Parashat Vayeshev

Joseph, with his ‘multi-coloured coat’ and his ability to interpret dreams, is one of the most familiar characters of the Torah. However, the simple legends and children’s tales about Joseph undermine the drama and serious issues raised by this week’s parsha. It is difficult to imagine a tension between brothers so deep that they would actually plot to kill one of their own but that is precisely what happens when Joseph is sent by his father to check on his brothers.

When Joseph is thrown into the pit, his brothers intend that he should die there. Commentators note how horrific it must have been for the seventeen year old to be in that pit full of scorpions and without water. In fact, we are told that his physical appearance was changed by the shock of that experience and that Joseph’s famous beauty only returned later.

Only through the intervention of Judah and the fortuitous passing by of a caravan of traders, is Joseph removed from this premature grave and sent to Egypt, where he is able to elevate himself from slave to trusted employee before his success and good looks once again bring him trouble. The parsha ends with Joseph in prison, with an uncertain future.

Joseph’s resilience is palpable. Like the Jewish people, he survives brotherly hatred, jealousy and intolerance. In order to survive, he kept in mind his father’s face, as we must keep in mind the faces and lessons of our fathers.