Brotherly...love

Full disclosure, it is just about an hour before Shabbat is to begin and I'm not sure I have quite enough time to get all my thoughts down in the best sequential order. As a road map (somewhere along the line I learned what it was a good idea to lead the reader and inform them of what will be discussed in a piece of writing). Therefore, dear reader, know that I plan to discuss the so called coat of many colors (כתונת הפסים) as well as genesis 37:29-30, right after Joseph is sold to Midianites passing into Egypt, where Reuven's actions are suspect with regard to the preceding few verses. Oh yeah, and the entire chapter that's dedicated to Judah and his unfortunate fornication with random women (multiple women even!).

The Joseph story is probably one of the most well known stories of my childhood. I knew of the deceit and despair, of Joseph's brothers throwing him in a pit and selling him into slavery. Joseph works for Potiphar, who's wife tries to trick Joseph into sleeping with here and gets him sent to jail for not doing so by framing him. And Joseph interprets two dreams while in prison (here is where this week's parsha concludes). Yet, we don't hear about Judah and Tamar, his daughter in law. Only when we are older. But even then, I learned about it for the first time in rabbinical school. The knowledge that there are side stories woven within the Joseph story was a strange awakening. It forced me to acknowledge that many of the stories I know from my youth were not told to me in completion. Rather. I must now retrace my steps and fill in those gaps as a wiser young adult!)

Translations differ, but most translations call Joseph's coat a coat of many colors or an ornamented garment (JPS). Yet, if one takes a close look at the Hebrew, it is actually a stripped tunic. The idea that the stripes are what bring the coat it's color is a reasonable one, but simply the fact that this garment is not very specifically described is interesting. Why were the brothers so extraordinarily jealous of this particular gift over any other? Or did the coat simply give them an excuse to cause mischief to brew in Joseph's life.

Reuben seems to be a pacifist, although he angers his father enough to have Israel give the birthright belonging to the first son to his next to last, to Joseph. This assumption comes from his decision to protect Joseph and not outright kill him. Rather, Reuben suggests at the brothers throw Joseph in a pit and leave him there to die. At this point. Reuben is oddly quiet and we do not hear from him again until Berashit 37:29, when Reuben appears to look into the pit and, finding his brother gone, rents his clothes. Although the other brothers know that they have sold their brother into slavery, they allow Reuben to think he is gone. As the compassionate one among the brothers, we learn that no matter what evil plan we may wish to concoct, our actions always have an impact on those around us. Therefore, we must consciously not bring evil into the world. Rather, we must think before we act and try to lessen the negative impact we can have.

Although not the most sequential, and certainly not enough material for a sermon (rather enough for three or four), these are just a few of my thoughts on this week's parsha. Shabbat shalom