Va-Yeishev / Genesis 37:1 ~ 40:23

Va-Yeishev: He Dwelt

This week’s Parshah (וַיֵּשֶׁב) tells the story of Jacob and his family; how Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph, was sold into slavery in Egypt; how Judah wronged his daughter-in-law; and how Joseph was thrown in prison in Egypt after being falsely accused of accosting Potiphar’s wife.

Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons and bestowed many gifts upon him, including the infamous coat of many colors. Joseph’s brothers were envious of him. Joseph had a knack for interpreting dreams. Once, Joseph had a dream in which he and his brothers were in the field binding sheaves and all the brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. In another dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph. Joseph told his family that this meant they would all be bowing down to him one day.

The brothers conspired to kill Joseph and tell Jacob that a wild beast had devoured him. Reuben, however, persuaded his brothers not to kill Joseph, but to throw him into a pit and rescue him later. Joseph’s brothers took his coat of many colors and threw him in a pit. Soon, soon traveling Ishmaelites came by. Judah convinced his brothers to sell Joseph to the traveling merchants came by. Joseph was sold and brought to Egypt, where he became enslaved to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard.

This transpired without Reuben’s knowledge. Reuben was quite upset when he learned that Joseph was no longer in his custody. The brothers took Joseph’s coat of many colors and dipped it in goat’s blood. They brought it to Jacob, who recognized it as his beloved son’s garment. Jacob was grieved, believing at his son had been killed by a wild beast. Jacob could not be consoled by the lost of his beloved son.

The narrative then takes a turn and focuses on Judah. Judah had married the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. He and his wife had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er was supposed to marry Tamar, but because Er was a wicked man, G~d had him killed. Under existing law, the next son was supposed to step in and perform a brother’s duty and have children with Tamar in Er’s name. Knowning that any children born of this union would not be considered his, Onan “spilled his seed” and G~d killed him. Judah told Tamar that she could remain as a widow in his house until his youngest son was of a marriageable age. Judah, however, had no intention of letting his youngest son marry Tamar.

One day after Shelah had grown and his wife had died, Judah went to Timnah. Tamar took off her widow’s robes and put on a veil and sat by the road waiting for Judah. Judah, thinking she was a harlot, offered Tamar a goat for her services. He gave Tamar his signet ring and staff as a pledge for payment. He lay with her and she conceived.

Jacob later learned that Tamar had played the harlot and become pregnant. He ordered her to be burned. She still held the signet ring and staff, however, and presented them to Jacob, saying that they belong to the father of her child. Judah acknowledged the items as his and spared her life, noting that she was more righteous than he was because he had failed to give her his youngest son in marriage.

In keeping with the motif of Genesis, Tamar gave birth to twin boys. One baby put a hand out and the midwife tied a red string around his wrist. He drew his hand back in and his brother ultimately was born first.

The narrative again turned to Joseph and his work with Potiphar. Joseph was very handsome and Potiphar’s wife continually tried to get him to sleep with her. He was not interested. One day, however, she pulled off his garment, even though he fled. When Potiphar returned home, his wife held up Joseph’s clothing and accused Joseph of rape. Potipher had Joseph thrown into prison.

Two of Joseph’s cell mates were also the Pharoah’s butler and baker. Each of them had dreams, which they asked Joseph to interpret. The butler’s dream foretold of his release from prison. The baker’s dream foretold of his demise. Joseph asked the butler to let Pharaoh know of his ability to interpret dreams. Unfortunately, once the butler had been freed, he forgot about Joseph.