It was time for Jacob to settle down - 'Vayeshev' After battles and hassles and running around
Jacob had found no peace until now So he prayed that the days of struggle would
be behind him So calm and ease could find him
Now Rachel was Jacob's favourite wife And having a favourite made for some strife
Amongst the sons of the other mothers There was much dis-ease amongst the brothers
The twelve of them knew that until now The family saga of a recurring sibling drama
Only one brother had been singled out To get their dad's blessing
And yeh, no doubt From their perspective you were either the
one selected Or else you'd get rejected
And this was the model that they'd accepted They didn't yet know a new way would prevail
That they, the 12 tribes of Israel To become a people of rich and varied talents
Would require a perfect balance A multi-dimensional society of of Jews
Shining through many different hues But this they could not then compute
Competition was the only way they knew
So when Jacob gives Joseph a many-colored coat
It causes hatred in a way that might have been anticipated
'Cos Joseph was clearly his daddy's chosen favourite
Now remember - Joseph was only seventeen He didn't know better than to tell his dreams:
'Listen to this - we were binding sheaves In the field, and our destinies were revealed
When my sheaf stood up tall and proud And yours all gathered round and bowed'
Now his brothers were angry and jealous And Joseph began to sense their menace
And although he was young and naïve and vain He already had a kind of deeper faith
That everything would work out for the best And with this he passed the test
When the brothers were tending sheep in Shechem, Jacob sent Joseph to check up on them
He knew his brothers would be there waiting And he knew the danger that he was facing
By putting on a brave face He made his way to a strange place
Where he'd be sure he'd find his bros, And sure enough
As he approached The brothers saw him from a distance
They knew his strutting in an instant All they saw was peacock pride
They didn't know that deep inside The dreamer had begun to change
He'd realised what was on the way They grabbed him but he wrestled free
And threw himself at each one's feet And begged for freedom life and peace
He begged that he might be released But that wasn't what was meant to be
The brothers stripped Joseph of his colorful coat
And cast him into a deep moat They gave the coat to Jacob, dyed bloody red
And he mourned his son His favourite
Now presumed dead So instead of dwelling in peace
Jacob lived the years with tears and grief Meanwhile, merchants found Joseph in that
deep pit And they sold him as a slave
And he ended up in Egypt Where a powerful Egyptian
Baselessly accused him of rape And most unjustly thrown in jail
But in the end his faith prevailed
Joseph became a chief inside the prison Because it seemed God was with him
Interpreting the dreams of prison servants He knew who'd be hung
And whom returned to service
And that is where Vayeshev ends The curtain falls and our good friend
Joseph is living in an Egyptian prison.