וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָֽטְא֛וּ מַשְׁקֵ֥ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְהָאֹפֶ֑ה לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶ֖ם לְמֶ֥לֶךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

It was after these matters, after Joseph received an important position in the prison, that the butler of the king of Egypt, who was responsible for providing the king with drink, and the baker of the king, sinned against their master, against the king of Egypt.

וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף פַּרְעֹ֔ה עַ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣י סָרִיסָ֑יו עַ֚ל שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֔ים וְעַ֖ל שַׂ֥ר הָאוֹפִֽים׃

Pharaoh became angry at his two courtiers, at the chief butler and at the chief baker. The Torah does not elaborate as to why he was angry at them. The Midrash relates that Pharaoh became angry because he discovered foreign objects in his bread and wine.

וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם בְּמִשְׁמַ֗ר בֵּ֛ית שַׂ֥ר הַטַבָּחִ֖ים אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַסֹּ֑הַר מְק֕וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אָס֥וּר שָֽׁם׃

He placed them in custody in the household of the chief executioner , in the prison, the place where Joseph was incarcerated. This prison held distinguished prisoners. Since the courtiers of Pharaoh were men of status who might someday return to their lofty positions, they were provided special privileges.

וַ֠יִּפְקֹד שַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֧ים אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף אִתָּ֖ם וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹתָ֑ם וַיִּהְי֥וּ יָמִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁמָֽר׃

The chief executioner, Potifar, charged Joseph with them, and he served them, and they were in custody one year .

וַיַּֽחַלְמוּ֩ חֲל֨וֹם שְׁנֵיהֶ֜ם אִ֤ישׁ חֲלֹמוֹ֙ בְּלַ֣יְלָה אֶחָ֔ד אִ֖ישׁ כְּפִתְר֣וֹן חֲלֹמ֑וֹ הַמַּשְׁקֶ֣ה וְהָאֹפֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲסוּרִ֖ים בְּבֵ֥ית הַסֹּֽהַר׃

They , the butler and the baker, dreamed a dream both of them – each man his dream during one night, each man in accordance with the interpretation of his dream. The eventual interpretation of each man’s dream, that of the butler and that of the baker of the king of Egypt, who were incarcerated in the prison, would match its content.

וַיָּבֹ֧א אֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבֹּ֑קֶר וַיַּ֣רְא אֹתָ֔ם וְהִנָּ֖ם זֹעֲפִֽים׃

Joseph came to them in the morning to serve them, and saw them, and behold, they were distressed. As their attendant, Joseph was able to sense the change in their demeanor.

וַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת־סְרִיסֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אִתּ֧וֹ בְמִשְׁמַ֛ר בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר מַדּ֛וּעַ פְּנֵיכֶ֥ם רָעִ֖ים הַיּֽוֹם׃

He asked Pharaoh’s courtiers who were with him in the custody of his master’s house, saying: Why are your faces wretched today?

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְנוּ וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא לֵֽאלֹהִים֙ פִּתְרֹנִ֔ים סַפְּרוּ־נָ֖א לִֽי׃

They said to him: We dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it. We sense that our dreams contain an important message, but we are unable to decipher them. Joseph said to them: Aren’t interpretations for God? The interpretation of a dream and its realization lie solely in the hands of God; He can inform us of its meaning. Therefore, please, relate it to me; perhaps I will succeed in interpreting it.

וַיְסַפֵּ֧ר שַֽׂר־הַמַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת־חֲלֹמ֖וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ בַּחֲלוֹמִ֕י וְהִנֵּה־גֶ֖פֶן לְפָנָֽי׃

Joseph succeeding in ingratiating himself with these ministers, and they trusted him: The chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him: In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.

וּבַגֶּ֖פֶן שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה שָׂרִיגִ֑ם וְהִ֤יא כְפֹרַ֙חַת֙ עָלְתָ֣ה נִצָּ֔הּ הִבְשִׁ֥ילוּ אַשְׁכְּלֹתֶ֖יהָ עֲנָבִֽים׃

On the vine were three tendrils, and it was as though it was budding. Then its blossoms emerged, and its clusters produced ripe grapes.

וְכ֥וֹס פַּרְעֹ֖ה בְּיָדִ֑י וָאֶקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָֽעֲנָבִ֗ים וָֽאֶשְׂחַ֤ט אֹתָם֙ אֶל־כּ֣וֹס פַּרְעֹ֔ה וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־הַכּ֖וֹס עַל־כַּ֥ף פַּרְעֹֽה׃

Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; I took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף זֶ֖ה פִּתְרֹנ֑וֹ שְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת֙ הַשָּׂ֣רִגִ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים הֵֽם׃

Joseph said to him: This is its interpretation: The three tendrils are three days;

בְּע֣וֹד ׀ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים יִשָּׂ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ אֶת־רֹאשֶׁ֔ךָ וַהֲשִֽׁיבְךָ֖ עַל־כַּנֶּ֑ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֤ כוֹס־פַּרְעֹה֙ בְּיָד֔וֹ כַּמִּשְׁפָּט֙ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיִ֖יתָ מַשְׁקֵֽהוּ׃

In three more days Pharaoh shall raise your head, your status, and restore you to your original position. Then your dream will materialize in a literal sense, as you will give Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, like the former circumstance where you would provide him with drink.

כִּ֧י אִם־זְכַרְתַּ֣נִי אִתְּךָ֗ כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ וְעָשִֽׂיתָ־נָּ֥א עִמָּדִ֖י חָ֑סֶד וְהִזְכַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְהוֹצֵאתַ֖נִי מִן־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּֽה׃

Joseph demonstrated just how certain he was of the correctness of his interpretation. He requested of the butler: If only you remember me when it shall be well for you, when your dream is realized and you are reinstalled in your position, and please, perform kindness with me and mention me to Pharaoh, and you will thereby help take me out of this house, this prison.

כִּֽי־גֻנֹּ֣ב גֻּנַּ֔בְתִּי מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הָעִבְרִ֑ים וְגַם־פֹּה֙ לֹא־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי מְא֔וּמָה כִּֽי־שָׂמ֥וּ אֹתִ֖י בַּבּֽוֹר׃

For I was abducted from the land of the Hebrews. I was not born a slave; I am a freeman who was kidnapped. And here too I have done nothing wrong to justify the fact that they placed me in the pit.

וַיַּ֥רְא שַׂר־הָאֹפִ֖ים כִּ֣י ט֣וֹב פָּתָ֑ר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אַף־אֲנִי֙ בַּחֲלוֹמִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֗ה שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה סַלֵּ֥י חֹרִ֖י עַל־רֹאשִֽׁי׃

The chief baker saw that he interpreted well. Joseph’s interpretation seemed pleasing and accurate to the baker. Some opinions maintain that in addition to their own respective dreams, each minister dreamed the interpretation of the other. Consequently, the baker knew that Joseph correctly interpreted the butler’s dream. And he said to Joseph: I too, in my dream, dreamed that behold, there were three wicker baskets stacked one upon the other on my head. Wicker baskets are typically used to hold baked goods, as the gaps in the weaves allow for air to pass to the goods inside them.

וּבַסַּ֣ל הָֽעֶלְי֔וֹן מִכֹּ֛ל מַאֲכַ֥ל פַּרְעֹ֖ה מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֹפֶ֑ה וְהָע֗וֹף אֹכֵ֥ל אֹתָ֛ם מִן־הַסַּ֖ל מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשִֽׁי׃

In the uppermost basket there was all manner of food for Pharaoh, baked products; and the birds were eating them from the basket above my head.

וַיַּ֤עַן יוֹסֵף֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר זֶ֖ה פִּתְרֹנ֑וֹ שְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת֙ הַסַּלִּ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִ֖ים הֵֽם׃

Joseph answered and said: This is its interpretation: The three baskets are three days.

בְּע֣וֹד ׀ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים יִשָּׂ֨א פַרְעֹ֤ה אֶת־רֹֽאשְׁךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְתָלָ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ עַל־עֵ֑ץ וְאָכַ֥ל הָע֛וֹף אֶת־בְּשָׂרְךָ֖ מֵעָלֶֽיךָ׃

In three more days Pharaoh shall raise, remove, your head from upon you, and shall hang you on a tree. The birds shall eat your flesh from upon you. Part of the dream will indeed be fulfilled, as the birds will eat. However, instead of consuming the contents of the wicker baskets, they will consume your flesh. In this dream, unlike in the butler’s dream, the baker’s hoped-for restoration does not occur. Rather, the birds partake of the baked goods in place of Pharaoh.

וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י י֚וֹם הֻלֶּ֣דֶת אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה לְכָל־עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיִּשָּׂ֞א אֶת־רֹ֣אשׁ ׀ שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֗ים וְאֶת־רֹ֛אשׁ שַׂ֥ר הָאֹפִ֖ים בְּת֥וֹךְ עֲבָדָֽיו׃

It was on the third day, the day of Pharaoh’s public birthday celebration, that he made a feast for all his servants; and during that feast he raised the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker among his servants. While Pharaoh sat with his entourage, he was reminded of the absence of the butler and the baker. It seems that when the butler and baker committed their offenses, Pharaoh was angered and had them imprisoned without judgement. Now, Pharaoh issued a ruling: He concluded that the chief butler properly executed his duties and was therefore innocent, while the chief baker acted improperly and was therefore guilty.

וַיָּ֛שֶׁב אֶת־שַׂ֥ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֖ים עַל־מַשְׁקֵ֑הוּ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן הַכּ֖וֹס עַל־כַּ֥ף פַּרְעֹֽה׃

Accordingly, he, Pharaoh, restored the chief butler to his butlership, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;

וְאֵ֛ת שַׂ֥ר הָאֹפִ֖ים תָּלָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּתַ֛ר לָהֶ֖ם יוֹסֵֽף׃

and he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph interpreted for them.

וְלֹֽא־זָכַ֧ר שַֽׂר־הַמַּשְׁקִ֛ים אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיִּשְׁכָּחֵֽהוּ׃ (פ)

But despite the fact that the chief butler witnessed the complete accuracy of Joseph’s interpretation, the chief butler did not immediately remember the request that Joseph made of him. Rather, as time progressed he forgot him, as he no longer had any interaction with him.