Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

59
Vayeishev
A Short Diversion
Gary Brown
M y Rav, Rav Amos Luban would often say it is a shame how we learn the stories
in Tanach at age 5, and maintain the same perception of them at age 15, 25, 35, etc.
Sometimes, all it takes is a simple reading of the text to see that “something does not
quite fit” which can lead us to new insights into Hashem’s Torah.
At first glance, Parshat Vayeishev is the start of the epic story of Yosef in Egypt,
preparing us for the slavery and redemption that follow in Sefer Shemot. However,
there is a story in this week’s sidrah which seems to have nothing to do with the course
of events.
The parsha begins by telling us about how Yosef is sold, including the events leading
up to the sale. (This is an important and often misunderstood section of the Torah, and
it is important if one can, to look into and understand this section properly. However
I wish to point out one thing here - the brothers were justified halachically [based
on the facts they had and ancestral history] in deeming Yosef a threat and therefore
trying to get rid of him.) Once Yosef is sold, we should be going straight into the story
of Yosef in Egypt. However, the narrative is interrupted with the following story:
Yehudah, after this episode, goes “down from his brothers” (38:1). Rashi says this
means that they demoted him from being their leader. We learn about his marrying
and having three sons. He takes a wife (Tamar) for his firstborn son (Er) who dies
mysteriously. Due to the rule of yibum (marrying the brother of the deceased if no