Dec 7, 20232 min read

Parshas Vayeshev

Zechus for all the soldiers on the front lines in Israel to stay safe and succeed! Zechus for the hostages to be returned safely and the wounded and grieving to recover from the terrible tragedy that occurred on Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah

Zechus Refuah Sheleima: Miriam bas Chana

Le'iluy Nishmas: Gittel a"h bas Shraga Meir Hakohen

Le'iluy Nishmas Tziporah Chana a"h bas Yaakov Avraham Eliyahu

Zechus Refuah Sheleima for Yuval ben Sagit (A soldier that was injured)

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Another great Parsha with many ideas for your Parsha Party.

Parsha Overview (Feel free to skip straight to the Party below - simply click the arrow next to this text and the overview will disappear.)

VAYESHEV

Yaakov settles in Eretz Canaan (in Chevron) with his family. He has a special love for his son Yosef above all the brothers and he gives him special treatment including a special multi-stripe-colored coat. Yosef is 17. Yosef was therefore hated amongst his brothers, particularly the sons of Leah, because he would tell his father on the things they did wrong.

One night he has a dream that he tells his brothers. In the dream there are 11 bundles of wheat bowing down to his bundle of wheat which stood straight and tall. His brothers mocked this dream and hated him more. He has another dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. He tells his brothers and father and this only makes them hate him more. His father rebukes him for bringing more hate on himself with sharing the dreams with them.

One day while the brothers were out shepherding in Shechem, Yaakov sends Yosef to go check on his brothers. His brothers see him coming and plot to kill him and tell their father that a wild beast attacked him. Reuven suggests that they throw him in a pit instead of killing him, with the intention to later return and save him from the pit. When Yosef arrives, they grab his coat and his shirt and throw him into an empty pit. It had no water but it had creepy snakes and scorpions. (Rashi)

A Caravan of Yishmaelim passes by with spices and Yehuda tells the brothers to sell Yosef to them instead of letting him die. When Reuven returns to save Yosef, he sees that he is no longer there and he tears his clothing. The brothers took Yosef’s special coat and dipped it into the blood of a baby goat and told Yaakov they found the coat and cause him to believe that Yosef must have been attacked by a wild beast. Yaakov is heartbroken and mourns Yosef for many days and refused to be comforted

(An interesting Rashi – The pesukim here hint to the idea that the shevatim were all born with twin sisters and married the sisters as it says that the daughters of Yaakov also tried to comfort him).

Yosef was sold from the Yishmaelim to Midyanim and the Midyanim sold him to Potiphar in Mitzrayim, the Officer of the butchers.

The parsha takes a break to share the story of Yehuda and his sons. Yehuda gets married and has 3 children. Er, Onan, and Shelah. He marries off his son Er to Tamar. Er sins and dies without children. Yehuda tells his son Onen to do Yibum and marry Tamar. Onen also sins and Hashem causes him to die. Yehuda sends Tamar back home to her father’s house as he is afraid that his third son will also sin and die if he marries her. Tamar knows that it is important for her to have a child in Yehuda’s family so she tricks Yehuda into marrying her. She gives birth to twins named Peretz and Zerach. (Dovid Hamelech will come from Peretz in the future).

The pesukim revert back to the story of Yosef in the house of Potiphar. Hashem is with Yosef and makes him successful with everything he does and he is soon appointed over his master’s field. The pasuk tells us that Yosef had a very nice appearance. The wife of Potiphar tries to attack him and he runs away. She twists the story and tells her husband Potiphar that Yosef tried to attack her. Yosef is thrown into prison for his offense. Hashem was with Yosef in prison and gains favor in the eyes of the warden. He puts Yosef in charge of the other prisoners.

In prison, Yosef is joined by Paraoh’s chief butler and chief baker. A fly had been found in a drink and a rock in the bread (Rashi). Both officers had a dream the same night and Yosef saw that they were troubled. The Sar Hamashkim (Butler) dreamed of a grapevine with three branches that bloomed and he squeezed the grapes into Paraoh’s cup and placed it in Paraoh’s hand. Yosef interprets his dream that in three days Paraoh will return him to his position in the palace. He tells him to remember him and mention him to Paraoh when he goes back.

The Sar HaOfim (baker) tells Yosef his dream that there were three wicker baskets on his head and the birds were eating food from the top basket that was filled with Paraoh’s food. Yosef interprets the dream that in 3 days Paraoh will kill and hang the baker. Yosef’s interpretations come true and on the third day in middle of Paraoh’s birthday party he returns the Sar Hamashkim and hangs the Sar HaOfim. The Sar Hamashkim forgets about Yosef. (Adapted partially from In a Nutshell by Chabad.org and The Medrash says)