Parshat Vayeshev, 5773/2012 thoughts
New thought for this year: Methinks the story of Potiphar's wife's attempted seduction of Yosef (Joseph)--see B'resht/Genesis, chapter 39, verses 10-20--was probably the origin of the issur (prohibition) of yichud (literally, "togetherness"?), which forbids a man and a woman who are neither married to one another nor members of the same family to be alone together.
My oldies:
- Tikkun Lel Shavuot prep: I’m writing something resembling a d’var Torah on the connection between Tamar, Ruth (& her fearless leader, Naomi),& agunot (Sunday, June 12, 2005)
Some agunot (women whose husbands refuse to give them a religious divorce) of our day have gone public with their complaints about the callous indifference to their plight shown to them by some in the rabbinical courts. They should be lauded and supported in their efforts, not condemned. These brave women are following in the footsteps of our ancestors Tamar and Ruth. They are using the only weapons available to them to secure the consideration to which Jewish law should entitle them, as it is said in Psalm 145, “ . . . v'rachamav al kol maasav, and His compassion is over all His works.”
- Onan's sin: Marital sexual abuse (Thursday, December 06, 2007)
- So much for "yeridat ha-dorot" (Monday, December 14, 2009)
"I don't know whether the concept of "the decline of the generations" applies to the Torah shehBi-Ch'tav/Written Torah (Pentateuch) itself or just to the rabbinic writings, but it certainly won't help us with the story of Yosef/Joseph. First, Yaakov/Jacob gives Yosef, his second-youngest child, the multicolored cloak indicating future family leadership. Then, he doesn't stop the young braggart from mouthing off to his brothers about his dreams. Yaakov has no more common sense as a parent than we modern parents have."
- Parsha catch-up: Vayeshev and Miketz (Thursday, December 09, 2010)
[ ¶ ]
Personally, I think that both Reuven and Yehudah (Judah) were trying to save Yosef’s life. . . . "
. . .
"Tamar was a smart strategist with nerves of steel—the stunt she pulled could have gotten her killed. But she got what she was entitled to."
- Parshat Vayeshev (Wednesday, December 14, 2011)
I forgot to mention the devious brothers--not only did they sell Yosef into slavery, they politely "forgot" to mention this to their brother Reuven, who had hoped to rescue him, leaving poor Reuven to believe that Yosef was dead, or, at best, kidnapped. Presumably, that was deliberate, since Reuven might very well have felt obligated, as the oldest son, to tell their father Yaakov/Jacob the truth, if he'd know it."
- Parshat Vayshev, continued: More re Tamar (Tuesday, December 20, 2011)
See also:
- Tamar, A Model of Female Leadership (Irit Koren, Jewish Daily Forward, December 15, 2011)
"It is Tamar, though, who is the true heroine of this story. She takes a huge risk by acting the way she did. It is her life, not just her pride, which is at stake. A woman in a patriarchal system, she has no power. A liminal figure, she belongs nowhere. She has no father, no husband, no sons to protect her. She is powerless, alone. Yet unlike other women in the bible, Tamar is not defeated by the system. Rather, she takes action and works with the only resources she has at her disposal –her sexuality and femininity.
In a world where too many women remain restrained, limited, stuck in a patriarchal system (such as mesuravot get, and I can think of many other such women), Tamar can be an inspiring role model and leader for both women and men. Small wonder, then, that the lineage of King David traces its way backs to Tamar."
- Another old post of mine: Book review:"Esau's Blessing," by Ora Horn Prouser (Thursday, February 02, 2012)
- Conservadox takes a look at Yosef as dream interpreter
- This week, we get a double-header: Conservadox takes a second look, or sex in the sedra :)
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