Torah Portion Summary
The ninth reading from the book of Genesis is named Vayeshev, which means "and he dwelt." The title comes from the first verse of the reading, which says, "Now Jacob [dwelt] in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan" (Genesis 37:1). Despite the portion's name and first verse, the story is actually about Jacob's son Joseph and how he was removed from the land of Canaan and dwelt in Egypt. The narrative follows Joseph from Canaan to Egypt to prison. In addition, this week's reading contains the story of Judah and Tamar.
Haftarah Portion Summary
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). The connection to the parashah is given by the Jewish sages by means of midrash. After throwing Joseph into the pit, his brothers decided to sell him for 20 pieces of silver - two pieces per brother (Reuben was not there), enough to buy a pair of shoes for each of them. The "righteous one" suffered grave injustice - all for a pair of shoes! For this and similar disregard of justice and mercy, the LORD was sure to bring about judgment upon Israel.
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
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 Jesus' 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 Jesus is indeed a descendant of King David and therefore eligible to be the Mashiach of Israel (see the genealogical table above).