Rabbi Jon’s Reflection on This Week’s Torah Portion
12.8.2023
Vayeishev 2023: A “Coat of Many Colors”
A short reflection on Vayeishev (Genesis 37:1 - 40:23)
We have grown up believing that Jacob gave Joseph a gift as his favored child, a coat of many colors. But, the translation of “k’tonet passim” does not include the word “color.” K’tonet passim is more accurately translated as an ornamented tunic. Passim likely refers to stripes on a tunic, making it ornamented. The only other time our TaNaKh talks about a k’tonet passim is a referral to Tamar, daughter of King David. There are many references to tunics or cloaks in our tradition. But, within the confines of these two stories, we know that whoever is the possessor of one is elevated – Joseph as a favored son and Tamar as a princess. But, with elevation comes pain, at least according to our biblical tradition.
From these two examples, our TaNaKh teaches us that a k’tonet passim elevates a person but also seems to place a person in danger. Joseph’s tunic is ripped from him by his brother and then covered in animal blood before his brothers sell him into slavery. His brothers take this destroyed and bloody garment to Jacob in order to make him believe that Joseph has been killed by wild animals. Jacob believes their ruse when he states, “My son’s tunic! A savage beast devoured him! Joseph was torn by a beast!” In many ways, the “wild beast” who set upon him were his brothers. While they did not kill him, the mangled and bloody state of the tunic demonstrates their animalistic anger toward their father’s favorite son. They have taken something special and destroyed it through their jealous actions.
Similarly, Tamar is raped by her half-brother Amnon, with her tunic being ripped afterwards as a symbol of what occurred to her during her abuse. As we read in II Samuel 13, “She was wearing an ornamented tunic, for maiden princesses were customarily dressed in such garments.—His attendant took her outside and barred the door after her. Tamar put dust on her head and rent the ornamented tunic she was wearing; she put her hands on her head, and walked away, screaming loudly as she went.” Her suffering is played out through her renting of the garment and the pain of her screams. If you’ve never read this story in our TaNaKh, it is heart-wrenching.
In both cases, pieces of clothing meant to elevate have become symbols of pain and loss. Both stories lead us to a place where the k’tonet passim has the power to elevate but also to attract jealousy and violence.
As I reflect on these two moments in our Torah, I begin to think of my ancestors who wanted no attention brought onto fellow Jews. My grandmother Ida of blessed memory didn’t want a Jew as a president or a serial criminal. In her mind, all Jews, as individuals and as a group, needed to avoid the wearing of a metaphorical k’tonet passim because it increased our visibility to the greater community. In her generation, any attention brought to the Jewish community was dangerous. She believed that in a post-Holocaust world, we would survive by avoiding attention of any sort. But, history has not played out in this manner. Jews and our homeland, Israel, have refused to take off our ornamented cloaks. We have created a national homeland out of deserts and swamps, mystifying our enemies. We have proven ourselves as scientists, artists, authors, thinkers, and politicians. Somehow, we have reached the most elevated of positions only to find ourselves in a world filled with anti-Semitism. No matter how much we have achieved, those who are against us believe our achievements are only for our own good and not for the good of the greater community.
Unlike my grandmother of blessed memory, I don’t want the Jewish community to take off its k’tonet passim. I want us to wear it proudly. Currently anti-Semites are tearing at our garment, trying to turn it into a symbol of shame, but we can’t allow that to happen. Our achievements should not be taken from us. We must keep our k’tonet passim upon our shoulders and say, “we wear this garment because of all we have achieved. We will not let anyone rip it from us, no matter how hard they try. Never again will it be bloodied or rent.”
This Hanukkah, wear your Jewish star necklace proudly; shine the mezuzah on your doorpost so it is noticed; place your hanukkiah on your window sill. Be proud of being a Jew and display that pride just as proudly as you would wear a k’tonet passim. We will only overpower those who hate us by taking pride in who we are.
***
VAYEISHEV SUMMARY FROM THE URJ
-
Jacob is shown to favor his son Joseph, whom the other brothers resent. Joseph has dreams of grandeur. (Genesis 37:1-11)
-
After Joseph's brothers had gone to tend the flocks in Shechem, Jacob sends Joseph to report on them. The brothers decide against murdering Joseph but instead sell him into slavery. After he is shown Joseph's coat of many colors, which had been dipped in the blood of a kid, Jacob is led to believe that Joseph has been killed by a beast. (Genesis 37:12-35)
-
Tamar successively marries two of Judah's sons, each of whom dies. Judah does not permit her levirate marriage to his youngest son. She deceives Judah into impregnating her. (Genesis 38:1-30)
-
God is with Joseph in Egypt until the wife of his master, Potiphar, accuses him of rape, whereupon Joseph is imprisoned. (Genesis 39:1-40:23)
For more on this Torah portion from the URJ go to:
https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/vayeishev
