Vayeshev
Vayeshev or Vayeishev (וישב – Hebrew for “and he lived,” the first word of the parshah) is the ninth weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 37:1–40:23. Jews in the Diaspora read it the ninth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in December.
Summary
Joseph the dreamer
Joseph, Jacob's favorite son, was hated by his brothers because of his dreams predicting his future dominion. The brothers sold Joseph secretly to a caravan of Ishmaelitic merchants going to Egypt. His brothers told Jacob that a wild animal devoured Joseph.
Midianites carried Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials.
Judah and Tamar
Tamar was married to Judah’s eldest son, Er. (Gen. 38:6). After Er died, Tamar married Onan, his brother. (Gen. 38:8). On Onan’s death, Judah promised Tamar that his third son, Shelah, would become her husband. This promise was not fulfilled. Tamar disguised herself as a temple prostitute and offered herself to her father-in-law Judah. She claimed his staff and signet as pledge of payment. When she later became pregnant and Judah accused her of fornication, she produced the staff and signet and identified Judah himself as the father.
Joseph and Potiphar
Joseph gained Potiphar’s confidence. But when Potiphar’s wife, unable to seduce him, accused him falsely, he was cast into prison. There he correctly interpreted the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners, Pharaoh's butler and baker.
Commandments
According to Maimonides and Sefer HaHinnuch, there are no commandments in the parshah.
Haftarah
The haftarah for the parshah is Amos 2:6–3:8.
References in Classical Sources
The parshah is cited or discussed in these classical sources:
- Philo, On the Unchangeableness of God 25:119
- Josephus, Antiquities 2:2:1–2:5:3.
- Mishnah: Megillah 4:10.
- Tosefta: Berachot 4:16; 4:18; Sanhedrin 1:3; Sotah 6:6; 9:3; Niddah 1:7.
- Babylonian Talmud: Berachot 7b, 34b, 43b, 55a; Shabbat 22a, 49b; Pesachim 50a; Yoma 35b; Megillah 10b, 22b; Chagigah 3a; Yevamot 34b, 59a; Ketubot 67b; Nazir 23a, 23b; Sotah 3b, 7b, 9a, 10a, 10b, 11a, 13b, 36b, 43a; Baba Kama 92a; Baba Metzia 59a, 117a; Baba Batra 109b, 123a; Sanhedrin 6b, 19b, 52b, 102a, 106a; Shevuot 16b; Makkot 9a,10a, 23b; Avodah Zarah 5a, 36b; Horayot 10b; Zevachim 88b; Chullin 92a, 113a; Arachin 15b, 16a; Niddah 8b, 13a, 13b, 28a.
- Qur'an: 12:4–42.