9 – Parashat Vayashav (וַיֵּשֶׁב) — “And Ya’aqov Dwelt”

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 37:1 – 40:23

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 37

And Ya’aqov dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
These are the generations of Ya’aqov. Yoceph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s women: and Yoceph brought unto his father their evil report.
Now Yashar’el loved Yoceph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
And Yoceph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
And Yashar’el said unto Yoceph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Yoceph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
And Re’uven heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
And Re’uven said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
And it came to pass, when Yoceph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Yoceph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Mitsrayim.
And Yahudah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Yoceph out of the pit, and sold Yoceph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Yoceph into Mitsrayim.
And Re’uven returned unto the pit; and, behold, Yoceph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
And they took Yoceph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.
And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Yoceph is without doubt rent in pieces.
And Ya’aqov rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
And the Midianites sold him into Mitsrayim unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard.

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 38

And it came to pass at that time, that Yahudah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
And Yahudah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelach: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
And Yahudah took a woman for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
And Er, Yahudah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahuah; and Yahuah slew him.
And Yahudah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s woman, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s woman, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
And the thing which he did displeased Yahuah: wherefore He slew him also.
Then said Yahudah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelach my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Yahudah’s woman died; and Yahudah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelach was grown, and she was not given unto him to be his woman.
When Yahudah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
And Yahudah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
And he returned to Yahudah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
And Yahudah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Yahudah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Yahudah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
And Yahudah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelach my son. And he knew her again no more.
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 39

And Yoceph was brought down to Mitsrayim; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Mitsriy, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
And Yahuah was with Yoceph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Mitsriy.
And his master saw that Yahuah was with him, and that Yahuah made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
And Yoceph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that Yahuah blessed the Mitsriy’s house for Yoceph’s sake; and the blessing of Yahuah was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
And he left all that he had in Yoceph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Yoceph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s woman cast her eyes upon Yoceph; and she said, Lie with me.
But he refused, and said unto his master’s woman, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his woman: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against Elohiym?
And it came to pass, as she spake to Yoceph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
And it came to pass about this time, that Yoceph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
And she laid up his garment by her, until his adoniy came home.
And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his woman, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
And Yoceph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
But Yahuah was with Yoceph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
And the keeper of the prison committed to Yoceph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because Yahuah was with him, and that which he did, Yahuah made it to prosper.

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 40

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Mitsrayim and his baker had offended their adoniy the king of Mitsrayim.
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Yoceph was bound.
And the captain of the guard charged Yoceph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward.
And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Mitsrayim, which were bound in the prison.
And Yoceph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad.
And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his adoniy’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Yoceph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to Elohiym? tell me them, I pray you.
And the chief butler told his dream to Yoceph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:
And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.
And Yoceph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Yoceph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
And Yoceph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand:
But he hanged the chief baker: as Yoceph had interpreted to them.
Yet did not the chief butler remember Yoceph, but forgat him.

Haftarah Parashat Vayashav (וַיֵּשֶׁב) — “And Ya’aqov Dwelt” – May 25th thru May 31st

Amos 2

Thus saith Yahuah; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kirioth: and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet:
And I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith Yahuah.
Thus saith Yahuah; For three transgressions of Yahudah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the Torah of Yahuah, and have not kept His commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:
But I will send a fire upon Yahudah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
Thus saith Yahuah; For three transgressions of Yashar’el, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;
That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane My set-apart name:
And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their elohiym.
Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.
Also I brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.
And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Yashar’el? saith Yahuah.
But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves.
Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:
Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.
And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith Yahuah.

Amos 3

Hear this word that Yahuah hath spoken against you, O children of Yashar’el, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Mitsrayim, saying,
You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and Yahuah hath not done it?
Surely Yahuah will do nothing, but he revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.
The lion hath roared, who will not fear? Yahuah hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Mitsrayim, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.
For they know not to do right, saith Yahuah, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
Therefore thus saith Adonai Yahuah; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.
Thus saith Adonai Yahuah; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Yashar’el be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
Hear ye, and testify in the house of Ya’aqov, saith Adonai Yahuah, the Elohai Tseva’oth,
That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Yashar’el upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.
And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith Yahuah.

Brit Ha’Dasha Parashat Vayashav (וַיֵּשֶׁב) — “And Ya’aqov Dwelt” – May 25th thru May 31st

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 1:18-25

18. Now the birth of Yahusha Ha’Mashiach was on this wise: When as his mother Miryam was espoused to Yoseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Ruach Ha’Qodesh.

19. Then Yoseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of Yah appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Yoseph, thou son of Da’vid, fear not to take unto thee Miryam thy woman: for that which is conceived in her is of the Ruach Ha’Qodesh.

21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Yahusha: for He shall save His people from their sins.

22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of Yah by the prophet, saying,

23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanu’el, which being interpreted is, El with me.

24. Then Yoseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of Yah had bidden him, and took unto him his woman:

25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called his name Yahusha.

9 – Parashat Vayashav (וַיֵּשֶׁב) — “And Ya’aqov Dwelt” – May 25th thru May 31st