וַתִּרְעַב֙ כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּצְעַ֥ק הָעָ֖ם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה לַלָּ֑חֶם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ לְכׇל־מִצְרַ֔יִם לְכ֥וּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֥ר לָכֶ֖ם תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃
And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, “Go unto Yosef; what he saith to you, do.”
Bereishis Rabbah 91:5 expands “Go to Yosef; whatever he tells you, do” into the famine narrative, including Pharaoh’s response when the Egyptians complain about Yosef’s demands.
Sefaria · Bereishis Rabbah 91:5
לְכוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּ. רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר: כְּפָאָן לָמוּל; רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר: חִיִּיתָנוּ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא הֶחֱיַתָנוּ — נָתַתָּ לָנוּ חַיִּים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְחַיִּים בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
English: “Go unto Yosef; whatever he tells you, do.” Bereishis Rabbah 91:5 records R. Abba bar Kahana’s reading that Yosef compelled the Egyptians to circumcise, and R. Shmuel bar Nachman’s reading of their response as receiving life in this world and the world to come.
On the daf / in context: In 91:5, Pharaoh’s command leads into the Egyptians’ confrontation with Yosef and their eventual recognition of the benefit of his policy; the passage is more specific than a generic transfer of authority.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The Midrash turns Pharaoh’s command into a doorway to the later famine narrative, including the rabbinic readings of circumcision and “you have given us life.”