Torah Commentary - Vayeshev
*Commentary courtesy of Menahem Me-Zahav
Our Sidra is named for its starting subject: “Vayeshev Ya’akov (And Jacob settled in) on the land of his parents – Canaan”. It tells us about the (uneasy) transition from Jacob’s generation to his children’s. This new generation is embroiled in fighting and ‘bad mouthing’ of one group of brothers against the other.
The daily routines of the family are consumed by clear signs of jealousy, mistrust and resentment of one towards the other.
Jacob’s family consists of 4 wives: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah. Leah has 6 sons: Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Issachar and Zebulun. Rachel has 2 sons: Joseph and Benjamin. The 2 wives Zilpah and Bilhah, who were servants prior to marrying Jacob, have 4 sons (2 each): Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
Joseph befriends the 4 brothers, sons of Zilpah and Bilhah. According to Nachmanides (1260 CE),
Joseph was a Good-Hearted young man. He had empathy for the 4 brothers. Being sons of 2 wives who were Leah and Rachel’s maids before marrying Jacob, the 4 brothers were looked at and treated, by Leah’s 6 sons, as ‘Low Class’ people. But Joseph himself, was far from being perfect. He told his father Jacob every bad news he heard from the 4 brothers (Who were supposed to be his confidants) regarding the other 6 sons of Leah. There are now 3 groups of brothers: The 6 sons of Leah, the 2 sons of Rachel and the 4 sons of the 2 former maids who became wives. There was no love lost between these 3 groups. Both, the 6 and the 4 brothers shared the hatred towards Joseph. Leah’s 6 sons because Joseph was telling Jacob about their misdeeds and the 4 sons of the former maids, deeply resented Joseph’s betrayal of their trust, in bringing to Jacob’s attention, whatever they told him in private.
Rachel, Joseph’s mother and also Jacob’s beloved wife is already dead for some 10 years. She died at Benjamin’s birth. Leah and the other 2 wives do not seem to be alive anymore. Joseph is now 17 years of age, Jacob is 108 years old and Joseph’s other 10 brothers are by now, grown up men. The oldest are already in their thirties.
Jacob is attached to his favorite son, Joseph. He gives Joseph the “Ketonet Passim” - “The Coat of Many Colors” (Genesis 37:3). This coat is not only beautiful, but in ancient days it was the kind of coat worn only by the noble. To make things between Joseph and his envious brothers even worse - Joseph reveals his dreams to them. It makes him even more hated than before. In the dreams that Joseph proudly tells them, he sees himself as mightier than all of them. Jacob is the only one who suspects that Joseph’s dreams are intended by God to tell them about their future, “And his brothers were jealous at him (Because of his dreams), but his father (Jacob) kept it in his mind” (Genesis 37:11).
As soon as they have a chance, the 10 brothers gang up on Joseph, they grab him and sell him as a slave, to some Ishmaelites, who happen to pass by. Joseph is sold, by the Ishmaelites into slavery in Egypt, where he will be spending the next 13 years of his life, first as a slave and later as a prisoner. The “coat of many colors” is dipped in animal blood by the brothers, and brought to their father Jacob, as a proof that Joseph is dead (Genesis 37:32-35).
Joseph, while in Egyptian prison, correctly interprets the dreams of 2 fellow prisoners, who had been prior officials at Pharaoh’s court. Joseph’s interpretations of the 2 dreams turn out to be fully accurate “And on Pharaoh’s birthday He [Pharaoh] made a Banquet…and he singled out [the 2 officials in prison] …Just as Joseph had interpreted to them” (Genesis 40:20-21).
The epic story of Joseph and his brothers will continue for 3 more Torah readings - the last of which will end the Book of Bereshit (Genesis). Soon we will learn, that Joseph’s own dreams (and the dreams he interprets while in the Egyptian prison) are divinely guided, and have an enormous effect, on the destiny of Jacob’s entire family (and by extension, on the development of the Jewish nation).
Special Maftir Reading for Shabbat Chanukah (From Numbers 7:18-23)
The Bible was canonized in the 6th Century BCE, a few hundred years prior to the era of the Maccabees, who lived in the 2nd Century BCE. Consequently, there is no reference in the Torah to Chanukah.
We read therefore about a different Chanukah, that did occur while the Jewish people were in the desert.
It is the “Chanukat Ha’Mishkan” - “The Inauguration of The Sanctuary”.
The daily reading during ‘our’ 8 days of Chanukah, corresponds to the daily celebration in the desert, that lasted actually 12 days (Since each day was dedicated to one Head of Tribe, and there were 12 Tribes).
On Shabbat Chanukah (today) we do follow the same custom. We use the Special Maftir Reading from another (The 2nd) Torah Scroll. Today is the 2nd day of Chanukah. We chant therefore for Maftir, from the corresponding 2nd day of celebration in the desert (Numbers 7:18-23 page 807).
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7, Page 1270
The prophecies of Zechariah were assembled with those of 11 other prophets into one Biblical Book named “Trei Assar” - “The twelve (Prophets)”. Zechariah was born in Babylonia (Circa 560 BCE) to a Kohanim family that was exiled some 30 years earlier at the destruction of the Temple. He stressed upon the importance of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Defeating the Babylonians (538 BCE) King Cyrus of Persia, issued a proclamation that permitted (and encouraged) the Jewish people to return to “Zion in Judea” and rebuild their Temple (Chronicles II, 36:22-23). Soon thereafter, a group of Jewish people arrived in Israel. They were stunned to find rampant destruction and desolation. Sabotage was inflicted by local adversaries that had settled there during the past 60 years of exile. The initial trial of rebuilding the Temple, failed.
After King Darius ascended to the throne of Persia, a second mission made its way to Israel (522 BCE). It was headed by Zerubbabel, the (new) Governor of Judea and Joshua the Kohen Gadol. Zachariah’s family was among the returnees. The re-building of the Temple was still not making any progress, causing widespread despair and anguish among the Jewish people.
In today’s Haftarah, Zechariah responds to an urgent national plea for divine intervention. He offers encouragement and hope to his Israelite brethren. They should be strong and keep their faith in God. God who ordained their return to their land will also make good on their total redemption. The Temple and the priesthood will soon be a reality. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for I will come and dwell among you - said the Lord. And on that day, many nations will follow The Lord and they will become His people, and He (God) will dwell in your (Israel) midst… And He will choose Jerusalem once again” (Zechariah 2:14-16).
As a reaffirmation of God’s total commitment towards Israel and the Temple, Zechariah is shown the symbol which every Jew adores, loves, and identifies with. It is The Seven Branched Menorah (Hence also the linkage to Chanukah) that will soon light again the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. “And the Angel who talked to me came back and he woke me up…And he said: What do you (Zechariah) see? And I answered: I have seen a Menorah of Gold...And seven candles on the Menorah…And I asked: What do these mean… And He then answered me: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (The Governor of Judea): Not by Might, Nor by Power, But by My Spirit, said The Lord. Whoever you are, O Great Mountain (obstructing) Zerubbabel’s pathway - you will (soon) turn into a Flattened Passage” (Zechariah 4:1-7).
We know today that Zechariah’s prophesy, was fully realized by the Jewish People. The Second Temple was inaugurated, less than a decade later (Circa 515 BCE).
Note: The above Haftarah is been chanted also on Shabbat BeHa’alotcha (Book of Bemidbar-Numbers).
