ספורנו — חטאו משקה מלך מצרים והאופה

Q — The Torah seems to alternate confusingly between "משקה / אופה" (40:1) and "שר המשקים / שר האופים" (40:2-4) — and then in 40:5 the prisoners who dream are called "המשקה והאופה אשר אסורים." Are these one set of people or two? If one, why the inconsistency? If two, why are the *officers* in prison?

A — For Sforno: both — with a twist. The original sin (40:1) was committed by ordinary servants — "עבדי שר המשקים ועבדי שר האופים." Pharaoh got angry at the OFFICERS (40:2), "שלא השגיחו על עבדיהם" — they were responsible for failing to supervise. So the officers go to prison. Then in 40:5, "המשקה והאופה אשר אסורים בבית הסהר" describes the officers — but the deliberately humble titles "המשקה" and "האופה" capture their psychological state: "ולבם חלל בקרבם בלי מהרהר בשררה." They no longer experience themselves as שרים; they dream of themselves doing the menial work directly. The seemingly redundant "אשר אסורים" anchors this reading. And Yosef's pesher confirms it: "כמשפט הראשון אשר היית משקהו" — Pharaoh will signal his pleasure by *temporarily* restoring him to the intimate pre-officer role of personally serving the cup. Every word is precise.