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This Shabbat’s parasha is entitled Vayeshev, meaning, “…and he dwelt”. Jacob is back in Canaan. Our attention turns to Joseph, who’s now 17 years-old. Because Joseph was the first-born by Jacob’s late, beloved wife Rachel, Jacob lavishes his greatest affections on Joseph, which doesn’t sit well with Joseph’s brothers. They resent him. The situation is compounded by a bad report Joseph brings his father about the substandard work of his siblings.
And it gets worse. Jacob gives Joseph an extravagant robe. Some Bible versions translate it a full-length or multi-colored robe”. Textual and archaeological evidence from that period reveals that tribal chiefs wore such robes as a sign of authority. By giving this extraordinary robe to Joseph, Jacob signaled his intent to make Joseph the next leader of the family. This explains the growing resentment of the brothers.
And it gets worse yet. Joseph has two remarkable dreams, in which he is exalted above his brothers and even his father. And he tells them all about it. They’re not happy. Jacob rebukes Joseph, but also keeps the matter in mind. But the brothers are livid.
When Joseph is sent once again to check on his brothers, they see him from a distance and plot to kill him. Reuben, wanting to save Joseph’s life, suggests instead that they throw him in a pit, figuring he’ll rescue him later; and the others go along. They sit down to eat (probably far away from the pit, so they won’t have to listen to him scream for help).
Suddenly they see an Ishmaelite caravan and they devise a plan. Why not sell him as a slave instead? It’s better than murder, and they’ll have a few shekels to show for it.
But before they had a chance to retrieve Joseph, some Midianite traders had already happened upon him and they sold him to the Ishmaelites. Reuben returns to the pit… and Joseph is gone!
The brothers concoct a lie: they tear Joseph’s beautiful robe, dip it in the blood of a slaughtered animal, and bring it to their father. Jacob, seeing the torn and bloodied robe, concludes that Joseph is dead. He is devastated! After that, Jacob is a broken man.
Meanwhile, Joseph has been taken to Egypt and sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s personal guard. Our hearts grieve for Joseph, whose circumstances, for the moment, seem especially bitter.
And now our attention is turned back to Canaan. Judah’s Canaanite wife had borne him three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. Judah’s wife died, leaving him a widower. Some years later, Judah arranges a marriage between Er and a young woman named Tamar. We’re told that Adonai regarded Er as evil and took his life. Judah directs Onan to fulfill the duty of Levirate marriage and take Tamar as his wife. This is interesting, because these events predate the giving of the Torah by over 400 years, so apparently some of these practices were already in place. Onan, however, refuses to give Tamar children, since they would not be his own, and on account of this callous disregard, God takes his life, too.
Now Judah is afraid to give his last son, Shelah, to Tamar, lest he also die. So he delays… and delays. Tamar finally figures out that this marriage isn’t going to happen, so she takes matters into her own hands. Disguising herself as a prostitute, she lures Judah into having relations with her. Three months later, Tamar is discovered to be pregnant. Judah presumes she committed adultery.
But before he can have her put to death, she reveals that he himself is the father. He admits his own guilt in reneging on his promise to give Tamar to Shelah. He never has relations with her again. She gives birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.
Why does Scripture highlight such a repulsive course of events? Because, as we discover later, it is Judah who will be preeminent among Jacob’s sons. Through Judah will trace Messiah’s ancestry, and it wasn’t to be through Er, Onan or Shelah, but rather Perez – Judah’s son by Tamar. It may be scandalous, but God chooses people and circumstances in His own wisdom, to accomplish His own purposes. If you’ve made grievous mistakes in your life, don’t think that God cannot redeem those things and turn your life for good and to His glory!
The narrative cuts back to Joseph, now a slave in Egypt. His work for Potiphar is exemplary. God was with Joseph, and prospered everything he did. Potiphar recognized something extraordinary in Joseph, and put him in charge of his entire household. At one point, Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce Joseph and he refuses. He’s a godly young man – he will not offend Adonai. Day after day she persists, to no avail, and finally turns on Joseph, telling Potiphar that he tried to rape her. Potiphar is furious, but instead of putting Joseph to death, consigns him to prison. Poor Joseph! Innocent of any wrongdoing, yet betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and now falsely accused and imprisoned!
But even there, God was with him, and the chief jailer sensed it. Some time later Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker are put in prison, and Joseph supervises them. One morning they look particularly dejected, and Joseph inquires. Each had a strange dream the night before. Joseph interprets their dreams: in three days the cupbearer will be restored to office, and the baker will be hanged. He beseeches the cupbearer to remember him when it happens, and petition Pharaoh for his release.
Three days later the events transpire just as Joseph said. The baker is hanged and the cupbearer restored to office. But the cupbearer completely forgot about Joseph, and he would remain in prison for another two years!
Joseph’s undeserved humiliation and suffering led some ancient rabbis to ascribe the title “Ben Yosef” to the Messiah. Messiah, too, would be innocent, yet be despised and betrayed by His own for a sum of money. Joseph’s brothers never imagined they would see him again. They were wrong. We’ll find out next Shabbat, Lord willing, how dramatically things turned around. Likewise, Messiah Yeshua’s death was not to be the end of the story. From the pits to the heights!
How can we apply this? If you were in Joseph’s place, maybe you’d have felt abandoned by God. But God was with him. This was all part of His Divine plan! Those years produced patience and humility in Joseph. Hardship can do that for us. Don’t interpret your immediate circumstances as either proving God’s favor or disfavor. We don’t know the end of a matter from the beginning. Perhaps Rabbi Paul had Joseph in mind when he wrote, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.” Joseph loved Him. If we’ll cling to Adonai amid hardship, we’ll be better for it. He is shaping our character in preparation for the eternity we will spend with Him.