Dream a little Dream

Parshat Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1-40:23

Vayeishev, the ninth parsha in Breishit, the book of Genesis, begins its final extended narrative: the story of Joseph.

Joseph was the beloved son of his father Jacob - in fact, the Torah says that Jacob/Israel loved him best of all his son, and, accordingly, had made for him an ornamented tunic, the better with which to show his affection. When his brothers saw this preference, they hated the boy so much that they could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream, which he told to his brothers, after which they hated him even more. In this dream, Joseph and his brothers worked in a field binding sheaves of wheat, when his sheaf stood up and remained upright. His brothers' sheaves gathered around and bowed low to his sheaf. His brothers, quite angered by this image of their younger brother ruling over them, confronted him, asking if Joseph thought he was better than them and that he would one day rule over them.

Unfortunately he dreamed another dream, this time consisting of celestial objects in the sky - the sun, the moon, and eleven stars, all bowing down to our friend, Joseph. He, of course, relayed his dream to his father and brothers, and Jacob berated him, saying "What is this dream you have dreamed? Are we to come, I, your mother, and your brothers, and bow low to you to the ground?" Again, his brothers' hatred grew even more, and this time, even Jacob was keeping an eye on the situation.

Joseph's brothers, by this point, had quite enough of their boastful youngest brother, and they found a way to sell him to a passing caravan heading for Egypt for twenty pieces of silver. They took Joseph's special garment, the evidence of Jacob's favoritism, and smeared it with the blood of a young goat, making it look as if the boy had been horribly mauled by a wild beast. They brought this tunic back to their father, who mourned the death of this favored child, unaffected by their attempts to comfort him. Meanwhile, Jacob was carried away to Egypt by the Midianites, who sold him to Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward.

Even though he was in a strange land, Joseph began to prosper. He became Potiphar's personal assistant, eventually putting him in charge of all his household. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potiphar also appreciated Joseph, trying to lure him into compromising situations. Joseph rebuffed her advances, causing her to accuse him of taking advantage of her. Potiphar, believing his wife, cast Joseph out and had him emprisoned.

While in prison, Joseph met up with two men who had served the Pharoah - a cupbearer and a baker - but had unfortunately angered him to the point of being emprisoned themselves. Both of these former servents and dreams that confounded them; one morning, Joseph came upon them and asked what was the matter, for they seemed distressed. They shared these troubling dreams, and Joseph, quite a whiz with dreams and interpretation, helped the men find the meaning behind the dreams. Ultimately the dreams fortold of the reinstatement of the cupbearer to Pharoah's palace and the unfortunate demise of the baker - both of these prophecies came true. And while the poor baker lost his life, the cupbearer was reinstated to his position, and the parsha concludes with the cliffhanger, "Yet the cupbearer did not think of Joseph; he forgot him." What happens to Joseph? Does he stay in prison forever? Does the cupbearer remember his helpful friend? Tune in next week for Parshat Mikeitz, the continuation of the Joseph story.

Questions for your Shabbat table:

• This parsha, we are told, gives us the story of Joseph at the tender age of seventeen, and can be seen as a story of a young, immature teenager, especially in how he treats his brothers. Give an example from the past week/month when you felt or acted very maturely, and one in which you felt or acted immaturely. Describe what was different between these two experiences and why you acted in these ways.
• Based on the events read in this parsha, do you think Joseph's brothers regreted their actions? Why or why not?
• Do you remember your dreams? Do you ever tell them to other people? Do your dreams make sense to you, or are they difficult to understand?

In honor of this week's portion, we'll skip g-dcast for the week (don't despair - you can still view it, in a hip hop style, here), and instead, enjoy this related video, from the film version of Jacob and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: