By: Jenna Raimist
Director of Annual Campaign
Parashat Vayeshev begins the long and complicated story of Joseph. At seventeen, he is Jacob’s favored son, as evidenced by the infamous multicolored coat his father gifts him. Between the coat and Joseph’s dreams of ruling over his brothers, their jealousy boils over, and they sell him to passing traders. They dip his coat in the blood of a goat and convince their father that Joseph has died. Meanwhile, Joseph is taken to Egypt, rises in Potiphar’s house, and then falls again when he’s falsely accused and imprisoned. In jail, Joseph interprets dreams, hinting that he hasn’t given up on himself or his faith.
Right in the middle of Joseph’s story, the Torah pauses to share another: that of Judah and Tamar. Tamar’s first two husbands, and Judah’s sons, Er and Onan die one after another. When Judah hesitates to allow Tamar to marry his youngest, she is left without family or protection. Tamar takes matters into her own hands and allows Judah to mistake her for a sex worker, eventually becoming pregnant with, and birthing his twins, creating justice, family, and security for herself.
Both of these stories showcase separate, but intertwined, stories of resilience. Joseph’s path, windy and difficult, ultimately leads to the survival of the Jewish people. Tamar’s courage and determination, despite the threat of danger, establish the line of King David. So often I find myself sitting in the negative in times of anger or frustration. Sometimes it’s just easier, and I do fundamentally believe we all deserve some time and space to wallow. What these stories can teach us, however, is not all endings have to strictly be endings, rather they can be catalysts for new beginnings, hope, and light.
Wishing you and yours a Shabbat Shalom and a very happy, light-filled Chanukah.
Please email Jenna Raimist at JRaimist@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.