בראשית, פרק מ״א, פסוק נ׳

At the peak of his success in Egypt, as he amassed unprecedented wealth and grain, Joseph’s ultimate triumph was realized in his fertility and the establishment of his family [אור החיים]. The birth of Ephraim and Manasseh was not merely a physical milestone, but a profound spiritual victory. Raising children who maintained their distinct identity within the heart of Egyptian society required extraordinary divine providence [רש ר הירש]. Some traditions even suggest that the brothers were born as twins [רד״ק, ברכת אשר]. Emphasizing that Joseph had these children exclusively with Asenath highlights his devotion, as he took no other wives [רד״ק]. Identifying her father as an Egyptian priest underscores the sheer magnitude of Joseph's achievement. Despite being an isolated Jew married into an idolatrous culture, he succeeded in raising holy descendants who would eventually become a blessing for all of Israel [רש ר הירש].

The specific timing of their birth, occurring during the final year of plenty just before the famine began [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], carries deep historical significance. It directly explains why Jacob, upon arriving in Egypt at the onset of the crisis, formally adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own. Jacob specifically designated the sons born prior to his arrival as his own tribes, distinguishing them from any children Joseph might have fathered later [רשב״ם, שד״ל].

This precise timing also establishes a fundamental behavioral principle: an individual should refrain from marital relations during a time of famine [רש״י, כלי יקר, רבנו בחיי, לבוש האורה]. Even though Joseph lacked nothing and enjoyed immense personal wealth, he consciously abstained to share in the collective suffering of the starving public. Because he chose to participate in their distress, he ultimately merited to witness their relief [בעל הטורים, אור החיים]. However, this restriction is primarily intended to prevent indulging in physical pleasure during a period of communal tragedy, rather than to cancel the fundamental commandment to procreate [דברי דוד].

This framework creates an intriguing dilemma regarding Levi, who fathered Jochebed during the very same famine as his family traveled to Egypt. The primary approach among commentators is that individuals who have not yet fully completed the commandment to procreate are permitted to maintain relations during a famine [רבנו בחיי, שפתי חכמים, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, פרדס יוסף]. Since Levi did not yet have a daughter, he was exempt from the restriction. This naturally raises the question of why Joseph abstained, as he too lacked a daughter. Some suggest Joseph believed that having two sons fully satisfied his obligation [כלי יקר, הדר זקנים, דעת זקנים, פרדס יוסף]. Others propose that Joseph knew through divine inspiration that he was not destined to have more children [פני דוד, לבוש האורה], or that he actually did have a daughter who passed away [לבוש האורה]. Alternatively, the mention of his father-in-law's family hints back to the earlier incident with Potiphar's wife, suggesting a spiritual consequence. Although Joseph was originally worthy of fathering twelve tribes just like his father Jacob, that episode limited him to only two sons [אלשיך].

Beyond the obligation to procreate, commentators offer various other explanations for the differing behavior between Joseph and Levi. One perspective focuses on their proximity to the suffering. Joseph was deeply exposed to the agonizing cries of the Egyptian masses and harbored intense anxiety for his family in Canaan, prompting him to adopt a stricter standard of empathy. Levi, however, knew his father possessed abundant grain. Since his immediate family was secure, he did not feel obligated to mourn for the surrounding nations [הטור הארוך, ריב״א, פענח רזא, חזקוני, צאינה וראינה, אור החיים]. Other scholars suggest that abstaining during a famine is a standard of exceptional piety rather than an absolute rule, one that Joseph voluntarily accepted upon himself [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף]. The distinction might also lie in the nature of the famine itself. The restriction may apply exclusively to a catastrophic, life-threatening starvation like the one in Egypt, rather than a more typical drought [העמק דבר], or specifically to a famine with a predetermined duration of seven years, as opposed to an open-ended crisis [גור אריה]. Finally, another view suggests Levi engaged in relations just before embarking on the journey to Egypt, fulfilling a specific obligation to bring joy to his wife prior to traveling [משכיל לדוד].