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Why did Potiphar's wife pursue Yosef, and what does Rashi (רש"י) mean when he calls her actions "leshem shamayim"? The shiur argues she correctly saw in astrology that she and Yosef would have a child—an unchangeable decree for most people. But as a descendant of Avrohom, whom Hashem (ה׳) lifted above the stars, Yosef possessed the unique power to bend astrological fate, transforming the prediction into fulfillment through her daughter (Osnas) instead.
Rabbi Zweig opens by analyzing Rashi (רש"י)'s comment on the juxtaposition of the stories of Yehuda and Tamar with Yosef and Potiphar's wife. Rashi states that Potiphar's wife acted "leshem shamayim"—for the sake of heaven—because she saw in her astrological signs that she and Yosef would have a child together. Rashi seems to indicate that there were two possible interpretations of this vision: either she herself would have a child with Yosef, or Yosef would marry her daughter, making the child her grandchild and thus fulfilling the astrological prediction in a different way. The shiur then introduces a Midrash that connects Yosef's escape from Potiphar's wife to the merit of Avrohom Avinu. The Midrash states that when Hashem (ה׳) took Avrohom and lifted him above the stars, this gave Yosef the power to run out of the house. Rabbi Zweig asks: what is the connection? How does Avrohom's elevation above the stars give Yosef the strength to resist temptation?
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Bereishis 39 (Parshas Vayeishev) - Yosef and Potiphar's wife
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