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10) Parshah Mikeitz מִקֵּץ

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/aid/15556/jewish/Mikeitz.htm

Parshah in a Nutshell for Mikeitz

Genesis 41:1-44:17

Joseph’s imprisonment finally ends when Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows that are swallowed up by seven lean cows, and of seven fat ears of grain swallowed by seven lean ears. Joseph interprets the dreams to mean that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of hunger, and advises Pharaoh to store grain during the plentiful years. Pharaoh appoints Joseph governor of Egypt. Joseph marries Asenat, daughter of Potiphar, and they have two sons, Menasseh and Ephraim.

Famine spreads throughout the region, and food can be obtained only in Egypt. Ten of Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to purchase grain; the youngest, Benjamin, stays home, for Jacob fears for his safety. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him; he accuses them of being spies, insists that they bring Benjamin to prove that they are who they say they are, and imprisons Shimon as a hostage. Later, they discover that the money they paid for their provisions has been mysteriously returned to them.

Jacob agrees to send Benjamin only after Judah assumes personal and eternal responsibility for him. This time Joseph receives them kindly, releases Shimon, and invites them to an eventful dinner at his home. But then he plants his silver goblet, purportedly imbued with magic powers, in Benjamin’s sack. When the brothers set out for home the next morning they are pursued, searched, and arrested when the goblet is discovered. Joseph offers to set them free and retain only Benjamin as his slave.

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Torah reading for Mikeitz

Genesis 41:1-44:17

1st Portion

Chapter 3

1. It came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh was dreaming, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. 2. And behold, from the Nile were coming up seven cows, of handsome appearance and robust flesh, and they pastured in the marshland. 3. And behold, seven other cows were coming up after them from the Nile, of ugly appearance and lean of flesh, and they stood beside the cows [which were] on the Nile bank. 4. And the cows of ugly appearance and lean of flesh devoured the seven cows that were of handsome appearance and healthy; then Pharaoh awoke. 5. And he fell asleep and dreamed again, and behold, seven ears of grain were growing on one stalk, healthy and good. 6. And behold, seven ears of grain, thin and beaten by the east wind, were growing up after them. 7. And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven healthy and full ears of grain; then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, a dream. 8. Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called all the necromancers of Egypt and all its sages, and Pharaoh related to them his dream, but no one interpreted them for Pharaoh. 9. Now the chief cupbearer spoke with Pharaoh, saying, “I call to mind my faults today. 10. Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put me in prison, in the house of the chief slaughterer, me and the chief baker. 11. And we dreamed a dream on the same night, I and he; each one according to the interpretation of his dream, we dreamed. 12. And there with us was a Hebrew lad, a slave of the chief slaughterer, and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; [for] each [of us], he interpreted according to his dream. 13. And it came to pass that just as he had interpreted, so it was; me he restored to my position, and him he hanged.” 14. So Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they rushed him from the dungeon, and he shaved and changed his clothes, and he [then] came to Pharaoh.

2nd Portion

Chapter 41

15. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it, but I have heard it said of you [that] you understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16. And Joseph replied to Pharaoh, saying, “Not I; G*d will give an answer [that will bring] peace to Pharaoh.” 17. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile. 18. And behold, seven cows of robust flesh and handsome form were ascending from the Nile, and they pastured in the marshland. 19. And behold, seven other cows were ascending after them, emaciated and of very ugly form and with meager flesh; I have not seen such ugly ones throughout the entire land of Egypt. 20. And the meager and ugly cows devoured the first seven healthy cows. 21. And they went inside them, but it was not known that they had gone inside of them, for their appearance was as ugly as in the beginning; then I awoke. 22. Then I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears of grain were growing on one stalk, full and good. 23. And behold, seven ears of grain, hardened, thin, and beaten by the east wind, were growing up after them. 24. And the thin ears of grain swallowed up the seven good ears of grain; I told the necromancers, but no one tells me [its meaning].” 25. And Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dream is one; what G*d is doing He has told Pharaoh. 26. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of grain are seven years; it is one dream. 27. And the seven meager and ugly cows coming up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears of grain, beaten by the east wind, will be seven years of famine. 28. It is this matter that I have spoken to Pharaoh; what G*d is about to do He has shown Pharaoh. 29. Behold, seven years are coming, great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30. And seven years of famine will arise after them, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will destroy the land. 31. And the plenty will not be known because of that famine to follow, for it [will be] very severe. 32. And concerning the repetition of the dream to Pharaoh twice that is because the matter is ready [to emanate] from G*d, and G*d is hastening to execute it. 33. So now, let Pharaoh seek out an understanding and wise man and appoint him over the land of Egypt. 34. Let Pharaoh do [this] and appoint officials over the land and prepare the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty. 35. And let them collect all the food of these coming seven good years, and let them gather the grain under Pharaoh’s hand, food in the cities, and keep it. 36. Thus the food will remain as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not be destroyed by the famine.” 37. The matter pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38. So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Will we find [anyone] like this, a man in whom there is the spirit of G*d?”

3rd Portion

Chapter 41

39. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since G*d has let you know all this, there is no one as understanding and wise as you. 40. You shall be [appointed] over my household, and through your command all my people shall be nourished; only [with] the throne will I be greater than you.” 41. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Look, I have appointed you over the entire land of Egypt.” 42. And Pharaoh removed his ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s hand, and he attired him [with] raiment of fine linen, and he placed the golden chain around his neck. 43. And he had him ride in his chariot of second rank, and they called out before him, “[This is] the king’s patron,” appointing him over the entire land of Egypt. 44. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and besides you, no one may lift his hand or his foot in the entire land of Egypt.” 45. And Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath Pa’neach, and he gave him Asenath the daughter of Poti phera, the governor of On, for a wife, and Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. 46. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and Joseph went out from before Pharaoh and passed through the entire land of Egypt. 47. And in the seven years of plenty, [the inhabitants of] the land gathered [food] by handfuls. 48. And he collected all the food of the seven years that was in the land of Egypt, and he placed food in the cities, the food of the field surrounding the city, he put within it. 49. And Joseph gathered grain like the sand of the sea, in great abundance, until [one] stopped counting, because there was no number. 50. And to Joseph were born two sons before the year of the famine set in, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti phera, the governor of On, bore to him. 51. And Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, for “G*d has caused me to forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52. And the second one he named Ephraim, for “G*d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

4th Portion

Chapter 41

53. And the seven years of plenty that were in the land of Egypt were finished. 54. And the seven years of famine began, as Joseph had said, and there was famine in all the lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was bread. 55. When the entire land of Egypt hungered, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread, but Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he tells you, do.” 56. Now the famine spread over all the face of the land, and Joseph opened all [the storehouses] in which there was [grain], and he sold [it] to the Egyptians, and the famine intensified in the land of Egypt. 57. And all [the inhabitants of] the land came to Egypt to Joseph to purchase, for the famine had intensified in the entire land.

Chapter 42

1. Jacob saw that there was grain being sold in Egypt; so Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you appear satiated?” 2. And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain being sold in Egypt. Go down there and buy us [some] from there, so that we will live and not die.” 3. So Joseph’s ten brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4. But Joseph’s brother, Benjamin, Jacob did not send with his brothers, because, he said, “Lest misfortune befall him.” 5. So the sons of Israel came to purchase among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6. Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; it was he who sold grain to the entire populace of the land, and Joseph’s brothers came and prostrated themselves to him, with their faces to the ground. 7. And Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but he made himself a stranger to them, and he spoke to them harshly, and he said to them, “Where do you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan to purchase food.” 8. Now Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies; you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 10. And they said to him, “No, my master, your servants have come to buy food. 11. We are all sons of one man. We are honest. Your servants were never spies.” 12. But he said to them, “No! But you have come to see the nakedness of the land.” 13. And they said, “We, your servants, are twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is gone.” 14. And Joseph said to them, “This is just what I have spoken to you, saying, ‘You are spies.’ 15. With this you shall be tested: By Pharaoh’s life, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you will be imprisoned so that your words will be tested whether truth is with you, and if not, as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17. And he put them in prison for three days. 18. On the third day, Joseph said to them: “Do this and live I fear G*d.

5th Portion

Chapter 42

19. If you are honest, your one brother will be confined in your prison, and you, go bring the grain for the hunger of your households. 20. And bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21. And they said to one another, “Indeed, we are guilty for our brother, that we witnessed the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us.” 22. And Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the lad,’ but you did not listen? Behold, his blood, too, is being demanded!” 23. They did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them. 24. And he turned away from them and wept, then returned to them and spoke to them; and he took Simeon from among them and imprisoned him before their eyes. 25. And Joseph commanded, and they filled their vessels with grain, and [he commanded] to return their money into each one’s sack, and to give them provisions for the journey, and he did so for them. 26. And they loaded their grain upon their donkeys, and they went away from there. 27. The one opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey at the lodging place, and he saw his money there it was, in the mouth of his sack. 28. And he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and indeed, here it is in my sack! ” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another, saying, “What is this that G*d has done to us?” 29. And they came to Jacob their father, to the land of Canaan, and they told him all that had befallen them, saying, 30. “The man, the lord of the land, spoke to us harshly, and he accused us of spying on the land. 31. And we said to him, ‘We are honest; we were never spies. 32. We are twelve brothers, the sons of our father; one is gone, and today the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33. And the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘With this I will know that you are honest; leave one of your brothers with me, and [what is needed for] the hunger of your households, take and go. 34. And bring your youngest brother to me, so that I will know that you are not spies, that you are honest; [then] I will give you your brother, and you may travel around in the land.’ ” 35. And it came to pass that they were emptying their sacks and behold! Each one’s bundle of money was in his sack; they saw the bundles of their money, they and their father, and they became frightened. 36. And their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me-Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and you want to take Benjamin! All these troubles have come upon me.” 37. And Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I don’t bring him (Benjamin) to you. Put him into my hand[s] and I will return him to you.” 38. But he (Jacob) said, “My son shall not go down with you, because his brother is dead, and he alone is left, and if misfortune befalls him on the way you are going, you will bring down my gray head in sorrow to the grave.”

Chapter 43

1. But the hunger was severe in the land. 2. And it came to pass, when they finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back [and] buy us a little food.” 3. But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man warned us repeatedly, saying, ‘You shall not see my face if your brother is not with you.’ 4. If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5. But if you do not send [him], we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face if your brother is not with you.’ ” 6. And Israel said, “Why have you harmed me, by telling the man that you have another brother?” 7. They said, “The man asked about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8. And Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will get up and go, and we will live and not die, both we and you and also our young children. 9. I will guarantee him; from my hand you can demand him. If I do not bring him to you and stand him up before you, I will have sinned against you forever. 10. For had we not tarried, by now we would have already returned twice.” 11. So Israel, their father, said to them, “If so, then do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your vessels, a little balm and a little honey, wax and lotus, pistachios and almonds. 12. And take double the money in your hand[s], and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks you shall return in your hand[s], perhaps it was an error. 13. And take your brother, and get up, go back to the man. 14. And may the Almighty G*d grant you compassion before the man, and he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin, and as for me as I am bereaved, I am bereaved.” 15. So the men took this gift, and they took double the money in their hand[s] and Benjamin, and they got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

6th Portion

Chapter 43

16. [When] Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the overseer of his house, “Bring the men into the house and [give orders] to slaughter an animal and to prepare, for the men will eat with me at lunch.” 17. And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. 18. Now the men were frightened because they had been brought into Joseph’s house, and they said, “On account of the money that came back in our sacks at first, we are brought, to roll upon us and to fall upon us and to take us as slaves and our donkeys [as well].” 19. So they drew near the man who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house. 20. And they said, “Please, my lord, we came down at first to purchase food. 21. And it came to pass when we came to the lodging place that we opened our sacks, and behold! each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, and we returned it in our hand[s]. 22. And we brought down other money in our hand[s] to purchase food. We do not know who put our money into our sacks.” 23. And he said, “Peace to you; fear not. Your G*d and the G*d of your father gave you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them. 24. Then the man brought the men (the brothers) into Joseph’s house, and he gave [them] water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys. 25. And they prepared the gift until Joseph would come at lunchtime, for they heard that there they would eat bread. 26. And Joseph came home, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand[s], into the house, and they prostrated themselves to him to the ground. 27. He inquired after their welfare, and he said to them, “Is your elderly father, whom you mentioned, well? Is he still alive?” 28. And they said, “Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed and prostrated themselves. 29. And he lifted his eyes and saw Benjamin, his brother, the son of his mother, and he said, “Is this your little brother, whom you told me about?” And he said, “May G*d favor you, my son. ”

7th Portion

Chapter 43

30. And Joseph hastened, for his mercy was stirred toward his brother, and he wanted to weep; so he went into the room and wept there. 31. And he washed his face and came out, and he restrained himself and said, “Serve the food.” 32. And they set for him separately and for them separately, and for the Egyptians who ate with him separately, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, because it is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33. They sat before him, the firstborn according to his age, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at each other in astonishment. 34. And he had portions brought to them from before him, and Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as the portions of any of them, and they drank and became intoxicated with him.

Chapter 44

1. Then he commanded the overseer of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money into the mouth of his sack. 2. And my goblet, the silver goblet, put into the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his purchase money.” And he did according to Joseph’s word, which he had spoken. 3. The morning became light, and the men were sent [on their way] they and their donkeys. 4. They had exited the city, but had not gone far when Joseph said to the overseer of his house, “Get up, pursue the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil? 5. Is not this the one my master drinks from? Why, he even divines with it! You have done evil by the way you have acted.’ ” 6. He overtook them, and he said these words to them. 7. And they said to him, “Why should my master say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do a thing like this! 8. Behold, the money we found in the mouth of our sacks we returned to you from the land of Canaan; so how could we steal from your master’s house silver or gold? 9. Whichever one of your servants with whom it is found shall die, and also we will be slaves to my master.” 10. And he said, “Now indeed, so it is as you have spoken. [But] the one with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be cleared.” 11. So they hastened, and each one lowered his sack to the ground, and each one opened his sack. 12. He searched; he started with the eldest and finished with the youngest, and the goblet was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13. So they rent their garments, and each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. 14. And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there, and they fell before him upon the ground. 15. And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have committed? Don’t you know that a person like me practices divination?” 16. And Judah said, “What shall we say to my master? What shall we speak, and how shall we exonerate ourselves? G*d has found your servants’ iniquity both we and the one in whose possession the goblet has been found.” 17. But he said, “Far be it from me to do this! The man in whose possession the goblet was found he shall be my slave, but as for you go up in peace to your father.”

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Haftorah In a Nutshell for Mikeitz

I Kings 3:15-4:1

This week’s haftorah opens with the words “And Solomon awoke, and behold it was a dream,” echoing this week’s Torah portion which opens with Pharaoh’s dreams.

Though not included in the haftorah, in this dream G*d granted King Solomon his legendary wisdom. The haftorah relates a famous episode that made all of Israel aware of their new monarch’s keen intellect.

Two harlots approach King Solomon to adjudicate their dispute. They lived together in the same house, and each had given birth to an infant three days apart. One night, one of the infants was accidentally crushed to death by her mother, and one woman accused the other of switching infants in order to have a live baby. Each woman claimed that the live child is theirs and the deceased child was the other’s. King Solomon asks that a sword be brought and orders that the child be cut in half with each woman receiving one half. At this point, the mother of the living child exhorts the king to give the child to the other woman so that he may live, while the other woman says, “Let it be neither mine nor yours, divide!” The king ruled: “Give her the living child, and by no means slay him: she is his mother!”

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Haftorah Reading for Mikeitz

I Kings 3:15-4:1

Chapter 3

15. And Solomon awoke, and behold (it was) a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the L*rd, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. 16. Then came two women, harlots, to the king, and stood before him. 17. And the one woman said, “Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I gave birth to a child with her in the house. 18. And it came to pass the third day after I had given birth, that this woman gave birth also; and we (were) together, (there was) no stranger with us in the house, besides us two in the house. 19. And this woman’s son died at night; because she had lain on him. 20. And she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21. And I rose in the morning to nurse my son, and behold he was dead, but I looked closely at him in the morning, and behold, it was not my son whom I had borne.” 22. And the other woman said, “Not so, the living (is) my son, and the dead (is) your son,” and this one said, “Not so, the dead (is) your son, and the living (is) my son.” Thus they spoke before the king. 23. And the king said, “This one says, ‘This (is) my son that lives, and your son (is) the dead, and the other says, ‘Not so, your son (is) the dead, and my son (is) the living.’ ” 24. And the king said, “Fetch me a sword.” And they brought a sword before the king. 25. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26. And the woman whose son (was) the live one, said to the king, for her compassion was aroused for her son, and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means slay him.” But the other said, “Let it be neither mine nor yours, divide (it).” 27. And the king answered and said, “Give her the living child, and by no means slay him: she (is) his mother.” 28. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of G*d (was) in him to do judgment.

Chapter 4

1. And King Solomon was king over all Israel.

Hanukkah

חֲנֻכָּה‬

The Hebrew word Hanukkah means “dedication.” We celebrate Hanukkah each year during the eight days from Kislev 25 through Tevet 2 (Evening of Dec 2 through evening of Dec 10th) to remember the re-dedication of the Holy Temple after it was recovered from the Syrian-Greeks during the second century BCE. The Holy Land had been captured by the Selucids who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs. A small band of faithful Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated the Greeks and drove them from the land.

Once they reclaimed the Holy Temple, they rededicated it to the service of G*d. The original Altar had been defiled by the Greeks, so the builders replaced it with a new one. When they began to rededicate the altar, they only had one cruse of olive oil to fuel it for the eight days needed to collect and prepare new oil under conditions of ritual purity. Miraculously, the one cruse of oil lasted the entire eight days. For this reason, the Menorah is lit progressively over the eight days of Hanukkah to celebrate the re-dedication miracle every year.

Hanukkah Blessings

First Night:
* Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheynu Melech Ha-olam Asher Kiddeeshonu Be-mitzvasov Vi-tsivonu Lehadlik Ner Shel Chunukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)
* Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheynu Melek Ha-olam She-asa Nissim La-avoteynu Ba-yamim Ha-hem Ba-zzman Ha-zzeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.)
* Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheynu Melek Ha-olam Sha-hekheeyonu Ve-keeyeemonu Ve-heeggee’onu La-zzman Ha-zzeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Second night.
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem
ba-zeman ha-zeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Third Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem
ba-zeman ha-zeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.).

Hanukkah Blessing — Fourth Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem
ba-zeman ha-zeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Fifth Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem
ba-zeman ha-zeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Sixth Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem
ba-zeman ha-zeh.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe,
Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Seventh Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
( Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

Hanukkah Blessing — Eighth Night:
* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
(Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

* Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam
asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik
ner shel Hanukah.
( Blessed are you, Lord our G*d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.)

9) Parshah Vayeishev וַיֵּשֶׁב

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/aid/15555/jewish/Vayeishev.htm

 

Vayeishev – Genesis 37:1-40:23

Parshah in a Nutshell for Vayeishev
Genesis 37:1-40:23

Jacob settles in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite is 17-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 dreams he has which foretell that he is destined to rule over them, increasing their envy and hatred towards him.

Shimon 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 in 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.

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Torah reading for Vayeishev

Genesis 37:1-40:23

1st Portion

Chapter 37

1. Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. 2. These are the generations of Jacob: when Joseph was seventeen years old, being a shepherd, he was with his brothers with the flocks, and he was a lad, [and was] with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought evil tales about them to their father. 3. And Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was a son of his old age; and he made him a fine woolen coat. 4. And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, so they hated him, and they could not speak with him peacefully. 5. And Joseph dreamed a dream and told his brothers, and they continued to hate him. 6. And he said to them, “Listen now to this dream, which I have dreamed: 7. Behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright, and behold, your sheaves encircled [it] and prostrated themselves to my sheaf.” 8. So his brothers said to him, “Will you reign over us, or will you govern us?” And they continued further to hate him on account of his dreams and on account of his words. 9. And he again dreamed another dream, and he related it to his brothers, and he said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream, and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating themselves to me.” 10. And he told [it] to his father and to his brothers, and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will we come I, your mother, and your brothers to prostrate ourselves to you to the ground?” 11. So his brothers envied him, but his father awaited the matter.

2nd Portion

Chapter 37

12. And his brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks in Shechem. 13. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are your brothers not pasturing in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14. So he said to him, “Go now and see to your brothers’ welfare and the welfare of the flocks, and bring me back word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15. Then a man found him, and behold, he was straying in the field, and the man asked him, saying, “What are you looking for?” 16. And he said, “I am looking for my brothers. Tell me now, where are they pasturing?” 17. And the man said, “They have traveled away from here, for I overheard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers, and he found them in Dothan. 18. And they saw him from afar, and when he had not yet drawn near to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. 19. So they said one to the other, “Behold, that dreamer is coming. 20. So now, let us kill him, and we will cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him,’ and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21. But Reuben heard, and he saved him from their hand[s], and he said, “Let us not deal him a deadly blow.” 22. And Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the desert, but do not lay a hand upon him,” in order to save him from their hand[s], to return him to his father.

3rd Portion

Chapter 37

23. Now it came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his shirt, of the fine woolen coat which was upon him. 24. And they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty there was no water in it. 25. And they sat down to eat a meal, and they lifted their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and lotus, going to take [it] down to Egypt. 26. And Judah said to his brothers, “What is the gain if we slay our brother and cover up his blood? 27. Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh.” And his brothers hearkened. 28. Then Midianite men, merchants, passed by, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver [pieces], and they brought Joseph to Egypt. 29. And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he rent his garments. 30. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! And I where will I go?” 31. And they took Joseph’s coat, and they slaughtered a kid, and they dipped the coat in the blood. 32. And they sent the fine woolen coat, and they brought [it] to their father, and they said, “We have found this; now recognize whether it is your son’s coat or not.” 33. He recognized it, and he said, “[It is] my son’s coat; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn up.” 34. And Jacob rent his garments, and he put sackcloth on his loins, and he mourned for his son many days. 35. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to console him, but he refused to be consoled, for he said, “Because I will descend on account of my son as a mourner to the grave”; and his father wept for him. 36. And the Midianites sold him to Egypt, to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chamberlain, chief of the slaughterers.

4th Portion

Chapter 38

1. Now it came about at that time that Judah was demoted by his brothers, and he turned away until [he came] to an Adullamite man, named Hirah. 2. And there Judah saw the daughter of a merchant named Shua, and he took her and came to her. 3. And she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er. 4. And she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan. 5. Once again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah, and he (Judah) was in Chezib when she gave birth to him. 6. And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, named Tamar. 7. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the L*rd, and the L*rd put him to death. 8. So Judah said to Onan, “Come to your brother’s wife and perform the rite of the levirate, and raise up progeny for your brother.” 9. Now Onan knew that the progeny would not be his, and it came about, when he came to his brother’s wife, he wasted [his semen] on the ground, in order not to give seed to his brother. 10. Now what he did was evil in the eyes of the L*rd, and He put him to death also. 11. Then Judah said to his daughter in law Tamar, “Remain as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up,” for he said, “Lest he too die, like his brothers.” So Tamar went, and she remained in her father’s house. 12. Many days passed, and Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was consoled, and he went up [to watch] over his sheepshearers he and Hirah, his Adullamite friend to Timnah. 13. And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father in law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”14. So she took off her widow’s garb, covered [her head] with a veil and covered her face, and she sat down at the crossroads that were on the way to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah had grown up, but as for her she was not given to him for a wife. 15. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she covered her face. 16. So he turned aside toward her to the road, and he said, “Get ready now, I will come to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter in law, and she said, “What will you give me that you should come to me?” 17. And he said, “I will send a kid from the herd,” and she said, “[Only] if you give me a pledge until you send [it].” 18. So he said, “What is the pledge that I should give you?” And she said, “Your signet, your cloak, and the staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her, and he came to her, and she conceived his likeness. 19. Then she arose and went away, and she took off her veil, and she donned her widow’s garb. 20. And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his Adullamite friend to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21. So he asked the people of the place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was at the crossroads on the way?” and they said, “No harlot was here.” 22. So he returned to Judah, and he said, “I have not found her, and the people of the place also said, ‘No harlot was here.’ ” 23. So Judah said, “Let her take [them] for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.” 24. Now it came about after nearly three months, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Your daughter in law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is pregnant from harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25. She was taken out, and she sent to her father in law, saying, “From the man to whom these belong I am pregnant,” and she said, “Please recognize whose signet ring, cloak, and staff are these?” 26. Then Judah recognized [them], and he said, “She is right, [it is] from me, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” But he no longer continued to be intimate with her. 27. And it came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. 28. And it came about when she gave birth, that he (the infant) stretched out his hand. So the midwife took and bound a crimson thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29. And it came about, as he was drawing back his hand, behold, his brother emerged, and she said, “With what strength you have strengthened yourself!” And he (Judah) named him Perez. 30. Afterwards, his brother emerged, the one upon whose hand was the crimson thread, and he named him Zerah.

5th Portion

Chapter 39

1. Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, Pharaoh’s chamberlain, chief of the slaughterers, an Egyptian man, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2. The L*rd was with Joseph, and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3. And his master saw that the L*rd was with him, and whatever he (Joseph) did the L*rd made prosper in his hand. 4. And Joseph found favor in his eyes, and he (Joseph) served him, and he (Potiphar) appointed him over his house, and all he had he gave into his hand. 5. Now it came to pass that since he had appointed him over his house and over all that he had, the L*rd blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph’s sake, and the blessing of the L*rd was in all that he had, in the house and in the field. 6. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he knew nothing about what was with him except the bread that he ate; and Joseph had handsome features and a beautiful complexion.

6th Portion

Chapter 39

7. Now it came to pass after these events that his master’s wife lifted up her eyes to Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8. But he refused, and he said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me my master knows nothing about anything in the house, and all he has he has given into my hand. 9. In this house, there is no one greater than I, and he has not withheld anything from me except you, insofar as you are his wife. Now how can I commit this great evil, and sin against G*d?” 10. Now it came about when she spoke to Joseph day in and day out, that he did not obey her, to lie beside her [and] to be with her.
11. And it came about on a certain day, that he came to the house to do his work, and none of the people of the house were there in the house. 12. So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and went outside. 13. Now it happened, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14. that she called to the people of her house, and she spoke to them, saying, “Look! He brought us a Hebrew man to mock us. He came to me to lie with me, but I called loudly. 15. And it happened that when he heard that I raised my voice and called out, he left his garment beside me, and he fled and went outside.” 16. So she left his garment beside her, until his master came home. 17. And she told him the same thing, saying, “The Hebrew slave that you brought to us came to me to mock me. 18. And it happened when I raised my voice and called out, that he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” 19. Now it came about when his master heard his wife’s report that she spoke to him, saying, “Your slave did such things to me,” that his wrath burned. 20. So Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were imprisoned, and he was there in the prison. 21. The L*rd was with Joseph, and He extended charisma to him, and He gave him favor in the eyes of the warden of the prison. 22. So the warden of the prison+ delivered all the prisoners who were in the prison into Joseph’s hand, and whatever they did there, he [was the one who] did it. 23. The warden of the prison did not inspect anything [that was] in his (Joseph’s) hand, for the L*rd was with him, and whatever he did the L*rd made prosper.

7th Portion

Chapter 40

1. Now it came about after these events that the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and the baker sinned against their master, against the king of Egypt. 2. And Pharaoh became incensed at his two chamberlains, at the chief cupbearer and at the chief baker. 3. And he placed them in the prison of the house of the chief of the slaughterers, into the prison, the place where Joseph was imprisoned. 4. And the chief of the slaughterers appointed Joseph [to be] with them, and he served them, and they were a year in prison. 5. Now both of them dreamed a dream, each one his dream on the same night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison. 6. And Joseph came to them in the morning, and he saw them and behold, they were troubled. 7. And he asked Pharaoh’s chamberlains who were with him in the prison of his master’s house, saying, “Why are your faces sad today?” 8. And they said to him, “We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter for it.” Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to G*d? Tell [them] to me now.” 9. So the chief cupbearer related his dream to Joseph, and he said to him, “In my dream, behold, a vine is before me. 10. And on the vine are three tendrils, and it seemed to be blossoming, and its buds came out; [then] its clusters ripened into grapes. 11. And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I placed the cup on Pharaoh’s palm.” 12. And Joseph said to him, “This is its meaning: the three tendrils are three days. 13. In another three days, Pharaoh will number you [with the other officers], and he will restore you to your position, and you will place Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, according to [your] previous custom, when you were his cupbearer. 14. But remember me when things go well with you, and please do me a favor and mention me to Pharaoh, and you will get me out of this house. 15. For I was stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and here too, I have done nothing, for which they have put me into the dungeon.” 16. Now the chief baker saw that he had interpreted well. So he said to Joseph, “Me too! In my dream, behold, there were three wicker baskets on my head. 17. And in the topmost basket were all kinds of Pharaoh’s food, the work of a baker, and the birds were eating them from the basket atop my head.” 18. And Joseph replied and said, “This is its meaning: the three baskets represent three days. 19. In another three days, Pharaoh will remove your head from you and hang you on a gallows, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.” 20. Now it came about on the third day, Pharaoh’s birthday, that Pharaoh made a feast for all his servants, and he counted the chief cupbearer and chief baker among his servants. 21. And he restored the chief cupbearer to his [position as] cupbearer, and he placed the cup on Pharaoh’s palm. 22. And the chief baker he hanged, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23. But the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him.

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Haftorah In a Nutshell for Vayeishev

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 L*rd 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.

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Haftorah Reading for Vayeishev

Amos 2:6-3:8

Chapter 2

6. So said the L*rd: For three transgressions of Israel, yea for four, I will not return them; For selling an innocent man for money, and a poor man in order to lock [the fields]. 7. Who aspire on the dust of the earth concerning the head of the poor, and they pervert the way of the humble, and a man and his father go to the maid, in order to profane My Holy Name. 8. And they recline on pledged garments beside every altar, and the wine of the fined ones they drink in the house of their gods. 9. And I destroyed the Amorites from before them, whose height is as the height of the cedar trees, and they are as strong as oaks, and I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from below. 10. And I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and I led you in the desert for forty years, to inherit the land of the Amorites. 11. And I raised up some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as Nazirites; is this not so, O children of Israel? says the L*rd. 12. And you gave the Nazirites to drink wine, and you commanded the prophets saying, “Do not prophesy.” 13. Behold, I will oppress your dwelling place, as a wagon full of sheaves is oppressed. 14. And escape shall be lost to the swift, and the strong shall not gain strength, nor shall the mighty man deliver himself. 15. And he who holds the bow shall not stand, and the fleetfooted shall not deliver, and the rider of the horse shall not deliver himself. 16. And the stout-hearted among the mighty shall flee naked on that day, says the L*rd.

Chapter 3
1. Hearken to this word which the L*rd spoke about you, O children of Israel, about the entire family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: 2. Only you did I love above all the families of the earth; therefore, I will visit upon you all your iniquities. 3. Will two walk together unless they agreed? 4. Will a lion roar in the forest if he has no prey? Will a young lion let out a cry from his den unless he has taken something? 5. Will a bird fall on a net upon the ground unless it has a snare? Will a net ascend from the ground and have taken nothing? 6. Will a shophar be sounded in the city and the people not quake? Will there be evil in the city if the L*rd has not done it? 7. For the L*rd G*d does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets. 8. A lion has roared; who will not fear? The L*rd G*d has spoken; who will not prophesy?