This week we read Parashat Vayeishev, which opens with the surprising phrase “ Vayeishev Yaakov” And Jacob Settled.”
Jacob wanted to finally settle down and live a calm, peaceful life. But his life was anything but peaceful. It was filled with grief, loss, and struggle.
One of those struggles is his life involved Joseph, his favorite son. Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers who are with their flocks in the fields.
Joseph becomes lost whilst looking for them. A mysterious “man,” perhaps an angel, finds him and asks:
“What are you seeking?”
Joseph answers:
“Et achai anochi mevakesh” I am seeking my brothers.
He is searching not just for his siblings,
but for brotherhood, connection, harmony in a fractured family.
When his brothers see him coming “from afar,”
the distance between them fuels hatred and jealousy. From far away we can misjudge, misunderstand, and
allow old hurts to grow.
They plot to kill him, however,
instead they sell him into slavery in Egypt.
Joseph is brought into the home of Potiphar, the viceroy. There, Potiphar’s wife tries repeatedly to seduce him. Joseph resists every time. The Midrash teaches that in that moment,
he sees the image of his father in the window which is a reminder of who he is, where he comes from and the values he carries.
He chooses integrity over temptation,
memory over impulse, truth over momentary pleasure.
In our days perhaps it is similar to the hostages who refused to eat non-kosher meat in the darkness of the Gaza tunnels. They held onto their identity and values even when everything around them tried to strip those values away.
Joseph is accused of adultery and is thrown into an Egyptian jail:
the darkest of places. A place where a person could easily
lose all hope.
Yet the Torah tells us again and again: God is with him. Joseph can feel it. Even in the darkness of the dungeon,
he knows that he is not alone.
Sometimes we find the strongest faith when everything else has been stripped away.
And again, it is like the hostages who spoke of feeling God was with them in moments of terror and loneliness whilst imprisoned. They found sparks of faith in the deepest darkness.
So, firstly let’s seek brotherhood.
Ask the Joseph question: What am I truly seeking?
Second, accept that life is full of struggle. Even Jacob and Joseph, even our greatest ancestors, lived with heartbreak and challenge. Third, let’s stay true to our values and to Truth. Remember the “face in the window,” the people who shaped you, the truth that anchors you. Finally, know that God is with us even in dark places.
Joseph’s journey: seeking connection, navigating struggle, holding onto identity, and finding God in the darkness, is our journey too.
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