CANDLE LIGHTING
7:13pm - early candle lighting
8:23pm - Candle Lighting, Friday.
9.29pm - Havdalah, Saturday.
These times are for Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Eruv Status: KOSHER
Shabbat Shalom!
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of upcoming month of Tevet, which falls on next Shabbat and the following Sunday.
Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon. See molad times.
Please click here to view the Yeshivah Shule Tzetel for Parshas Vayeishev 5780.
PARSHAH IN A NUTSHELL
Jacob settles in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite is seventeen-year-old Joseph, whose brothers are jealous of the preferential treatment he receives from his father, such as a precious many-colored coat that Jacob makes for Joseph. Joseph relates to his brothers two of his dreams which foretell that he is destined to rule over them, increasing their envy and hatred towards him.
Simeon and Levi plot to kill him, but Reuben suggests that they throw him into a pit instead, intending to come back later and save him. While Joseph is in the pit, Judah has him sold to a band of passing Ishmaelites. The brothers dip Joseph's special coat in the blood of a goat and show it to their father, leading him to believe that his most beloved son was devoured by a wild beast.
Judah marries and has three children. The eldest, Er, dies young and childless, and his wife, Tamar, is given in levirate marriage to the second son, Onan. Onan sins by spilling his seed, and he too meets an early death. Judah is reluctant to have his third son marry her. Determined to have a child from Judah's family, Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and seduces Judah himself. Judah hears that his daughter-in-law has become pregnant and orders her executed for harlotry, but when Tamar produces some personal effects he left with her as a pledge for payment, he publicly admits that he is the father. Tamar gives birth to twin sons, Peretz (an ancestor of King David) and Zerach.
Joseph is taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the minister in charge of Pharaoh's slaughterhouses. G‑d blesses everything he does, and soon he is made overseer of all his master's property. Potiphar's wife desires the handsome and charismatic lad; when Joseph rejects her advances, she tells her husband that the Hebrew slave tried to force himself on her, and has him thrown into prison. Joseph gains the trust and admiration of his jailers, who appoint him to a position of authority in the prison administration.
In prison, Joseph meets Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker, both incarcerated for offending their royal master. Both have disturbing dreams, which Joseph interprets; in three days, he tells them, the butler will be released and the baker hanged. Joseph asks the butler to intercede on his behalf with Pharaoh. Joseph's predictions are fulfilled, but the butler forgets all about Joseph and does nothing for him.
HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL
Amos 2:6-3:8.
This week's haftorah contains an allusion to the sale of Joseph by his brothers, an incident discussed in this week's Torah reading.
Amos opens with a rebuke to the Jewish People. G‑d had been patient with them notwithstanding their transgression of the three cardinal sins — sexual impropriety, idolatry and murder. Their fourth sin, however, crossed the line — the mistreatment of the innocent, widows, orphans and the poor.
G‑d reminds the Jewish people how He lovingly took them out of Egypt and led them through the desert for forty years and settled them in the Holy Land. There, He bestowed the gift of prophecy on some and inspired others to become Nazirites. Yet the Jewish people did not respond appropriately, giving wine to the Nazirites and instructing the prophets not to prophesy. Amos then goes on to describe G‑d's punishment for the errant behavior: "And the stout-hearted among the mighty shall flee naked on that day, says the L-rd."
The haftorah ends with an admonition from G‑d, one that also recalls His eternal love for His people: "Hearken to this word which the Lord spoke about you, O children of Israel, concerning the entire nation that I brought up from the land of Egypt. 'Only you did I love above all the families of the earth; therefore, I will visit upon you all your iniquities…'" As opposed to other nations to whom G‑d does not pay close attention, G‑d's love for His nation causes Him to punish them for their misdeeds, to cleanse them and prod them back onto the path of the just.
SAGES ON THE PARSHAH
Jacob settled . . . (Genesis 37:1)
Jacob desired to settle in tranquility, but there pounced upon him the agony of Joseph. For when the righteous wish to settle in tranquility, G‑d says: "Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the world to come, that they ask also for a tranquil life in this world?"
(Rashi)
These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph was seventeen years old . . . (37:2)
Should not have the verse said, "These are the generations of Jacob: Reuben, etc."? Why Joseph?
Because everything that happened to Jacob happened to Joseph. As Jacob was born circumcised, so was Joseph born circumcised. As Jacob's mother was infertile, so was Joseph's mother infertile. As Jacob's mother had difficulty in childbirth, so did Joseph's mother have difficulty in childbirth. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so did Joseph's mother bear two sons. As Jacob was hated by his brother, so was Joseph hated by his brothers. As Jacob's brother sought to kill him, so did Joseph's brothers seek to kill him.
Jacob was a shepherd, and Joseph was a shepherd. Jacob was persecuted, and Joseph was persecuted. Jacob was blessed with ten blessings, and Joseph was blessed with ten blessings. Jacob was exiled from the Holy Land, and Joseph was exiled from the Land. Jacob took a wife outside the Land, and Joseph took a wife outside the Land. Jacob fathered children outside the Land, and Joseph fathered children outside the Land. Jacob was escorted by angels, and Joseph was escorted by angels. Jacob was made great through a dream, and Joseph was made great through a dream. The house of Jacob's father-in-law was blessed on his account, and the house of Joseph's father-in-law was blessed on his account. Jacob went down to Egypt, and Joseph went down to Egypt. Jacob ended the famine, and Joseph ended the famine. Jacob adjured [his children], and Joseph adjured [his brothers]. Jacob charged [his children], and Joseph charged [his brothers]. Jacob died in Egypt, and Joseph died in Egypt. Jacob was embalmed, and Joseph was embalmed. The bones of Jacob were brought up [from Egypt to the Holy Land], and the bones of Joseph were brought up [from Egypt to the Holy Land] . . .
Jacob fathered tribes, and Joseph fathered tribes. Jacob was lost to his father for 22 years, and Joseph was lost to his father for 22 years. Jacob was indentured on account of a woman, and Joseph was imprisoned on account of a woman. Jacob supported Joseph for 17 years, and Joseph supported Jacob for 17 years . . .
(Midrash Rabbah, Zohar, et al)
LAMPLIGHTER
Please note that the Moilad printed in the Lamplighter this week was printed incorrectly. The correct Moilad for Teves is: Thursday night, 8:02pm and 8 chalakim.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
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