What is the significance of the 'Kaf' (in "k'Forachas")?
Rashi: It seemed to the butler as if the vine in his dream actually flowered, then budded, then ripened into grapes. 1
Ramban, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means that these stages followed one after another immediately 2 and in quick succession. 3
The Ramban queries this, in that (a) if so, the Torah should have written 'v'Hinei ka'Gefen Lefanai; uva'Gefen ki'Sheloshah Sarigim; (b) Why did the baker, and Pharaoh (in relating his dream, in 41:17-24) not also insert a 'Kaf'? Gur Aryeh addresses this; refer to 40:10:1.01.
Ramban: As we find for example, in the word "k'Meishiv Yado" (38:29) earlier in the Parshah, and in the word "k'Vo Avram" (Bereishis 12:14).
Ramban: This also explains how Yosef knew that the three branches represented three days, rather than months or years.
What is the significance of the vine and the three branches in the dream?
Malbim (to 40:9): The entire year, 1 the judgment leaned towards executing the Sar ha'Mashkim, who had been negligent (refer to 40:2:151:1), and acquitting the Sar ha'Ofim. Sar ha'Mashkim did not have grapes or wine (i.e. hope of returning to serve). Now, they decided to judge them for the workers for whom the Sarim were guarantors; therefore, salvation budded for Sar ha'Mashkim. Sar ha'Ofim, on the other hand, was prepared to return to serve; his baskets were full; but now they decided to kill him.
Wouldn't it have been sufficient to relate that the chief butler had a dream, which Yosef interpreted? The Torah, however, does relate the details of the dream; what is its significance for us?
R. Elazar ha'Moda'i (Chulin 92a): The vine refers to Yerushalayim; and the three branches to the Beis-Hamikdash, the king and the Kohen Gadol. 1
R. Chiya bar Aba (Chulin 92a): The three branches refer to the three proud noblemen 2 who emerge from Yisrael in every generation.
Rava (Chulin 92a): The three branches refer to three officers (i.e. angels - Rashi loc. cit.) appointed over the Nochrim, who advocate for Yisrael in every generation. 3
R. Eliezer (Chulin 92a): The vine represents this world. "Three shoots" are Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
R. Yehoshua (Chulin 92a): The vine represents Torah. "Three shoots" are Moshe, Aharon, and Miryam.
R. Yehoshua ben Levi (Chulin 92a): The vine represents Torah. "Three shoots" are the well, the cloud and the manna.
R. Yirmeyah bar Aba (Chulin 92a): "Vine" is Yisrael. 4 "Three shoots" are the three festivals.
Maharal #1 (Chidushei Agados Vol. 4, p. 111, to Chulin 92a): The Gemara is explaining the symbolism in the dream as it relates to Am Yisrael. The dream represents the beginning of the Redemption from Egypt; 5 it was though this dream that Yaakov ultimately descended to Egypt, where Am Yisrael would attain their great status.
Maharal #2 (ibid.): The vine, chief among the trees, represents Yisrael (with many similarities). Three branches emerged from the vine; like a source that spreads by diverging to the right, to the left, and [remaining in] the center, encompassing everything. 6 To one opinion in the Gemara, this represents three authorities within Am Yisrael; to another, it represents three 7 authorities among the nations that speak positively about Am Yisrael. 8
See Torah Temimah, note #1.
Torah Temimah: 'Sarei Ge'im' is the acronym of "Sarigim."
Torah Temimah, note #3: Why not explain simply that these are human officials, who argue before the kings on behalf of the Jews' rights? Also see Maharal (40:10:1.2:9***)
Rashi (loc. cit.): As in Tehilim 80:9.
According to one opinion in the Yerushalmi (Pesachim 10:1), the Arba Kosos on Pesach night correspond to the four times the word 'Kos' is mentioned in this dream and its interpretation. (CS)
One might add that the main Attributes (Midos) of Hashem are Chesed (on the right, the trait of Avraham); Din (on the left, the trait of Yitzchak); and Tif'eres (the balance of the two, the trait of Yaakov). These are the three virtues of Am Yisrael, and the basis for Hashem's conduct with Am Yisrael - Chesed, Gevurah and Rachamim. (EK)
There as well, the three branches allude to three main [negative] character traits. Anger is Gevurah gone awry, desire is misplaced Chesed, and [seeking] honor is misplaced Tif'eres. The Maharal is advancing the idea that members of the nations can fix these traits and use them for the good, and thus join with Am Yisrael. (EK)
Maharal: There always remains some aspect of connection between Yisrael and the nations (compare to 36:12:1.3:1 and the note there). It was through the Egyptian chief butler that the Redemption came about. The Torah instructs us about accepting converts, who are like branches that become connected to the 'vine.'
What is the translation of "v'Hi k'Forachas, Alesah Nitzah"?
Rashi (citing Targum Onkelos): 'It grew blossoms, and buds 1 came on it.'
Ramban (citing Targum Onkelos): 'Upon growing blossoms, it immediately grew long branches, 2 and it budded.' 3
R. Elazar ha'Moda'i (Chulin 92a): It refers to Pirchei Kehunah (young Kohanim who have not yet reached the age of Avodah).
R. Eliezer (Chulin 92a): It refers to the Matriarchs.
R. Yehoshua (Chulin 92a): It refers to the Sanhedrin.
R. Yehoshua ben Levi (Chulin 92a): It refers to Bikurim.
R. Yirmeyah bar Aba (Chulin 92a): "It flowered" - 'The time has come for Yisrael to be fruitful and multiply.' "Its blossoms arose" - 'The time has come for Yisrael to be redeemed.'
Ha'amek Davar: When it blossomed, it budded much more than normal.
Moshav Zekenim: Also in Bamidbar 17:23, blossoms preceded the buds. Why does it say oppositely in Navi, "Yatzitz u'Farach Yisrael" (Yeshayah 27:6)? Here [and in Bamidbar - PF], it means that the bud, which usually comes first and is small, is like blossoms, which are usually big.
Ramban: 'Grew branches' is the translation of "Alesah." 'Rising' does not apply to buds!
See R. Chavel's notes.
What does "Hivshilu Ashkeloseha Anavim" refer to?
Chulin 92a: It refers to the Nesachim (wine libations).
Ha'amek Davar: Its clusters produced ripe grapes.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "K'Forachas - It appeared to me, in my dream, as if it was flowering." What does this mean? If it means simply that this took place in his imagination, then why doesn't the comparative letter 'Kaf' appear at the dream's beginning (e.g., 'before me appeared to be a vine')?
Gur Aryeh #1: A vine is a discrete object; one can say "a vine was before me." Flowering however is a process that elapses over time. One does not "see" flowering, but rather the flowers themselves; from which one infers that the process is under way. 1
Gur Aryeh #2: Had the verse said, 'before me was what appeared to be a vine,' we would infer that it was actually something else [which resembled a vine]. Once it states that it was in fact a vine, to state that it "appeared to be" flowering does not detract from the verse's meaning.
Gur Aryeh implies that the comparative letter Kaf is not due to the fact that it was only a dream; for seeing in a dream can also be referred to as seeing. (EK)
Rashi writes: "It appeared to me, in my dream, as if it was flowering." If this simply means that this took place in his imagination, then why doesn't it appear again in the following phrase, i.e. 'the buds appeared to emerge?
Gur Aryeh: The comparative letter 'Kaf' extends to all of the following phrases; as if it was written, 'then the buds appeared to emerge, etc.'
Rashi writes: "After the flowers, buds emerged." How else might I have understood the verse?
Gur Aryeh: We might have thought that the three stages (flowering, budding, ripening) occurred all at once. Rashi explains that they were sequential.
