16 Dec MIKETZ- “BIL’ADAI” – “IT’S NOT ME”

What is it about
Yosef that made such
an impression on
Pharaoh?
Yosef was brought to
Egypt from a foreign
country as a slave. He was then falsely accused
of a heinous crime – assaulting his master’s
wife – for which he was cast into a dungeon,
where he languished for years together with
other convicted offenders. Suddenly, a former
inmate in the prison recommended him as
an interpreter to explain Pharaoh’s dreams,
and Yosef was then rushed to Pharaoh. His
interpretation dazzled Pharaoh to such an
extent that Pharaoh on the spot decided to
not only free Yosef from the dungeon – but

to appoint him as viceroy, the second-in-
command over the kingdom. Just because

Yosef gave a satisfactory interpretation of
Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh decided to entrust
the country in Yosef’s hands, and to put him
in charge over the entire economy. Why?
The answer lies in one word which Yosef
spoke to Pharaoh.
When Yosef was brought before the king,
Pharaoh explained that he had heard of
Yosef’s abilities to interpret dreams. Yosef
replied, “Bil’adai” – “It is not me” (41:16).
Yosef emphatically denied any credit for his

skills. He attributed this wisdom to Hashem.
Several decades ago, a religious Jewish
couple delivered Siamese twins, and the
doctors determined that unless they were
separated, both would die, but one would
have to die for the other to live. The doctor
who would perform the surgery, and who
would later become the Surgeon General of
the United States, consulted with Rav Moshe
Feinstein (1895-1986), the leading Halachic
authority in the United States at that time,
to determine whether this procedure was
permissible, as it necessitated taking a life to
save another life. Leaving aside Rav Moshe’s
ruling and the halachic reasoning behind it,
what is important for our purposes is the
doctor’s reaction after spending several hours
with Rav Moshe Feinstein. He said that he
had never before seen such a combination of
brilliance and humility. Throughout his years
of schooling and working in the field, anyone
he encountered who had a brilliant mind had
at least a tinge of arrogance. Rav Moshe,
however, was unique both in the scope and
depth of his scholarship, and in his humble
character.
This is what impressed Pharaoh, as well. He
described Yosef as a “Nabon Ve’hacham”
(41:39) – uniquely wise, but this was not all.
Pharaoh marveled at the fact that as smart as
Yosef was, his intellectual prowess did not

go to his head, he did not let it inflate his ego.
He humbly recognized that all his abilities
were a gift from Hashem. Because of this
humility, Pharaoh felt confident in Yosef. He
realized that he could trust him, because he
wasn’t looking out for his own egotistical
interests.
Another example of this rare combination
is King Shlomo. As we read in the Book
of Melachim I (chapter 3), G-d appeared
to Shlomo in a dream and told him that He
was granting him unmatched wisdom. When
Shlomo awoke in the morning, he was the
wisest man who had ever lived and ever
would live. And yet, the first thing he did was
to go to the Bet Ha’mikdash to offer sacrifices
to Hashem, and to host a lavish feast for his
servants (Melachim I 3:15). He immediately
acknowledged Hashem as the source of his
great stature, that his talents were granted to
him as a precious gift, such that he had no
reason to gloat or to pride himself.
G-d has granted every person different sets
of talents and capabilities – and also different
sets of limitations and struggles. If a person
feels that he is brighter or more skilled than
his fellow, even if his estimation is correct,
it is entirely illogical for him to feel superior
to that other individual. If he truly possesses
special skills and abilities, this is only
because Hashem has equipped him with these

talents so he could use them constructively,
for the service of G-d and for the benefit of
the world. None of us should ever feel that
we are better just because Hashem gave us
certain capabilities that others lack. We are
to use our skills for the right purposes, and
respect other people who use the skills that
Hashem granted them, regardless of how
they compare with our skills.
If we all live with this kind of humility,
crediting Hashem – rather than ourselves –
for our talents, we will find it much easier to
respect all people, and to thus build strong,
stable relationships with the people around
us.