Abraham had a son named Isaac, and Isaac had a son named Jacob who had 12 sons. One of them, named Joseph, was able to interpret dreams and was the favorite of Jacob as he was the son of his old age.  Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colours.  His brothers hated him for this and hated him even more after he dreamed that his brothers would one day bow to him.  So his brothers tricked him one day and took him into the wilderness and then stripped him of his coat of many colours and cast him into a pit.  A group of traders came upon him and rescued him from the pit and brought him into Egypt.

Once Joseph was in Egypt the people of Egypt became aware of Joseph's ability to interpret dreams.  The King of Egypt in those days was called the "Pharaoh".  Word of Joseph's ability to interpret dreams reached the Pharaoh at that time and Joseph was brought into the palace to interpret a dream that was troubling the Pharaoh.  The Pharaoh had dreamt that there were seven ears of corn that were healthy and seven ears of corn that were withered.  The seven withered ears of corn devoured the healthy ears of corn.  Joseph interpreted this dream to mean that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.  Pharaoh heeded these words and made Joseph one of his top advistors who would prepare Egypt for the famine.  This is how Joseph came to be a powerful person in Egypt.


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story