“Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Tzafnat Paneach…” (Genesis 41:45).
Rashi explains that this name means ‘he who explains the hidden’.
However, the Sefas Emes noted that if this were the case, his name should have been Paneach Tzefunos. Why are the names reversed?
The Sefas Emes explained that the name given by Pharaoh literally means ‘hidden explained’ rather than ‘he who explains the hidden’. This is because Joseph showed humility by hiding his greatness and insisting that only G-d can interpret dreams (41:16). Because he ‘hid’ himself, Joseph was rewarded with the ability to ‘explain’ Pharaoh’s dreams.
By Rabbi Michael Skobac
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