Parshat Vayeshev: Genesis 37:1- 40:23 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week begins the tale of Joseph, the last great family drama in Genesis. Joseph is the first born son of Jacob and his beloved wife Rachel. Jacob had many other sons with Leah, and the two servants of Leah and Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah. But with his beloved Rachel for whom he worked for his uncle Laban for 14 years he only had two children, Joseph and then younger brother Benjamin. Rachel died during the birth of Benjamin.

Jacob doted on his son Joseph and in this week’s portion Joseph is given a special tunic by his father. This is the “coat of many colors” that is so often referred to earlier Biblical translations.

Joseph is favored by his father. Perhaps because Rachel and Jacob had tried so long to have a child of their own and Joseph was that first child between them. Then when Rachel dies in childbirth perhaps Jacob could not bear to favor the infant Benjamin because of his association with Rachel’s death.

But Jacob was raised in a household where parents favored children. His father Isaac favored his brother Esau because of his hunting prowess and his mother Rebecca favored Jacob because he was close to home. Even though Jacob had to flee his home and his parents and his brother because that favoritism led him to steal a blessing that was rightfully his brother’s, Jacob continues the family pattern of showing favoritism to one of his children.

We meet Joseph this week, young and clever like his own father. Joseph at seventeen is the conduit of information about his older brothers’ work ethic to their father. He is a young person perhaps supervising his older brothers and this doesn’t go over well with his brothers. He brings bad reports of his brothers to his father (Gen. 37:2).

And although this is the beginning of the rift between Joseph and his brothers—he is rewarded by his father for this tale-bearing with a special cloak. But the gift of this special tunic could also mean that Joseph was favored by his own father to become the head of the clan. This favoritism further rubs salt in the growing wound between the brothers. You can almost hear the other brothers in the background saying, “How could our father favor this young upstart over all of us, hard working more mature shepherds?”

But this isn’t enough for the young smarmy Joseph, he goes on to describe the dreams and visions that he has to his brothers. These are the first two of six dreams that are part of the Joseph tale. Like his father Jacob, Joseph has a special gift. One commentator tells us that in verse 37:7 as Joseph describes his dream to his brothers, he takes special delight in the fact that it indicates he will be greater than them. The word hinei or vhinei is used three times in one verse. This usage tells us Joseph took special joy in the dream and used it as a way to taunt his brothers. But in describing these dreams to his brothers he merely angers them more. The dreams are indeed prophetic but his brothers are resentful of the implications that Joseph will rule over them. In their eyes they see a seventeen year old boy who will become the head of their clan. This isn’t how succession is supposed to go. “And they hated him even more for his talk about his dreams” (Gen. 37:8).

Family dynamics can be tricky and a delicate balance of egos and needs. As many of us visit with our families during the Chanukah and Holiday season many of may re-enter a world not too different from Joseph and his own brothers with grudges and resentments that play out during our visits. It is good to use the Joseph story to remind ourselves that our words and actions towards our family members and our friends often have implications far beyond the moment. We would do well to guard our speech and as the great Chofetz Chayim taught to refrain from lashon harah, gossip and slander and provocation and instead reflect the values of humility and kindness toward others in our actions and in our words.

Posted by Jimmy at December 15, 2008 01:14 PM