Fear Precedes True Wisdom

בפסוק וימאן ויאמר אל אשת אדוניו כו'.

On the verse, “And he refused and he said to his master’s wife...”

The Sefat Emet opens by noting the layered meaning behind Joseph’s refusal.

פי' בתחלה מיאן בעבירה בלי טעם רק כמ"ש חז"ל אל יאמר אדם אי אפשי בבשר חזיר.

The explanation: At first he refused the sin without giving a reason, just as the Sages said, “A person should not say: I do not desire pork.”

This refusal is not due to personal preference but a principled stance beyond rational justification.

רק מה אעשה אבי שבשמים גזר עלי.

“Rather, what can I do? My Father in Heaven has decreed upon me.”

The true motive is submission to divine command, not human logic.

ואמת שע"י יראת שמים זה זוכין אח"כ למצוא טעמים לבחור בטוב ולמאוס ברע.

And the truth is that through such fear of Heaven one later merits to find reasons to choose the good and despise the evil.

First comes obedience; only afterward does understanding blossom.

לכן ע"י וימאן בא לנתינת טעם.

Therefore, through “he refused,” he arrived at the giving of a reason.

The refusal itself opened the path to true explanation.

כי החכמה של האדם הבל.

For human wisdom is vanity.

Unaided intellect is unreliable and limited.

ויש בו כמה טעותים.

And it contains many errors.

Human reasoning easily misleads.

אבל החכמה והדעת שבא ע"י יראת שמים היא האמת.

But the wisdom and knowledge that come through fear of Heaven are true.

True understanding emerges only when rooted in reverence.

וז"ש חז"ל כל שיראת חטאו קודמת כו' חכמתו מתקיימת.

And this is what the Sages said: “Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom—his wisdom endures.”

Proper moral grounding stabilizes intellect.

וכ' הן יראת ה' היא חכמה פי' החכמה הבאה בכח היראה.

And it is written: “Behold, the fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,” meaning the wisdom that comes through the power of fear.

Torah wisdom is generated from reverence itself.

ויתכן לומר ויאמר אל אשת אדוניו שכל הטעם הי' רק להמשיך גם אותה.

And it may be said regarding “and he said to his master’s wife” that his reasoning was only to draw her upward as well.

Joseph’s explanation aimed not merely to defend himself but to elevate her spiritually.

ואפשר זה שאמרו חז"ל שכוונתה היה לשם שמים זה נעשה לבסוף ע"י המשא ומתן שהי' ביניהם.

And it is possible that what the Sages said—that her intention was ultimately for the sake of Heaven—was brought about through the dialogue that occurred between them.

The spiritual exchange itself awakened a seed of higher intention within her.

ובדברים אלו נצנצה בה הרהורי קדושה אם כי מקודם היתה מרשעת ממש.

And through these words, glimmers of holiness sparked within her, even though previously she had been truly wicked.

The Sefat Emet suggests a surprising transformation: Joseph’s holiness catalyzed a subtle shift within her heart.

Summary: Joseph’s initial refusal was rooted in pure fear of Heaven, not logic. From this foundation, true understanding emerged. His words aimed not only to justify himself but to elevate even Potiphar’s wife, awakening traces of holiness within her.