Vayeishev 40:15 · EXTRA

EXTRA · Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 40:15 · not a Torah Temimah citation on this passuk

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־גֻנֹּ֣ב גֻּנַּ֔בְתִּי מֵאֶ֖רֶץ הָעִבְרִ֑ים וְגַם־פֹּה֙ לֹא־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי מְא֔וּמָה כִּֽי־שָׂמ֥וּ אֹתִ֖י בַּבּֽוֹר׃

For in truth, I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews; nor have I done anything here that they should have put me in the dungeon.”

Classical source (EXTRA side-ring): Bereshis Rabbah 88:5.

Core Text

כִּי גֻנֹּב גֻּנַּבְתִּי — מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין אָדָם נִתְפָּס עַל הַדִּבּוּר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן כּוֹפֵל.

English: “For I was stolen, stolen” — from here, that a person is only held [fully] accountable for speech when he doubles it.

In context: Yosef’s doubled “stolen” is taken as a model of emphatic true speech about his origin.

Derash on the verse (Bereshis Rabbah) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Doubled verb signals intensity of claim.

Yosef stresses that he is not a criminal by birthright of place — he was stolen into Mitzrayim.