When describing Joseph’s troubled relationship with his brothers the torah tells us that ‘they could not speak to him peaceably’. The Sages saw this as a good trait: the brothers, though they hated Joseph, didn’t hide their feelings pretending to be friendly while secretly despising him. Rather they were honest about their true attitude. Tamar, on the other hand, uses deception to achieve her ends. Though the Torah says she had a just case and indeed Judah himself accepts that he erred in not marrying her to his remaining son, she does not approach the issue head on. She rather uses subterfuge to attain her ends, not even revealing the truth when her life was in danger. Both the Torah and the commentators have praised her actions in this regard. We therefore have a seemingly contradictory message given by this Parshah. Is it better to be honest and confront issues head on like Joseph’s brothers or is it alright to be diplomatic and even economical with the truth like Tamar? The brothers’ honesty did not save Joseph who ignored the warning signs but Tamar’s reticence almost cost her life. This issue can also be seen in the differing events behind the festivals of Hanukah and Purim. On Hanukah the Jews fought their enemies directly while on Purim they used diplomatic means to achieve their ends. This question of honesty or diplomacy is one that also faces us today, especially in our relationship with other faith groups. Do we honestly discuss issues expressing our true feelings or do we dissimulate for the sake of peace? The answer is, of course, that both approaches are needed. It was right for Joseph’s brothers to express their feelings openly in the hope that he would change his behaviour. That ultimately this strategy failed was due to Joseph’s fatal self absorption. Tamar certainly took serious risks in her more subtle approach, yet it is hard to see that a direct co0nfrontation with Judah would have worked. He had to be shamed by her actions into doing what he knew was right. On Hanukah only direct confrontation was possible while on Purim such a course would have certainly led to disaster. Today, as well, we must carefully weigh our options. It is certainly desirable and often necessary to have honest conversations with other faiths. Yet there are cases where our interlocutors are simply not ready for such an encounter. In such cases a more diplomatic approach is needed, even if less honest. As with the characters in the Parshah, when to use what approach is among our greatest challenges.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon	Jacob spoils Joseph and gives him a multicoloured coat. He dreams of domination and makes his brothers jealous.
Sheni	Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers. They plan to kill him but Reuben gets him put in a pit.
Shelishi	Joseph is sold to passing merchants going to Egypt. The brothers pretend he has been eaten by an animal.
Revi’i	Judah leaves, gets married and has sons. Two die after their marriage to Tamar. She seduces Judah and has twins  by him.
Chamishi	Joseph rises to run the house of Potiphar his master.
Shishi	Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph but fails, so accuses him of attempted rape. He is thrown into prison.
Shevi’i	Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s imprisoned servants but it doesn’t immediately help him.
Maftir	The Prince’s offering for the first day of the Dedication of the Tabernacle.
Haftorah	Zechariah: 2;14-4;7: G-d’s spirit, not human strength will bring redemption.

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Va’yeshev

·         has 112 verses ;

·         is the 9th in Genesis, 9th in the Torah

·         8th longest in Genesis, 24th longest in the Torah ;

·         has no mitzvot