The interpretive leap from spatial objects to periods of time demanded that Joseph possess a deep understanding of numerical symbolism. Beginning with the first book of Kabbalah attributed to Abraham (Joseph’s great-grandfather), the number three refers to the three inner, intellectual sefirot of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, while the number seven refers to the seven lower sefirot, associated with emotional and behavioral traits.
One of the differences between the intellect and the emotional/habitual realm is that the intellect operates primarily within the individual, inside his or her private realm, while the behavioral characteristics are primarily directed outwards. As a result, the three intellectual faculties are more unified, and the seven emotional/habitual faculties are more differentiated. This is also hinted to in the description of the seven as “doubles.” Joseph thus understood that in the dreams of the butler and baker the number three signified a single span of three days, after which the butler and the baker’s private fates would be determined but in Pharaoh’s dreams, each span of seven years would be separate.
How did Joseph know that the number three signified days while the number seven signified years.
The clue to this insight comes from the objects themselves. In Hebrew, objects have gender. Both the baskets and the branches are masculine in Hebrew, which is reflected in the number three: “three (m) branches” (םִיגִרָּה שָׁשֹלְׁש) and “three (m) baskets” (יִרֹי חֵּלַה סָׁשֹלְׁש). Both the ears of grain and the cows are feminine and once again this is reflected in the number seven: “seven (f ) ears of grain” (יםִלֳּבִׁע שַבֶׁש) and “seven (f ) cows” (עַבֶׁש תֹרוָּפ). Incredibly, “day” (םֹיו) in Hebrew is masculine but “year” (הָנָׁש) is feminine. It seems that Joseph simply associated the masculine three with a masculine unit of time—a day—and the feminine seven with a feminine unit of time—a year!
The Hebrew root of the word meaning “year” also means change. Thus, Joseph intuited that the seven lean cows and the unhealthy ears of grain consuming the seven fat cows and the seven healthy ears of grain, signified a process that would occur over a considerable length of time. Joseph’s ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams correctly was also due to his awareness of the mystical insight found in the Midrash that kings dream not just about themselves, but about the future of the world.
