Vayigash: avoidance

Every approach has within it an avoidance. Otherwise, there would be no approach, only and arrival. Approach implies some kind of fear, awe.

There are several approaches in Vayigash. Judah approaches Joseph. He is afraid of the viceroy of the world’s greatest power, the source of the food the sustains the world. He is afraid of what he is going to offer- himself- in exchange for the release of his half brother Benjamin.

When Israel and his clan move to Egypt, to a place called Goshen (similar to Vavigash, approach), they do so out of fear of starvation or impoverishment and they are probably upset about leaving the Promised Land. Gd needs to reassure Jacob that the move is OK.

The whole world comes to Joseph with trepidation. All the money is spent, the livestock has been sold, the people sell themselves and their land to Pharoah. They are scared of what they need and they are scared of what they are offering.

This is courtship.

Vayeshev: The Prince

The parsha deals with mastery and subordination.
It begins after Yaakov is established as the ruler of Canaan by virtue of Aysov’s departure.
The choice of Joseph as the favorite, presumably the blessed heir ( in the mold of Jacob), sets the stage for his dreams of domination.
These dreams, in turn, lead to Joseph’s degradation into slavery, preserving the irony.
But even as a slave, Joseph rises to greatness, increasing the the master’s wife’s attraction to him , leading to his further fall to an imprisoned slave!
Even in prison Joseph rises to a position of consultancy. (Don’t you just hate guys like that! [the 1%])

Vayishlach:Who is Aysov?

An outline of the parsha:
Yaakov prepares to invade Canaan, where Aysov is the current hegemon.
Yaakov moves onto Shechem where the interactions with the locals is marred by the rape of his daughter,
The locals offer to unite with the children of Israel as family
The Israelites annihilate the locals
Despite some major crimes (Reuben), the Israelites remain unified
The Aysovites are described in their descent and their tribal organization, emphasizing their integration into the aboriginal (Seir, Hittite, etc) nations.

In verse 36:6 we are told that Aysov moves out of Canaan because of Yaakov’s arrrival. The land is not big enough for the both of them. It is hard to imagine that the population of these two families exceeded the capacity of the land. More likely their cultures clashed too much. They needed to separate as in any civil war and they resolved the conflict without battle (this time).

Who is Aysov? The [Ay]Sov-iet Union? The Red army?
Russia spelled sideways is Seur. (add a P and you have Prussia)
What about the Red White and Blue. Is this the symbol of the parsh - the Red raising the white flag to the Blue (of techaileth)?

Vayetze: outsmart

Yaakov goes out into the world. His interaction with Lavan echoes back to Eisav. Yaakov outsmarted Eisav. What was sold for the lentils was not clear, Yaakov parleyed it into Yitzchok’s blessing. With Lavan, the division of wealth was vague. Gd (through fate) enriched Yaakov and not Lavan. Lavan joins Eisav in the alienation of Yaakov.

The ambiguity of the economic system is an ongoing issue. There are countless ways to distribute wealth, to attribute possession - and they are all fair ( to the winners, at least). Yaakov’s labor entitles him to payment. Lavan’s sheep spawned everything that Yaakov ( who came to Lavan penniless) had. Lavan’s daughter’s ask if they had no rights in their father’s estate. Did Lavan have the right to give his son’s inheritance to Yaakov? Fair tax, tax the rich, save the euro, go back to the drachma.....

One takes from another, gives alms to the poor,. and expects gratitude. What a system, yet it is all systems, the best of all possible systems