Parshat Vayshev
The story of Joseph and his brothers can be seen as a cautionary tale of parenting and brotherhood. All children desire their parents' attention and here we see that played out with Jacob and his sons. Yet the more Jacob favors Joseph, the more his other sons resent their brother especially after he received the gift from his father of the beautiful multi-colored coat. We may wonder whether Jacob was aware of how his special attention to Joseph affected his other children. In our Torah potion the brothers act out in anger against Joseph by selling him as a slave, thereby sending him far, far away. Upon realizing the foolishness of their actions, they betray their father's trust by leading Jacob to believe that Joseph has been eaten by a wild animal. They show Jacob Joseph's blood-stained coat. Instead of owning up to their mistakes, Jacob's sons attempt to save face.
Joseph then ends up in Egypt as an assistant to Potiphar, Pharaoh's right-hand man but following a misunderstanding, finds himself in jail. There he becomes known for interpreting dreams. When Pharaoh needs his dreams interpreted, they bring Joseph from jail to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. This begins a whole new life for Joseph and he quickly rises to being Pharaoh's top administrator and right-hand man.
Here are the thought questions the video presents. Choose two and discuss as a family, and write your thought below.
1) Was it right for Joseph to share his dreams with his brothers, for he know it would upset them? Have you ever experienced the impact of favoritism in a family? What is its cause and consequence?
2) What do the brothers need to lie concerning the blood stained coat to trick their father into believing that Joseph had been devoured by an animal? Why don't they just keep quiet and act as though they never saw him?
3) Do you think what happened to Joseph, the fact that he was thrown into jail, was part of God's master plan?
Joseph then ends up in Egypt as an assistant to Potiphar, Pharaoh's right-hand man but following a misunderstanding, finds himself in jail. There he becomes known for interpreting dreams. When Pharaoh needs his dreams interpreted, they bring Joseph from jail to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. This begins a whole new life for Joseph and he quickly rises to being Pharaoh's top administrator and right-hand man.
Here are the thought questions the video presents. Choose two and discuss as a family, and write your thought below.
1) Was it right for Joseph to share his dreams with his brothers, for he know it would upset them? Have you ever experienced the impact of favoritism in a family? What is its cause and consequence?
2) What do the brothers need to lie concerning the blood stained coat to trick their father into believing that Joseph had been devoured by an animal? Why don't they just keep quiet and act as though they never saw him?
3) Do you think what happened to Joseph, the fact that he was thrown into jail, was part of God's master plan?