Vayeshev: profit

Vayeshev: profit 

 

In Vayeshev Joseph is repeatedly betrayed; and in every instance, he does something that leaves him less than blameless.

He is betrayed by his brothers, sold to the Ishamalites.  But he has informed them, through his transparent dreams, that he will be the heir to the legacy, he will rule over the clan, he will be the Yaakov ( and they will be the Esau), He will be the Yitzchok and they will be the Ishmail... so they sell him to the Ishmailites.

 

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Yehudah changes the plot from murder to slave trading.

 

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה, אֶל-אֶחָיו:  מַה-בֶּצַע, כִּי נַהֲרֹג אֶת-אָחִינוּ, וְכִסִּינוּ, אֶת-דָּמוֹ.  כז לְכוּ וְנִמְכְּרֶנּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים, וְיָדֵנוּ אַל-תְּהִי-בוֹ, כִּי-אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ, הוּא; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ, אֶחָיו  26

And Judah said unto his brethren: 'What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh.' And his brethren hearkened unto him.

 

please notice the use of the word שְׁמְע: the root of Yishmael, meaning listen. What do brothers listen to? Whom does Yishmael listen to?

 

Also compare this passage  with the passage in Psalms (30)

 

:מַה-בֶּצַע בְּדָמִי,    בְּרִדְתִּי אֶל-שָׁחַת:
הֲיוֹדְךָ עָפָר;    הֲיַגִּיד אֲמִתֶּךָ.
יא  שְׁמַע 

 

'What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? {N}
Shall the dust praise Thee? shall it declare Thy truth?

 

Today is Black Friday, the day of profit. 

 

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Joseph is betrayed by the Aisheth Potifar.  But the extraordinary shalsheleth cantillation mark on the word Vayimaen ( he delayed) emphasizes this word and implies Joseph's (natural) ambivalence about the situation.

Joseph is betrayed by the royal wine steward.  The wine steward is acutely aware of palace politics.  Joseph has demonstrated his extraordinary gifts.  Who needs the competition? Ma betza?

Vayishlach: Trojan Horse

Vayishlach: Trojan Horse

 

The point of the parsha comes toward the end, when we read (36:6-7):

ו  וַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו אֶת-נָשָׁיו וְאֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בְּנֹתָיו, וְאֶת-כָּל-נַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ, וְאֶת-מִקְנֵהוּ וְאֶת-כָּל-בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְאֵת כָּל-קִנְיָנוֹ, אֲשֶׁר רָכַשׁ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-אֶרֶץ, מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָחִיו.	6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan; and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
ז  כִּי-הָיָה רְכוּשָׁם רָב, מִשֶּׁבֶת יַחְדָּו; וְלֹא יָכְלָה אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵיהֶם, לָשֵׂאת אֹתָם--מִפְּנֵי, מִקְנֵיהֶם.	7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle.

 ( note the similarity to Avraham and Lot)

The beginning of the parsha is Jacob's invasion of the land.  Jacob's claim to possession is the Blessing that he recieved from Yitzchok, which he received based upon his prior purchase of the birthright.  What a convoluted ( and vague) deal!

But it is possible that all Esau wanted was the wealth... and Jacob surrenders this to him without the need for battle.  So Esau walks away.  Esau's offers to accompany Jacob and his clan are possibly an offer to unify their people by intermarriage- politely refused by father Jacob,

 

The next offer to assimilate, with the Hivite people of Shechem is also ( less politely) declined. This tradition of brother's involved in their sister's marriage ( Lavan and Rivka; Shimon and Levi and Dinah) is mysterious to me.

 

The questions are:  who will posses the land? what will the settlement look like? when is an act defensive? When is a deal a trap? Which side am I on?

army of Israel

 

ambiguity

 

2 state solution

 

 

 

what is in a name

Vayishlach: Trojan Horse

Vayishlach: Trojan Horse

 

The point of the parsha comes toward the end, when we read (36:6-7):

ו  וַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו אֶת-נָשָׁיו וְאֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בְּנֹתָיו, וְאֶת-כָּל-נַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ, וְאֶת-מִקְנֵהוּ וְאֶת-כָּל-בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְאֵת כָּל-קִנְיָנוֹ, אֲשֶׁר רָכַשׁ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן; וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-אֶרֶץ, מִפְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אָחִיו.	6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan; and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
ז  כִּי-הָיָה רְכוּשָׁם רָב, מִשֶּׁבֶת יַחְדָּו; וְלֹא יָכְלָה אֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵיהֶם, לָשֵׂאת אֹתָם--מִפְּנֵי, מִקְנֵיהֶם.	7 For their substance was too great for them to dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle.

 ( note the similarity to Avraham and Lot)

The beginning of the parsha is Jacob's invasion of the land.  Jacob's claim to possession is the Blessing that he recieved from Yitzchok, which he received based upon his prior purchase of the birthright.  What a convoluted ( and vague) deal!

But it is possible that all Esau wanted was the wealth... and Jacob surrenders this to him without the need for battle.  So Esau walks away.  Esau's offers to accompany Jacob and his clan are possibly an offer to unify their people by intermarriage- politely refused by father Jacob,

 

The next offer to assimilate, with the Hivite people of Shechem is also ( less politely) declined. This tradition of brother's involved in their sister's marriage ( Lavan and Rivka; Shimon and Levi and Dinah) is mysterious to me.

 

The questions are:  who will posses the land? what will the settlement look like? when is an act defensive? When is a deal a trap? Which side am I on?

army of Israel

 

ambiguity

 

2 state solution

 

 

 

what is in a name