VaYeshev (Genesis 37:1 – 40:23)

The portion is named וַיֵּשֶׁב, literally “and he dwelt”, because it begins with telling us that Jacob dwelt in Canaan.

This week’s portion begins with telling us about Jacob’s family. Joseph, the older of Rachel’s two sons, was Jacob’s favorite, and Jacob even made him a special long robe with sleeves. Joseph’s brothers were envious, and hated him so much that they did not even speak to him. In addition to hating Joseph because of his father’s love, Joseph also told his father and brothers of dreams he had, which the brothers understood to mean that Joseph thought they would bow down to him and that he would rule over them. This of course only added to their great hatred for him.

On one occasion, Jacob sent Joseph to find his brothers, who were tending their father’s flock near Shechem. When the brothers see Joseph coming, they decide to kill him and wish to throw him into a pit. Reuben wishes to save Joseph, and points to a specific desert pit in which they should throw Joseph. After taking off Joseph’s robe, the brothers throw him into the pit. Judah then suggests that instead of sinning and killing their brother that they sell him as a slave. Joseph is then sold to merchants passing by and taken to Egypt. Reuben only discovers this later and is in much distress. The brothers dip Joseph’s coat in an animal’s blood, and bring it to their father. Jacob mourns his son for many days and refuses to be comforted.

At this point, disturbing the sequence of the Joseph story, we hear of what happens with another one of Jacob’s sons – Judah. Judah was married to a woman, who bore him three sons. The oldest of them married a local woman named Tamar, and then died. The second than married her as part of his duties to raise an offspring for his brother, and died as well. Judah then told Tamar to remain in her father’s house until his youngest son was grown up, and we are told that he said this because he did not wish for another one of his sons to marry her. Some time later, when Tamar realizes that she is not being given to Judah’s son in marriage, she dresses up as a prostitute and seduces Judah. She takes his signet, cord, and staff as a pledge, for he does not have the payment she asked for with him. When Judah discovers that Tamar is pregnant, he orders to have her burned for adultery. However, she then presents his pledge, and he realizes what happened and admits that Tamar is more righteous than he himself is. Tamar gives birth to twin boys.

Meanwhile, Joseph has been taken down to Egypt and is very successful as a servant in the house of Potiphar, and officer of Pharaoh. However, Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him, and when he refuses, accuses him of trying to rape her. Joseph is immediately thrown into jail.

Some time later, two of Pharaoh’s closest servants – his cupbearer and his baker – join Joseph in jail. The two both have a strange dream on the same night, and Joseph interprets their dreams, telling them that in three days, the cup bearer will be reinstated, while the baker will be executed. He asks the cupbearer to remember him when he is released and help release him as well. Joseph’s explanation of the dreams is correct, and three days later the cupbearer is reinstated while the baker is executed. However, the cupbearer does not keep his promise and forgets Joseph.