the butler's recommendation of Yosef as an insult. In his opinion, Yosef's rise to power two years after his encounter with the butler was not a result of the butler's intervention, but rather it was a result of divine intervention.

In contrast to Rashi, Abarbanel sees the butler's words as praise of Yosef:

אברבנאל: ''את חטאי אני מזכיר היום'' (בראשית מא:ט): ואמר ''חטאי'' בלשון רבים לפי שהיו שניים: החטא …שבעבורו קצף המלך עליו… והאחד שחטא כנגד יוסף בשלא זכר וישכחהו''. …ומפני שהוא היה רוצה לשבח את יוסף … ואמר אם תחשוב… שהנער ההוא פתר את חלומי לטובה בתחבולה … אין הדבר כן …גם אין ראוי שתחשוב שידע הנער דרכי הפיתרון מצד הכוכבים … [אלא ידע רק] מחכמתו … לא כדרך המשל ונמשל כמנהג הפותרים אבל איש כחלומו פתר שהיה הפיתרון פשט החלום.

Abarbanel: “My sins I recall today” (Bereshit 41:9): He said “my sins” in the plural because there were two – the sin for which Pharoah got angry with him, and the sin against Yosef in that “he did not remember him and forgot him.” And because he wanted to praise Yosef, … he said: “If you think … that the youth interpreted the dream well by trickery, … it is not so…. Also, it is not appropriate to think that the youth knew the interpretation of the dream from the stars…. Rather, from his wisdom … and not by means of analogy that is the method of most interpreters of dreams, but he solved the dream of each person so that the interpretation was the simple meaning of the dream.”

Abarbanel does not find fault with Yosef's reliance on the butler. Consistent with this view, the butler felt a sense of guilt for having forgotten Yosef's request, and tried to compensate by praising Yosef.

A Sense of Timing

How do the commentators who do not view Yosef's behavior negatively explain the two additional years that he remained in prison? Avraham Ben Harambam and Midrash Hagadol explain that the release of Yosef was pushed off in order to facilitate his rise to power:

אברהם בן הרמב"ם: ומה שנתאחר יוסף לצאת ושכח אותו שר המשקים שתי שנים …מתיר אסורים קצב בו את יציאתו…. והייתה יציאתו בזמן שהיה לפרעה צורך בו , שעל ידי זה יצא להיות שר נכבד קרוב למדרגת המלך, היפך יציאתו על ידי המלצתו של שר במשקים בעדו . כן באר זה [רבי שמואל ] בן חפני ז''ל.

מדרש הגדול: למה עשה עוד שתי שנים כדי להרבות לו כבוד… שאילו הזכיר שר

המשקים ליוסף מה היה לו לעשות , לפתוח חנות של פותרי חלומות! אבל עשה עוד שנתיים כדי שיחלום פרעה בשביל שיעלה לאותה הגדולה

Avraham Ben Harambam: The fact that Yosef was delayed in going out and the butler forgot him for two years … is because the one who frees those who are bound determined the time of his departure…. And his departure was at a time that Pharoah needed him, for in that way he became an important minister close to the level of the king, the opposite of what would have happened had he been released by the referral of the butler. So this was explained by Shmuel ben Hofni z”l.

Midrash Hagadol: Why did he do two more years? In order to increase his honor…. For if the butler had mentioned him, what would he have done, opened a store for dream interpretation? Rather, he did two more years in order that Pharoah would dream so that he would rise to greatness.

In contrast to Rashi who holds that Pharoah's dream was timed to coincide with the appropriate time of Yosef's release, these commentators hold that Yosef's release was timed to coincide with Pharoah's dream.

Conclusion

The story of Yosef's release from the Egyptian prison raises the question of the relationship between human effort and faith in Divine providence. According to some commentators, Yosef's reliance on the butler was completely appropriate, as man is required to expend maximum effort toward the realization of his goals. According to others, Yosef sinned in that he relied at all on the efforts of the butler, either because it is in general inappropriate to rely on human effort, or because Yosef uniquely served as the model of a person who trusts fully in God. A third approach posits that Yosef's sin in relying on the butler was that he strayed from the appropriate balance between faith and human effort by exaggerating his request of the butler or by eliminating prayer in favor of reliance on human effort.

[1]A weakness of these interpretations is that the alternative reading is based on conjecture, and is not found in any manuscripts. The reading in all manuscripts is: אשרי הגבר הגבר אשר שם בה' מבטחו – זה יוסף וכו'

[2] The bracketed sections are the reconstruction of the editor, Shlomo Buber.