Potifar: Joseph’s Mentor?

Is it plausible that Joseph had a mentor during his time in Egypt?

Here’s the chain of evidence… Joseph arrives as a slave, and he is purchased by Potifar, a man described as the “chief slaughterer” (sar hatabachim).

And G-d was with Joseph, so that he became a man of success. While he was in the house of his lord the Egyptian, his lord saw that G-d was with him, so that whatever he did, G-d made succeed in his hands. Joseph found favor in his eyes, and he waited upon him; he appointed him over his house, and everything belonging to him he placed in his hands. And it was, from when he had appointed him over his house and over everything that belonged to him, that G-d blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph; G-d’s blessing was upon everything that belonged to him, in the house and in the fields. So he left everything that was his in Joseph’s hands, and did not concern himself about anything with him there except for the bread that he ate.

Then Potifar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph. Joseph rejects her, citing his loyalty to her husband and the trust Potifar has put in Joseph.

Potifar’s wife waits for the opportunity to be alone with Joseph in the house, makes a final attempt to seduce him, and, failing yet again, falsely accuses Joseph of sexual assault. Hell hath no fury…

Potifar gets angry – but it is not clear that he is angry solely (or even at all!) at Joseph. Potifar likely knew that his wife had a wandering eye. And as a result of her public accusation, Potifar has no choice but to lose Joseph’s services (and all the blessings that came with them) going forward! The Torah makes it clear that Joseph is the best thing that ever happened to Potifar. But because of his wife, Potifar is cornered into removing Joseph from his house.

Yet Potifar clearly had valued Joseph before! Which might help explain why Potifar does not choose to kill Joseph (which was surely an option). Instead, Potifar throws Joseph into prison.

But it seems that this is not the end of the connection between them!

Pharaoh became infuriated with his two officials, with the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and he placed them in custody in the house of the chief slaughterer, in the dungeon house, the place where Yosef was imprisoned. The Chief Slaughterer appointed Yosef for them, that he should wait upon them.

Hold up! Why does the Torah use the very same title that had been used when introducing Potifar?! Is it because Potifar was in fact involved all the way through? After Joseph was put in prison, Potifar continued to take an interest in Joseph, and even, as in this case, used the opportunity to help Joseph along? It hardly seems coincidental that the Torah uses the very same title in two places: the obvious explanation is that the chief slaughterer, in his official capacity, maintained a connection and a positive relationship with Joseph.

After Joseph is promoted by Pharoah, the linkage becomes even more explicit: Joseph is given Potifar’s own daughter as a wife! Which seems to clearly be a formal acknowledgement that the accusations of Potifar’s wife are formally rejected. It also seems to suggest that Potifar wishes to formally acknowledge the link to Joseph, and indeed to hitch his own wagon to his former protégé. One can only wonder what Potifar’s wife thought of all this.

But this reading, of an ongoing connection between Potifar and Joseph may help us explain an otherwise-irrelevant tidbit later in the story: the Torah tells us details about what was served at a meal!

Set the scene: The brothers bring Benjamin back with them to Egypt. This clearly was not a foregone conclusion, and Joseph was both surprised and interested in playing things just right. What do we do when we face a tricky situation? We consult someone else!

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Take those men into the house; slaughter and prepare an animal, for those men will dine with me at noon.”

This is the first time since the prison that the word for “slaughter” (tevach) is found. And who would have slaughtered an animal for Joseph’s feast? Why, none other than the Chief Slaughterer, Potifar himself!

It seems more than reasonable that Joseph, rather than winging it, decided to slaughter an animal so he could consult with his mentor, the man who first trusted Joseph, who had put the Butler and Baker under Joseph’s care, and even gave Joseph his own daughter as a wife! (Joseph may have been the first in the Torah to take advice from his father-in-law, but he was not the last: Moses did so as well.)

Armed with this consultation, Joseph moves forward.