Vayeshev
Betrayal! Next time you are feeling a little down in the dumps about your family, think about Joseph. When he feels like his life is in a hole–it actually is–and his brothers put him there while debating whether murder or slavery would be a better fate for him. On the other hand, Joseph isn’t exactly perfectly innocent either, dangling his paternal favorite status like coat full of bling, with his father Jacob once again committing the error of favoring one immediate family over another–he just switched from wives to sons–but the effect is even worse and the ramifications much more long lasting. The fate of two nations now lies in the hands of a mischievous 17-year old who must decide which is worse: Living in Canaan with brothers who want him dead or in a foreign pagan land where strangers plot against him. Choose wisely Joseph…the fate of many hangs on what you do next.