Vayeishev 39:11 · unit 1
Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 39:11
The Complete Passuk
וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּהַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֥א הַבַּ֖יְתָה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת מְלַאכְתּ֑וֹ וְאֵ֨ין אִ֜ישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁ֥י הַבַּ֛יִת שָׁ֖ם בַּבָּֽיִת׃
One such day, he came into the house to do his work. None of the household being there inside,
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sotah 36b.
Sefaria — Sotah 36b
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתּוֹ — רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל: חַד אָמַר מְלַאכְתּוֹ מַמָּשׁ, וְחַד אָמַר לַעֲשׂוֹת צְרָכָיו נִכְנַס.
English: “To do his work” — Rav and Shmuel: one said, his actual work; and one said, he entered to attend to his needs [i.e., he had almost yielded].
On the daf / in context: The ambiguous phrase is read either as ordinary labor or as a moment of near failure.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Ambiguous wording is left as a machlokes about Yosef’s inner state.
What Is Learned
The verse leaves open whether Yosef entered only for work or whether he had nearly given in before the final refusal.