Vayeshev: Hopes and Fears

וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּאֶ֖רֶץ מְגוּרֵ֣י אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

Now Jacob was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.

A single word tranquil word ַיֵּ֣שֶׁב            settled,  separates last week parsha of struggle from this week’s parsha of conflict. The dream of rest can never be fulfilled. The dreams that generate competition and conflict are too strong. Chana, my distant aunt, sergeant in the worker’s struggle, gave me the maxim: “You will find everything in the struggle.”  I have come to believe that life is the struggle; the recurring victories of the unlikely over the probable.

It is Jacob, not Israel, who returns (another meaning of  ֵ֣שֶׁב) and settles in that land of his ( immediate) ancestors.  It is the ambivalent, uncertain, striving second son; not the conqueror of angels. The noble title does not stick perfectly.

Jacob sees Joseph as his legacy. He has special expectations from Joseph. Joseph is made a supervisor of lesser shepherds. Jacob makes Joseph stand out with a unique, precious, and stylish, costume. Joseph’s princely role is apparent to all… including Joseph and his dreamworks. Joseph has accepted something of the cloak of Esau.

When Joseph announces his acceptance of royalty, by relating his dreams to his brothers (who will become his subjects according to the dream) and his father ( whom he envisions outshining in worldly achievement), the consequences  of this favoritism are revealed and the repercussions ensue. Joseph, who would be king, is sold as a slave… because of his claim to the throne.

Joseph’s dreams are not merely flimsy wishes; they build his confidence; they  allow him to accept, and expect, the role of the ascendant. I think that all of the dreams in the parsha deeply influence the dreamers and, thereby,  steer the course of events.

Joseph’s dreams of domination do not abandon him, even after his sale as chattel. He takes charge in Egypt and when he is sent to prison, he rules the roost.  I am sure that Joseph was talented and Gd helped him, but the confidence that came from his dreams was part of his Divine aid.

Joseph’s interpretations of the dreams of the imprisoned wine steward and baker may have been manipulative. Everyone knew that Pharaoh’s birthday was three days away and that he would review his edicts then. By interpreting the wine steward’s dream favorably, he helped him appear confident -innocent and entitled- before the Pharoah on his (appointed) day of judgement. By delivering a damning interpretation to the baker, he made him anxious, and he probably looked insecure and guilty. The punishment fits the appearance.

Today is Chanukah. The substance of the holiday is complex. Hanukkah celebrates the Macabee victory over the oppressive empire that tried to eliminate Hebrew culture. The lasting oil is the symbol of rededication. Our custom of lighting the menorah is a novelty that symbolizes our dedication to ancient ways. The custom of Chanukah gelt and gift giving seems a clear assimilation to the practice of the Gentiles.  We mix up the old and the new.

The prequel to Chanukah is national loyalty to the Maccabees who give rise to the Hasmonean  rulers of Judea. This involved the abandonment of the separation of church and state, instituted by Moses. The High Priest was now the political and military ruler, a novelty that would last until the destructions wrought by the Romans.

Vayeshev is generally read on Hanukkah. It is an origin story for the ascent of Joseph and Judah, competing political leaders. Joseph, the dreamer and interpreter of dreams, leads by charisma. He makes startling predictions that come to pass (in part, by virtue of the prediction).  Judah does not discuss his dreams.  He comes to practical solutions that contain a thread of righteousness.

Loyalty to the cause is necessary for cultural survival.  Sometimes that loyalty is fraught. There are always things to question. On Hanukkah we celebrate the loyalty.