One night Pharaoh dreams two dreams which no one in his court can interpret.  The cupbearer remembers Joseph and brings him to Pharaoh.  Joseph tells Pharaoh that both dreams relay the same message.  There will be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine.  Joseph does not stop there.  He offers Pharaoh a plan for how to avoid disaster during the years of famine.  Pharaoh is impressed by Joseph and appoints him head of food collection and distribution.  

During the years of famine Jacob sends his sons, except for Benjamin, down to Egypt to buy grain.  The brothers appear before Joseph and he recognizes them.  Hiding his identity, Joseph accuses the brothers of being spies and decides to test them.  Joseph challenges the brothers to return with their youngest brother Benjamin.  

The brothers return with Benjamin, and Joseph continues his test.  After filling their order of grain, Joseph has his goblet placed in Benjamin’s bag.  Joseph then sends his men after his brothers and accuses them of theft.  When the goblet is found in Benjamin’s bag, Joseph declares that Benjamin must remain in Egypt as his slave, and that the other brothers are free to go.

How could Pharaoh have trusted Joseph to such a degree that he appointed him to be the main administrator of the plans to save Egypt from the shortages of the forthcoming famine?  True, Joseph was understanding and wise, but how could Pharaoh trust someone who was just released from prison and was previously a slave?

Rabbi Chayim Shmuelevitz, replied that Pharaoh saw Joseph’s extreme honesty in something he said before he related the interpretation of the dream.  Joseph began by saying to Pharaoh that he had no power to interpret dreams on his own.  It was entirely a gift from God.  Joseph did not want to take credit, even for a moment.  This total honesty in one minor point showed that Joseph could be completely trusted.  It is incredible to think about how many times “little” things go a long way toward establishing our credibility and have a big impact or make an impression on who we are and how we are perceived.