This week's 10-Minute Torah (December 17, 2022): Parashat Vayeshev 5782

Parashat Vayeshev 5783 / פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּשֶׁב

17 December 2022 / 23 Kislev 5783

https://youtu.be/UpNp8uymfXE

Parashat Vayeshev is the 9th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

Torah Portion: Genesis 37:1-40:23

Vayeshev (“He Settled”) begins the story of Joseph, describing his rivalry with his brothers, slavery in Egypt, and imprisonment after his master’s wife frames him in response to Joseph’s refusal of her advances. It also contains the story of Tamar, her husbands, and her father-in-law, Judah. [1]

Triennial year 1

1: 37:1-3 · 3 p’sukim ·

2: 37:4-7 · 4 p’sukim ·

3: 37:8-11 · 4 p’sukim ·

4: 37:12-17 · 6 p’sukim ·

5: 37:18-22 · 5 p’sukim ·

6: 37:23-28 · 6 p’sukim ·

7: 37:29-36 · 8 p’sukim ·

maf: 37:34-36 · 3 p’sukim ·

Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8 · 19 p’sukim

Commentary and Divrei Torah Sefaria OU Torah Jewish Theological Seminary American Jewish University

Soncino Chumash: pp. 141 - 145 Triennial Year 1 (Full Kriyah pp.141 - 151)

Artscroll Chumash: pp. 198 - 207 Triennial Year 1 (Full Kriyah pp. 198 - 221)

Etz Chaim Chumash: pp. 226 - 233 Triennial Year 1 (Full Kriyah pp. 226 - 245)

Parashat Vayeshev starts to explore Jacob’s son with Rachel, Joseph, and his relationships with his other brothers. Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son, first born of his favorite wife Rachel. While the other brothers are out doing work, tending to the flocks, Joseph is home with his father studying Torah.

The other brothers are jealous. This is compounded by the special woolen coat given to Joseph by Jacob. Joseph also has dreams that his brothers, as sheaves of wheat bow down to him, and as stars, along with Jacob as the sun and Bilhah, his substitute mother, as the moon, also bow down to him. In vengeance, they arrange for him to be sold off as a slave, ending up in Egypt.

So we see the consequences of favoritism among offspring. This is later the subject of negative commandments. It is interesting that this sets the stage for our migration to Egypt during a famine and Moses receiving the Ten Commandments.