December 13, 2025: Torah Portion Parashat Vayeshev - "And He Settled"

In this study, we will explore the Torah Portion Vayeshev - "And He Settled"

• Torah Portion: Genesis 37:1-40:23

• Haftarah: Amos 2:6-3:8

• Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Matthew 1:1-6;16-25

📜Torah Portion Vayeshev - "And He Settled":

Torah: Bereshit (Genesis) 37:1-40:23

Last week's Torah Portion Vayishlach recounted how Jacob had wrestled with the Angel of the LORD before returning to the Promised Land to be reconciled with his estranged twin brother Esau. No longer named Ya'akov ("heel holder"), but Yisrael ("contender with God"), a transformed Jacob finally returned to Hebron to see his father Isaac, 34 years after he had left home.

However, on the way back his beloved wife Rachel died while giving birth to his twelfth son Benjamin.

This week's parashah begins with Jacob living back in the land promised to Abraham and Isaac with his 12 sons, but the narrative quickly turns to Jacob's favorite son Joseph, who was seventeen years old at the time.

The parashah begins:

The Torah reading begins, "Jacob settled (vayeshev Ya'akov) in the land of his father's sojourning, in the land of Canaan" Genesis 37:1

And continues...

"And these were the generations of Jacob: Joseph being seventeen years old..." Genesis 37:2

Why does the toldot (genealogy) of Jacob begin with Joseph rather than Reuben (the firstborn son of Leah) here? Was the Torah suggesting that Joseph was regarded by Jacob as his (chosen) "firstborn" son?

Jacob and Joseph undoubtedly shared a lot in common, and this surely caused Jacob to prefer his firstborn son (of Rachel), over his other sons.

For instance, both men had infertile mothers who had difficulty in childbirth; both mothers bore two sons; and both were hated by their brothers.

In addition, the Torah states that Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons since he was the son of his old age, and was the firstborn son (bechor) of his beloved wife Rachel. Indeed, Jacob made him an ornamented tunic to indicate his special status in the family.

To make matters worse, Joseph related several dreams he had, to his brothers. Dreams that foretold he was destined to rule over them, increasing their envy and hatred of him. The implication of the dreams was that all of Jacob's family would become subservient to him!

Jacob rebuked Joseph for arousing his brothers' hatred, but he inwardly took note and waited for the fulfillment of the dreams.

Joseph’s suffering:

He is hated…

misunderstood…

betrayed by his own brothers…

thrown into a pit…

sold like an object…

falsely accused…

imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Joseph’s life becomes a chain of injustice, humiliation, and pain.

And yet — inside all the darkness — Scripture repeats the same line:

"The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master." Genesis 39:2

Despite the injustice and treachery of his brothers, the LORD was "with Joseph" and blessed everything he did. In fact, soon he was promoted to be the head of Potiphar's entire household affairs.

Even when the world was against him, even when humans acted cruelly, even when the system failed him..."the LORD was with Joseph"!

The Torah describes Joseph as a handsome "in form and appearance," (Genesis 39:6) and soon Potiphar's wife began soliciting him to have an affair with her. Joseph steadfastly refused her repeated advances, but one day she threw herself upon him when no one was in the house. When Joseph tried to flee from her grasp, she caught him by the garment and pulled it off of him before he ran from the house. Humiliated and defeated, she then decided to slander Joseph and falsely accused him of attempted rape to her husband.

Potiphar was outraged and threw young Joseph into the royal dungeon, but again God showed him favor there and he immediately gained the trust and admiration of his jailers, who appointed him to a position of authority in the prison administration.

"The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did." Genesis 39:23

The parashah ends with events in Joseph's life that eventually would bring him to the attention of Pharaoh himself.

While in prison, Joseph met Pharaoh's wine steward and chief baker, both incarcerated for offending their master. Both men had disturbing dreams which Joseph correctly interpreted; in three days, he told them, the wine steward would be released but the baker would be hanged.

Joseph then asked the wine steward to advocate for his release with Pharaoh. Joseph's predictions were fulfilled, but the wine steward forgot all about Joseph and did nothing for him.

Joseph’s story is the story of anyone who suffers unjustly.

Joseph cried.

He begged.

He asked for help.

He was ignored.

He was treated like he did not matter.

And yet Heaven wrote a different truth:

Suffering does not mean abandonment.

Pain does not mean punishment.

Injustice does not erase destiny.

Joseph is the one who teaches us that the pit is not the end — it is the beginning of elevation! HalleluYah!!

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Haftarah Reading Overview:

Amos 2:6 – 3:8

Amos was a shepherd who tended sycamore trees when he was called by God to be a prophet sometime during the reign of Jereboam II (786-746 BCE). The Northern Kingdom of Israel was very prosperous at the time, and the wealthy lived in palaces and behaved like non Israelites, while the poor were exploited and sold into slavery if they could not pay their debts.

The leadership of the people was entirely corrupt and Amos was called upon to express God's anger at the Israelites, who were no longer living by the mitzvot (commandments) given in the Torah.

In this Haftarah portion, Amos' prophecy against Israel is the climax of seven preceding reproofs directed against the various surrounding nations. His prophecy opens with the formula:

"Thus said the Lord: 'For three transgressions of Israel, Even for four I will not revoke it.'" Amos 2:6a

Amos railed at the Judges of Israel for their willingness to take bribes of silver, thereby repeating the crime of the brothers of Joseph, "selling the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes" (Amos 2:6b).

This haftarah matches the themes of injustice, betrayal, oppression of the innocent, and God’s call for righteousness — the same themes found in Joseph’s story.

Haftarah Outline Summary:

* Israel is judged for selling the righteous for silver

* The innocent are trampled

* The weak are denied justice at the gates

* God reminds Israel of His deliverance and covenant

* “Can two walk together unless they agree?”

* “The lion has roared—who will not fear?”

This portion connects strongly to situations of mistreatment, humiliation, false judgment, and injustice, making it prophetically relevant for your present situation.

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Brit Chadashah Overview:

Matthew 1:18–25

The birth of Yeshua — another righteous man misunderstood, falsely judged, yet chosen by God.

The reading from the book of Matthew concerns the Promised Seed of Abraham, the beloved Mashiach Yeshua, whose genealogy is given through the lineage of Yeshua's legal father (Joseph) beginning with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then through Judah (and his son Perez) to Jesse, the father of King David, and finally from David to Solomon.

Matthew does this in order to demonstrate that Yeshua is indeed a descendant of King David and therefore eligible to be the Mashiach of Israel.

Acts 7:9–16

Stephen recounts Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers, his suffering, and how God was with him. This links directly to the Torah portion.

Joseph is a prophetic picture of Yeshua:

Beloved of the Father

Rejected by His brothers

Sold for silver

Punished though innocent

Accused by liars

Suffered humiliation

Yet rose to save the very people who hurt Him

In both stories, humans acted with cruelty…but God transformed pain into purpose!

Amen and Amen!!