וימאן... הן אדני לא ידע אתי מה בבית
The word va’yimaein, “And he (Yosef), adamantly refused,” has above it a shalsheles, which is one of the tamei ha’mikra, cantillation marks, rarely used in the Torah. The few times it is used, it is for the purpose of underscoring something specific. In this case, it notes the degree of refusal manifest by Yosef – adamant. The word shalsheles means chain, which lends itself to an inspirational story that adds commentary to this unique cantillation mark. Our story takes place during the dread Spanish Inquisition, when Jewish life in Spain and Portugal became meaningless, and Jewish blood flowed like water….
