וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכׇל־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת וּבְכׇל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם׃
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Yosef had said; and there was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
Exact Source: Bereishis Rabbah 90:6
וַתִּכְלֶינָה וגוֹ׳ — יָצְאוּ מְכוֹלֶּלֶת; וַתְּחִלֶּינָה וגוֹ׳ — נִכְנְסוּ חוֹלְנִיּוֹת, עַד שֶׁהֵם יוֹשְׁבִים עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, בִּקְשׁוּ אֲפִלּוּ פַּת קִבָּר וְלֹא מָצְאוּ. וַיְהִי רָעָב בְּכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת — בִּשְׁלֹשׁ אֲרָצוֹת: בְּפִנְקִיָּא וּבַעֲרָבִיָּא וּבְפַלֶּשְׁתִּינִי.
English of Source Text: Bereishis Rabbah describes the abrupt change from the years of plenty to the famine: the people became weak, and even coarse bread could not be found. It then identifies three other regions affected by the famine.
On the passuk: The midrash develops the words describing the beginning of the famine.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The midrash emphasizes how abruptly the famine followed the years of plenty and identifies the wider regions included in the famine.