Bereishis
Book 1: Genesis

VAYEISHEV

Chapter 37

Verse 1: Yaakov settled in the land of his father's residence, in the land of Canaan.

Verse 2: This is the history of Yaakov; Yoseif at the age of seventeen years, would tend the sheep with his brothers, and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. Yoseif brought back bad reports about them to their father.

Verse 3: Yisrael loved Yoseif more than any of his sons, for he was a son of his old age, and he made him a long, colorful cloak.

Verse 4: His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him. They could not speak to him peaceably.

Verse 5: Yoseif had a dream and he told his brothers, and they hated him even more.

Verse 6: He said to them, "Listen to this dream that I dreamt.

Verse 7: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field. Behold my sheaf rose and stood up straight; and behold your sheaves surrounded it and prostrated themselves to my sheaf."

Verse 8: His brothers said to him, "Will you then be a king over us? Will you indeed rule over us?" They hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

Verse 9: He had another dream and told it to his brothers. He said, "Behold! I dreamed another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating themselves to me."

Verse 10: He told it to his father and to his brothers. His father rebuked him, and said to him, "What is this dream that you dreamed? Shall I, your mother and your brothers come and prostrate themselves on the ground to you?"

Verse 11: His brothers were jealous of him but his father kept the matter in mind.

Sheini (Second Aliyah)

Verse 12: His brothers went off to pasture their father's sheep in Shechem.

Verse 13: Yisrael said to Yoseif, "Aren't your brothers pasturing [the sheep] in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." He [Yoseif] said to him, "Here I am."

Verse 14: He [Yisrael] said to him, "Go please, see after the well-being of your brothers, and the welfare of the sheep, and bring me a report." He sent [Yoseif] from the depths of Chevron, and he came to Shechem.

Verse 15: A man found him going astray in the field. The man asked him, "What are you seeking?"

Verse 16: He said, "I am looking for my brothers, tell me please, where are they pasturing?"

Verse 17: The man said, "They have traveled on from here, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Doson.' " Yoseif went after his brothers and found them in Doson.

Verse 18: They saw him from a distance, and before he approached them they were plotting against him to kill him.

Verse 19: One man said to another, "Here comes the dreamer.

Verse 20: Now, come let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say that a wild beast devoured him. Then we will see what will become of his dreams."

Verse 21: Reuvein heard and rescued him from their hands. He said, "Let us not kill him."

Verse 22: Reuvein said to them, "Do not commit bloodshed. Throw him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him." His purpose was to rescue him from their hands, to bring him back to his father.

Sh'lishi (Third Aliyah)

Verse 23: When Yoseif came to his brothers, they stripped him of his coat, the long, colorful coat that he had on.

Verse 24: They took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Verse 25: They sat down to eat bread. They raised their eyes and saw,--- behold a Yishmaelite caravan was coming from Gilod. Their camels were carrying spices, balsam and lotus, bringing them down to Egypt.

Verse 26: Yehudah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

Verse 27: Come let us sell him to the Yishmaelites, and let our hands not be upon him; for he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers listened [to him.]

Verse 28: Midianite merchants passed by. They [the brothers] pulled Yoseif up from the pit and sold Yoseif to the Yishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. They brought Yoseif to Egypt.

Verse 29: Reuvein returned to the pit, but behold, Yoseif was not in the pit. He [then] tore his clothes [in grief.]

Verse 30: He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is not there; and I---where can I go."

Verse 31: They took Yoseif 's coat, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood.

Verse 32: They sent the long, colorful coat and brought it to their father, and said, "We found this. Please identify it. Is it your son's coat or not?"

Verse 33: He recognized it and said, "It is my son's coat. An evil beast has devoured him. Yoseif has been torn to pieces."

Verse 34: Yaakov tore his robes, and placed sackcloth on his loins. He mourned for his son for many days.

Verse 35: All his sons and all his daughters rose to console him, but he refused to be consoled. He said, "I will go down to the grave mourning for my son." His father wept for him.

Verse 36: The Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the chief of the executioners.

Revi'i (Fourth Aliyah)

Chapter 38

Verse 1: And it was at that time, that Yehudah, descended from his brothers. He turned away [from them], until [he came to] a man, an Adullamite, whose name was Chirah.

Verse 2: There Yehudah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He took her and consummated a marriage with her.

Verse 3: She conceived and gave birth to a son. He named him Er.

Verse 4: She conceived again and gave birth to a son. She named him Onan.

Verse 5: She conceived once again and gave birth to a son. She named him Sheilah. He [Yehudah] was in Keziv when she gave birth to him.

Verse 6: Yehudah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Verse 7: Er, Yehudah's firstborn was wicked in the eyes of Ad-noy, and Ad-noy put him to death.

Verse 8: Yehudah said to Onan, "Consummate marriage with your brother's wife, and fulfill the yibum rite with her, and establish seed for your brother.

Verse 9: Onan knew that the descendants would not be his. Whenever he cohabited with his brother's wife, he let it go to waste on the ground, in order not to give progeny to his brother.

Verse 10: What he did was evil in the eyes of Ad-noy, and He also put him to death.

Verse 11: Yehudah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Sheilah is of age." He said, "Lest he also die like his brothers." Tamar went and lived in her fathers house.

Verse 12: Many days passed, and Shua's daughter, the wife of Yehudah died. Yehudah sought consolation, and went up to his sheep-shearers--- he and his friend, Chirah the Adullamite---to Timnah.

Verse 13: Tamar was told, "Behold your father-in-law has come to Timnah, to shear his sheep."

Verse 14: She took off her widow's garb, covered herself with a veil, and disguised herself. She sat at the crossroads which is on the road to Timnah, for she saw that Sheilah had come of age and she had not been given to him for a wife.

Verse 15: Yehudah saw her and thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.

Verse 16: He turned aside to her on the road, and said, "Please, let me be with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for the privilege of being with me?

Verse 17: He said, "I will send you a kid from the flock." She said, "[Only] if you give me some security until you send it."

Verse 18: He said, "What security shall I give you?" She said, "Your signet ring, your wrap, and your staff that is in your hand." He gave them to her and was with her, and she became pregnant by him.

Verse 19: She got up and went away. She took off her veil, and put on her widow's garb.

Verse 20: Yehudah sent the goat-kid with his friend the Adullamite, to retrieve the security from the woman, but he could not find her.

Verse 21: He asked the men of her place, "Where is the harlot that was at the junction, on the road?" They said, "There was no harlot here."

Verse 22: He returned to Yehudah and said, "I did not find her, and the men of her place also said that there was no harlot there."

Verse 23: Yehudah said, "Let her take it, lest we are humiliated. Behold I sent her this kid, and you could not find her."

Verse 24: About three months later, Yehudah was told, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has been promiscuous, moreover, her promiscuity has resulted in pregnancy." Yehudah said, "Take her out and let her be burned."

Verse 25: She was being taken out, and she sent [word] to her father-in-law saying, "By the man to whom these belong am I pregnant." She said, "Please recognize to whom this signet, wrap and staff belong."

Verse 26: Yehudah recognized them and said, "She is righteous, [it is] from me, inasmuch that I did not give her to my son Sheilah." He was not intimate with her any more.

Verse 27: When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

Verse 28: As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. The midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one emerged first."

Verse 29: When he withdrew his hand, behold his brother emerged, and she said, "With what strength you have pushed yourself." He named him Peretz.

Verse 30: Then his brother emerged--- the one upon whose hand was the scarlet thread. He named him Zorach.

Chamishi (Fifth Aliyah)

Chapter 39

Verse 1: Yoseif was brought down to Egypt. He was purchased by Potiphar--- an officer of Pharaoh, the chief executioner, an Egyptian--- from the Yishmaelites who had brought him down there.

Verse 2: Ad-noy was with Yoseif, and he was successful. He was [a servant] in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Verse 3: His master saw that Ad-noy was with him, and that whatever he did, Ad-noy made it succeed through his hand.

Verse 4: Yoseif found favor in his eyes, and he served him personally. He appointed him supervisor over his household, and all that he possessed he placed in his hand.

Verse 5: From the time he appointed him supervisor over his household and over all that he possessed, Ad-noy blessed the house of the Egyptian for Yoseif's sake. The blessing of Ad-noy was in all that he possessed, in the house and in the field.

Verse 6: He left everything he possessed in the hand of Yoseif. He did not concern himself with anything about him, except for the bread he ate. Yoseif was well-built and good looking.

Shishi (Sixth Aliyah)

Verse 7: After these events, his master's wife cast her eyes upon Yoseif, and she said, "Be with me."

Verse 8: He refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master knows nothing about what I am doing in the house, and all that he possess, he has placed in my hands.

Verse 9: No one in this house is greater than me. He has not withheld anything from me other than you, for you are his wife. How can I do such a great evil, and sin against G-d."

Verse 10: Even though she spoke to Yoseif every day, he would not listen to her, to lie next to her, [nor] to be with her.

Verse 11: It was on such a day, that he came to the house to do his work. No man of the household was there in the house.

Verse 12: She grabbed him by his garment, saying, "Be with me." He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and he went outside.

Verse 13: It was when she saw that he left his garment in her hand and had fled outside,

Verse 14: that she called to the men of the household and said to them, "See, he brought us a Hebrew man to mock us. He came to be with me, and I called out in a loud voice.

Verse 15: When he heard that I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.

Verse 16: She laid his garment near her until his master came home.

Verse 17: She spoke to him [her husband] according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew slave came to me--- the same one you brought into us--- [he came to] mock me.

Verse 18: When I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment with me and fled outside."

Verse 19: When his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him, saying, "Your slave did such things to me," he became furious.

Verse 20: Yoseif's master took him and placed him in the prison, the place where the king's prisoner's were jailed. He remained there in the prison.

Verse 21: Ad-noy was with Yoseif, and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison chief.

Verse 22: The prison chief gave Yoseif control over all the prisoners in the prison, and everything that had to be done there, he was the one who did it.

Verse 23: The prison chief did not have to look after anything that was under his hand, because Ad-noy was with him and whatever he did, Ad-noy made him succeed.

Shevi'i (Seventh Aliyah)

Chapter 40

Verse 1: After these events, an offense was committed by the Egyptian king's butler and baker against their master, the king of Egypt.

Verse 2: Pharaoh was enraged at his two officials, the chief butler and the chief baker.

Verse 3: He placed them under guard in the house of the chief executioner, in the prison, where Yoseif was imprisoned.

Verse 4: The chief executioner appointed Yoseif to be with them and he served them. They were under guard for a period of time.

Verse 5: The two of them had a dream. Each of them had his dream on the same night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were imprisoned in the prison.

Verse 6: Yoseif came to them in the morning, and he saw them, and behold they were troubled.

Verse 7: He asked Pharaoh's officials, who were with him, under guard in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so bad today?"

Verse 8: They said to him, "We had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." Yoseif said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to G-d. Tell them to me, please."

Verse 9: The butler told his dream to Yoseif. He said to him, "In my dream, behold a grape vine was before me.

Verse 10: On the vine there were three branches, and as it budded, its blossoms bloomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes.

Verse 11: Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup. I then placed the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

Verse 12: Yoseif said to him, "This is its interpretation: The three branches are three days.

Verse 13: In another three days, Pharaoh will lift your head, and restore you to your position. You will place Pharaoh's cup in his hand, as was your previous practice when you were his butler.

Verse 14: But remember me when things go well with you. Please deal kindly with me, and mention me to Pharaoh, and take me out of this house.

Verse 15: I was kidnaped from the land of the Hebrews, and here I have also done nothing that they should have put me in this dungeon.

Verse 16: The chief baker saw that he interpreted well. He said to Yoseif, "I, too, dreamed. Behold there were three fancy baskets on my head.

Verse 17: In the top basket there were various kinds of food for Pharaoh, consisting of baked goods, and the bird was eating them from the basket that was on my head."

Verse 18: Yoseif replied and said, "This is its interpretation: The three baskets represent three days.

Verse 19: In another three days, Pharaoh will lift your head from off you. He will hang you on a tree, and the bird will eat your flesh from off you.

Maftir

Verse 20: It was on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he [Pharaoh] made a feast for all his servants. He lifted the head of the chief butler, and the head of the chief baker among his servants.

Verse 21: He restored the chief butler to his position, and he presented the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

Verse 22: The chief baker, he hung, just as Yoseif had interpreted to them.

Verse 23: [However] the chief butler did not remember Yoseif, but forgot him.

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