RECOGNITION

2. RECOGNITION THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT http://www.messianicbible.com HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.org SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER www.sheepfoldgleanings.com MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE http://www.messianicisrael.com AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUM http://www.azamra.org

3. VAYESHEV “And he Settled” TORAH: Genesis: 37:1-40:23 HAFTORAH:  Amos 2:6-3:8 B’RIT CHADASHAH: Matthew 1:1-6, 16-25 All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

4. HE SETTLED Ya`akov continued living in the land where his father had lived as a foreigner, the land of Kena`an. (Genesis 37:1 CJB) The Hebrew term “Va‟yeshev” means “and he settled” in the land of his father‟ssojournings, in eretzKena‟an. The connotation of “yeshev” is that of “settling down” in peace and tranquility. “Toldot”, or “generations”, carries the connotation, in Hebrew thought, of the concept and term “gilgulim” or “rollings”, as with a “wheel” or within a “whirlwind”. Their "rollings" are recounted in the remaining four parashot in Genesis and alludes to our history and future; first in the Land of Yisra‟el and then in exile, until we will finally come again to a "state of habitation" (yeshev) in the Land of Yisra‟el, with Melek Yahshua HaMashiach. Then too, we will live in a state of “YeshevHaDa‟at”, "a settled mind". Ya‟aqob sought tranquility (a settled mind) in the Land of Israel, however, this was to be short lived, as our parsha this week teaches as true tranquility, or “settled mind” can only be attained through “generations” and after the Restoration of the Kingdom to Yisra‟el.

5. RETIREMENT Ya’akov endured through many trials. Even before he was born, he struggled in the womb with his brother. He was forced to leave his family because of Esav’s murderous threats after the way he obtained the blessings. He lived 20 years with a manipulative uncle and yet had left with wives, children and possessions. He struggled with a divine being before figuring out how to appease Esav upon his return to the Promised Land. His daughter was rescued from the arms of an evil prince although the questionable method of securing her release brought worry to Ya’acov. After all of this, why wouldn’t Ya’acov, now an elderly man, be ready for “settling” into a restful retirement? Retirement was not YHVH’s plan for Ya’akov. His favoured son, Yosef, would soon be kidnapped by his own brothers and sold as a slave. Thus Ya’akov would endure another 22 years of trials, mourning a son in whom he had placed so much hope. If you haven’t figured it out by now, there is no real “settling” in this world. There is always another battle, another trial, another test for the person of faith. Our mission in life seems to be just to keep moving forward.

6. TRAILS The New Testament tells us of the necessity and the spiritual growth which brings us to “completion” as a result of living through “trials”: But not only that, let us also boast in our troubles; because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope; and this hope does not let us down, because God's love for us has already been poured out in our hearts through the RuachHaKodesh who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 CJB) Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 CJB)

7. SOJOURN Years later, a matured Ya’acov now referred to his life as a “sojourn” as he answered a question posed by Pharaoh: And Pharaoh said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “How old are you?” And Yaʽaqoḇ said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojournings are one hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojournings.” (Genesis 47:8-9 The Scriptures 1998+) It sounds like Ya’acov is being very negative; however, he’s come to accept that trials and difficulties have been the tool that hwhy used to bring him to “completion” (James 1:4). The writer of Hebrews reminds us that all of the Patriarchs were “sojourners”: By belief, Aḇraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he was about to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By belief, he sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tents with Yitsḥaq and Yaʽaqoḇ, the heirs with him of the same promise, (Hebrews 11:8-9 The Scriptures 1998+)

8. WALKING WITH GOD Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’acov : ... acknowledging that they were aliens and temporary residents on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13 CJB) The benefits of not being too “settled” on this earth… but as it is, they aspire to a better fatherland, a heavenly one. This is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16 CJB) “Sojourning” implies walking, mobility, progress, and growth. The danger of the “settled” lifestyle is that one can become spiritually paralyzed or stagnant. Obsession with security can hinder us from following Elohim. We find the idea of “walking” connected with righteous men: And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:24 NKJV) ..Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9 NKJV)

9. INVITATION TO WALK THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.] (Romans 8:1 AMP) For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP) Are you not sure how to “walk”? Yeshua invites each of us to “yoke up” with Him: "Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“ (Matthew 11:28-30 CJB)

10. SETTLED LIFE Yeshua promises us “rest for our souls”…that’s not a promise for a “settled” life. In fact, Scripture seems to point to exactly the opposite: Then to everyone he said, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say 'No' to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me. (Luke 9:23 CJB) Rejoice in this, even though for a little while you may have to experience grief in various trials. (1 Peter 1:6 CJB) The question is…to “settle” or to “sojourn”? “Settling” sounds inviting, but the following story illustrates what we might be missing if we avoid the challenges of life: Once there was an old lady sipping her coffee in the restaurant of a theatre long after the curtain had gone up on the first act of the play. The waiter asked her curiously why she hadn’t taken her seat inside the theatre. She replied to him, “Oh no…it’s much too crowded and noisy in there now. Once they all come out…that’s when I go in. Then I can have as many seats to myself as I like!”

11. STORY ABOUT LIFE We tend to think that the purpose of life is those endless sunny summer days; days when you can’t see a cloud and everything in life seems perfect. And when the rain falls into our lives (as it does to us all) well, that’s something to be endured until the clouds clear. We put up with hardship, thinking that it’s just a painful intermission, and when it ends, we will get back to the “real purpose of life”. The reverse is really the case. Life is all about the rain and the storms and our striving to overcome them. For in this way, we elevate ourselves spiritually and fulfil the purpose that we were meant for. Those sunny days are so we can gather our strength, and thus derive the maximum from facing life’s challenges. Ya’acov learned that it was considered improper for him to place his focus on serenity, for in life “the play’s the thing”….not the intermission. (Based on R’YeruchamLebovitz)

12. GENERATIONS Legends of the Jews Joseph was the one that resembled his father most closely in appearance, and, also, he was the one to whom Jacob transmitted the instruction and knowledge he had received from his teachers Shem and Eber. The whole course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's. As the mother of Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, so also the mother of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised. As the father was a shepherd, so the son. As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son served under a woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's birthright.

13. GENERATIONS con’tLegends of the Jews The father was hated by his brother, and the son was hated by his brethren. The father was the favourite son as compared with his brother, so was the son as compared with his brethren. Both the father and the son lived in the land of the stranger. The father became a servant to a master, also the son. The master whom the father served was blessed by God, so was the master whom the son served. The father and the son were both accompanied by angels, and both married their wives outside of the Holy Land. The father and the son were both blessed with wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a dream, so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and put an end to famine, so the son.

14. GENERATIONS con’tLegends of the Jews As the father exacted the promise from his sons to bury him in the Holy Land, so also the son. The father died in Egypt, there died also the son. The body of the father was embalmed, also the body of the son. As the father's remains were carried to the Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the son. Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son Joseph during a period of seventeen years, so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob during a period of seventeen years.

15. YOSEF Here is the history of Ya`akov. When Yosef was seventeen years old he used to pasture the flock with his brothers, even though he was still a boy. Once when he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, he brought a bad report about them to their father. (Genesis 37:2 CJB) The mothers of B‟neiYa‟aqob made a competition out of having these children. They were conceived in strife. Now, these bad feelings are playing out in the sons lives. Yoseph, was with the sons of Bilhah (Dan & Naphtali) and Zilpah (Gad & Asher) tending their father‟s flocks. In the Hebrew it says that Yoseph “would bring their evil reports to his father”. Legends of the Jews: On his return he told Jacob that the sons of the handmaids were in the habit of slaughtering the choice cattle of the herd and eating it, without obtaining permission from Judah and Reuben. But his report was not accurate. What he had seen was Gad slaughtering one lamb, which he had snatched from the very jaws of a bear, and he killed it because it could not be kept alive.

16. OLD AGE Now Isra'el loved Yosef the most of all his children, because he was the son of his old age; … (Genesis 37:3 CJB) The Book of Yasher and other oral histories tell us that Yoseph, his father‟s prodigy, studied with his father and became his prime disciple in the worship of YHVH. The other brothers, were not as eager to learn as Yoseph was. In verse 3 we see that Yisra‟el loved Yoseph more than his other sons “because he was the son of his old age”. The Hebrew word here for “old age” is shown with vowel points as “zawqoon” which means “old age”. Since there are no vowel points in the Torah, we could also read this as “zawqayn‟im” which applies being “old” or “aged” with “having wisdom”. Thus verse 3 can also read; he was the son of Yisra‟el‟s “age old wisdoms” or “ancient knowledge”. Legends of the Jews: Until he was seventeen years old, Joseph frequented the Bet ha-Midrash, and he became so learned that he could impart to his brethren the Halakot he had heard from his father, and in this way he may be regarded as their teacher. He did not stop at formal instruction, he also tried to give them good counsel.

17. PICTURE OF THE MESSIAH As the beloved son of the father, Joseph symbolises Messiah Yeshua.

20. JUDAISM Judaism teaches that there will be two Messiahs involved in delivering Israel from its exile and ushering in the Messianic era. These two Messiahs are called Messiah ben David (Messiah son of David, i.e. reigning King) and Messiah benYosef (Messiah son of Joseph, i.e. suffering servant). When unbelieving Jews speak of the Messiah, they are usually referring to Messiah ben David of the tribe of Judah who will usher in the Kingdom of YHVH and rule in the Messianic age. Messiah benYosef is said to come first and judaism teaches that this Messiah will not be recognized. Messiah benYosef will war against evil and be killed (like Yeshua). His death will be followed by a period of tribulation for Israel, and then Messiah ben David will appear to avenge his (Messiah benYosef) death and inaugurate the Messianic kingdom. Messiah ben David will restore the Temple, regather the exiles of Israel, and bring peace to the earth. We know Yeshua is that Yeshua already came as Messiah benYosef (suffering servant). It is the same Messiah who will return as Messiah ben David (reigning king).

21. KETONET and he made him a long-sleeved robe. (Genesis 37:3 CJB) Verse 3 also tells us that Yisra‟el made Yoseph a “ketonet” spelled “kaf-tav-nun-tav”. It is Strong‟s #3801 comes from an unused root meaning to cover ; a shirt: - coat, garment, robe. A “tunic” or an “inner or mid layer garment” made of woven linen, or wool, sharing the same root word as “kee‟tan” (kaf-yud-tav-nun) meaning “woven linen” or “woven wool” according to Gesenius‟ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon. “Ketonet” and “kee‟tan” share the same root word, which is “kaf-tav-nun” or “katan”, as in “tallitkatan” and means “small” or “under” as in “small tallit” or “under tallit”, which represents our prayer covering. They can also display a future rank and honor of position in the family. Those who wore the katan were usually ones that studied Torah and were sons of the Covenant. The numeric value of the letters “kaf-tav-nun-tav” is 870, which equals “heetha‟lu‟ahkahtee” or “I have followed” from B’reshith 24:40 and from VaYiqra 22:32, “v‟neeqadash tee” or “And I will be Set-apart”.

22. MANY COLOURS We have a picture in our heads of “Joseph’s coat of many colors” as the King James Bible says so? The King James translates it as “colors” with (many) italicized and in brackets denoting that it was added, in the Hebrew Torah we find simply the word “pasim”, “pey-samech-yud-mem”, Strong‟s #6446 meaning “to the wrists” and/or “ankles” by implication (plural) a long and sleeved tunic (perhaps simply a wide one; from the original sense of the root, that is, of many breadths): - (divers) colours denoting both a pattern of interwoven lines and different colors, i.e. a tartan-type design. According to Gesenius‟ Lexicon, a “ketonetpasim” was a long tunic worn by those of noble or priestly rank. The following picture of the “priestly tunic” worn by the KohenHaGadol (the High Priest) is ready and waiting for the next Priest who will serve in Mashiach‟s Temple.

23. GOVERNOR COAT Ya‟aqob (Yisra’el) made Yoseph the KohenGadol of the family. He made him High Priest, after the order of the MelekTzadik. The Levitical priesthood wouldn‟t be set-apart, or sanctified, for another 300 years or so. Yoseph studied under his father and was set-apart as Yisra‟el‟s High Priest in his generation. No wonder his brothers couldn‟t handle it. David Rohl‟s book “The Test of Time”. In it, he shows the archeological evidence that Yoseph was indeed in Egypt when the Torah states that he was. This is a picture of the statue of Yoseph, in his royal Governor‟s “coat of many colors”. This statue was found in his tomb in Egypt. His name, both as Yoseph (in Hebrew) and his Egyptian name “Zaphnath-Pa‟neah” (meaning “Savior of the Age”) were written in numerous places within this tomb. From the book Joseph by YairDavidi, “In Scotland, one’s rank was shown by the number of colors one wore on the kilt, one color being the lowest rank, seven colors being the highest.”

24. TOKEN OF LOVELegends of the Jews As a token of his great love for him, Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, so light and delicate that it could be crushed and concealed in the closed palm of one hand. The Hebrew name of the garment, Passim, conveys the story of the sale of Joseph. The first letter, Pe, stands for Potiphar, his Egyptian master; Samek stands for Soharim, the merchantmen that bought Joseph from the company of Ishmaelites to whom his brethren had sold him; Yod stands for these same Ishmaelites; and Mem, for the Midianites that obtained him from the merchantmen, and then disposed of him to Potiphar. But Passim. has yet another meaning, "clefts." His brethren knew that the Red Sea would be cleft in twain in days to come for Joseph's sake, and they were jealous of the glory to be conferred upon him. Although they were filled with hatred of him, it must be said in their favor that they were not of a sullen, spiteful nature. They did not hide their feelings, they proclaimed their enmity openly.

25. SPEAK TO HIM PEACE When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they began to hate him and reached the point where they couldn't even talk with him in a civil manner. (Genesis 37:4 CJB) We have several English translations of this last phrase “v‟loyachludabrol‟shalom.” . They include; “They could not speak peaceably to him” ~ “They could not speak a kind word to him” ~ “They could not speak to him on friendly terms”. But, the Hebrew translates literally as, “they could not speak him to peace”. What does this mean? Rabbi Yonatan Eybeshutz refers us to the command in Leviticus 19:17, which states, Do not hate your brother in your heart. Reprove your neighbor, for certain, and bear no sin because of him.Had the brothers told Yoseph how they Yoseph might have come to understand their feelings. It might have made him more modest, or at least more thoughtful. As Nachmanides writes, on the command: “Do not hate your brother in your heart”: “Those who hate tend to hide their hate in their heart”.

26. PROVOKE THEM TO JEALOUSY As the “body” of Messiah, we have the love and favour of the Father. It is a part of the Father’s plan that this love will provoke our unbelieving brothers to jealousy: Romans 5:8 But Yah demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us. Deuteronomy 32:21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not Elohim; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. Romans 10:19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation." Now take note of the awesome consequences of the Father’s plan of “provoking to jealousy”: Romans 11:11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.

27. JOSEF DREAMS Yosef had a dream which he told his brothers, and that made them hate him all the more. He said to them, "Listen while I tell you about this dream of mine. We were tying up bundles of wheat in the field when suddenly my bundle got up by itself and stood upright; then your bundles came, gathered around mine and prostrated themselves before it." His brothers retorted, "Yes, you will certainly be our king. You'll do a great job of bossing us around!" And they hated him still more for his dreams and for what he said. He had another dream which he told his brothers: "Here, I had another dream, and there were the sun, the moon and eleven stars prostrating themselves before me." He told his father too, as well as his brothers, but his father rebuked him: "What is this dream you have had? Do you really expect me, your mother and your brothers to come and prostrate ourselves before you on the ground?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. (Genesis 37:5-11 CJB)

28. JACOB’S INTERPRETATIONLegends of the Jews Then Joseph dreamed another dream, how the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him, and Jacob, to whom he told it first, was rejoiced over it, for he understood its meaning properly. He knew that he himself was designated by the sun, the name by which God had called him when he lodged overnight on the holy site of the Temple. He had heard God say to the angels at that time, "The sun has come." The moon stood for Joseph's mother, and the stars for his brethren, for the righteous are as the stars. Jacob was so convinced of the truth of the dream that he was encouraged to believe that he would live to see the resurrection of the dead, for Rachel was dead, and her return to earth was clearly indicated by the dream. He went astray there, for not Joseph's own mother was referred to, but his foster-mother Bilhah, who had raised him.

29. ARROGANCE OF JOSEPHLegends of the Jews Jacob wrote the dream in a book, recording all the circumstances, the day, the hour, and the place, for the holy spirit cautioned him, "Take heed, these things will surely come to pass." But when Joseph repeated his dream to his brethren, in the presence of his father, Jacob rebuked him, saying, "I and thy brethren, that has some sense, but I and thy mother, that is inconceivable, for thy mother is dead." These words of Jacob called forth a reproof from God. He said, "Thus thy descendants will in time to come seek to hinder Jeremiah in delivering his prophecies." Jacob may be excused, he had spoken in this way only in order to avert the envy and hate of his brethren from Joseph, but they envied and hated him because they knew that the interpretation put upon the dream by Jacob would be realized.

30. SHEKEM After this, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father's sheep in Sh'khem, Isra'el asked Yosef, "Aren't your brothers pasturing the sheep in Sh'khem? Come, I will send you to them." …(Genesis 37:12-13 CJB) Yoseph‟s brothers go to Shekem to feed their father‟s flock. Shekem means “upper back” or “shoulder” and is the part of the shoulder that carries the weight of a burden or a load. In fact it has come to be identified with “bearing burdens”. It is also the area of the back where scourgings were concentrated since that was the “burden” of punishment. It was here that Shim‟on and Levi took out their anger on the men and animals of the whole city because of the kidnapping and rape of their sister Dinah. The other brothers also looted and took slaves from the women and children of Shekem. Plus, Ya‟aqob had purchased a field from Hamor, Shekem‟s father there too. So, they owned the land of Shekem and they return there, the place of their revenge, to plot the killing of Yoseph.

31. PROPHECY ..He answered, "Here I am." He said to him, "Go now, see whether things are going well with your brothers and with the sheep, and bring word back to me." .., (Genesis 37:13-14 CJB) Verses 12-14 read a little different in the Hebrew. As Yisra‟el sends Yoseph to see his brothers, he tells him to look into the “peace‟ (shalom) of his brothers and the “shalom‟ of the flock and report back. Yisra‟el is telling Yoseph to “go make peace with your brothers”. Legends of the Jews: Though he knew that the hatred of his brethren might bring on unpleasant adventures, Joseph, declared himself ready to go on his father's errand. Later Jacob would say to himself, "Thou didst know the hatred of thy brethren, and yet thou didst say, Here am I.“ Jacob dismissed Joseph …saying, "Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and send me word"--an unconscious prophecy. He did not say that he expected to see Joseph again, but only to have word from him.

32. OUT OF THE DEPTH ..So he sent him away from the Hevron Valley, and he went to Sh'khem, (Genesis 37:14 CJB) In the Hebrew it says that he sent him “out of the depth” of Hebron. The Hebrew word here is “m‟emeq”, spelled “mem-ayin-mem-kuf”. From the letters, mem = water, ayin = eye or fountain, mem = water and kuf = to surround, we see the connotation of being in the “eye” or “center of the fountain” and “surrounded by the waters”; like in an immersion or in a mikvah. Hebron isn‟t in a valley, it‟s on a hill. It‟s literally a city on a very steep hill. So, what‟s at the “depth of Hebron”? Machpelah, the “Cave of the Patriarchs”. Hebron means “joining” or “conjunction”. Yisra‟el sent Yoseph from the “cave of conjunction”, the “depth (m‟emeq) of Hebron”, the very meaning of Hebron, representing KolYisra‟el (past, present and future) to make peace with his brothers at Shekem, the “shoulder of the burden”. With his royal priestly tunic he went as “Sar Shalom”, the Prince who would make Peace and restore the nation, Yisra‟el. Sounds familiar; a fore-shadow of Mashiach.

33. CERTAIN MAN where a man found him wandering around in the countryside. The man asked him, "What are you looking for?" "I'm looking for my brothers," he answered. "Tell me, please, where are they pasturing the sheep?" The man said, "They've left here; because I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dotan.' " Yosef went after his brothers and found them in Dotan. (Genesis 37:15-17 CJB) Yoseph reaches Shekem and is wandering about, looking for his brothers and the sheep, he is found by a “certain man”. From the Hebrew, it sounds like Yoseph found this “iysh” or “man”. The phrase here is “v‟ye‟matzahoo” (“and he found” a man). The connotation here is that Yoseph“received” or “found knowledge” in this man. This “man with knowledge” was a messenger of Elohim (Gabriel, legends of the Jews), sent to make sure that Yoseph found his brothers. This man tells him that his brothers chose to go to Dothan.

34. DOTHAM Legends of the Jews: "What seekest thou?" And he answered, "I seek my brethren." Whereto the angel replied, "Thy brethren have given up the Divine qualities of love and mercy. Through a prophetic revelation they learned that the Hivites were preparing to make war upon them, and therefore they departed hence to go to Dothan. And they had to leave this place for other reasons, too. I heard, while I was still standing behind the curtain that veils the Divine throne, that this day the Egyptian bondage would begin, and thou wouldst be the first to be subjected to it.” Dothan literally means “two wells”. It also comes from the root word “dat” which is “religious law”. A prophetic symbolof how the brothers would hold court and seek to kill Yoseph, just as the Roman appointees among the Sanhedrin would do to Yahshua, Mashiach benYoseph, according to “dat” or “religious law”. In the remez level it is hinted that they had “two wisdoms” or “two paths”. One path to murder and another to selling their brother into slavery, good or evil.

35. REUBEN They spotted him in the distance, and before he had arrived .., they had already plotted to kill him. They said to each other, "Look, this dreamer is coming! So come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these water cisterns here. Then we'll say some wild animal devoured him. We'll see then what becomes of his dreams!" But when Re'uven heard this, he saved him from being destroyed by them. He said, "We shouldn't take his life. Don't shed blood," Re'uven added. "Throw him into this cistern here in the wilds, but don't lay hands on him yourselves." He intended to rescue him from them later and restore him to his father. (Genesis 37:18-22 CJB) Legends of the Jews: He hoped his reward would be pardon for the transgression he had committed against Jacob. Reuben was rewarded by God. As he was the first of the brethren of Joseph to make an attempt to save him, so the city of Bezer in the tribe of Reuben was the first of the cities of refuge appointed to safeguard the life of the innocent that seek help. Furthermore God spake to Reuben, saying: "As thou wast the first to endeavor to restore a child unto his father, so Hosea, one of thy descendants, shall be the first to endeavor to lead Israel back to his heavenly Father."

36. EMPTY CISTERN So it was that when Yosef arrived to be with his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the long-sleeved robe he was wearing, and took him and threw him into the cistern (the cistern was empty; without any water in it). (Genesis 37:23-24 CJB) When Joseph approached his brothers to bring them shalom, they stripped him of his Cotonetpasim- just as Yeshua was stripped of His priestly garment and threw Joseph into the empty cistern. Legends of the Jews: "Brethren, let us not slay him, but let us cast him into one of the dry pits, which our fathers dug without finding water." That was due to the providence of God; He had hindered the water from rising in them in order that Joseph's rescue might be accomplished, and the pits remained dry until Joseph was safe in the hands of the Ishmaelites… Not satisfied with exposing Joseph to the snakes and scorpions, his brethren had stripped him bare before they flung him into the pit. They took off his coat of many colors, his upper garment, his breeches, and his shirt. However, the reptiles could do him no harm.

37. PROPHETS IN TRAINING “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.”  (Malachi 3:3) During his time in the PIT, Joseph was a ‘Prophet in Training’.He needed to undergo the fires of purification in order to be refined into a vessel God could use. We may wonder, “What am I doing stuck in this PIT?” How could the people so close to us, those who we trusted, hurt and betray us? The answer is simple.  We are being prepared, purified, refined, and made ready to rule and reign with Yeshua as kings (melachim) and priests (cohanim) with Him in His Kingdom. If Yeshua baptizes us with the RuachHaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and with fire, should we be confounded by the preparation? “I baptize you with water for repentance.  But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (RuachHaKodesh) and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

38. THE FIRES OF PURIFICATION “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine… When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”  (Isaiah 43:1-2)If we allow ourselves to submit to the fires of purification and trust God that with Him by our side we will not be burned, then God will exalt us in His perfect way and perfect time to fulfill our destiny. Although the fire can be uncomfortable and even painful, it can be the very thing that sets us free. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Messiah Yeshua is revealed.”  (1 Peter 1:6-7)

39. LOOKED UP Legends of the Jews: The only one among them that manifested pity was Zebulon. For two days and two nights no food passed his lips on account of his grief over the fate of Joseph, who had to spend three days and three nights in the pit before he was sold. Then they sat down to eat their meal; but as they looked up, they saw in front of them a caravan of Yishma`elim coming from Gil`ad, their camels loaded with aromatic gum, healing resin and opium, on their way down to Egypt. (Genesis 37:25-28 CJB) When they “looked up” - it was a reference to Yeshua when He was lifted up at His death. In John 12:32 Yeshua said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

40. 20 SHEKELS Y'hudah said to his brothers, "What advantage is it to us if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Yishma`elim, instead of putting him to death with our own hands. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers paid attention to him. So when the Midyanim, merchants, passed by, they drew and lifted Yosef up out of the cistern and sold him for half a pound of silver shekels (twenty pieces of silver) to the Yishma`elim, who took Yosef on to Egypt. (Genesis 37:26-28 CJB) They sell Yoseph to the Yishma‟elites for 20 pieces of silver. 20 is the number of “expectancy”. Leviticus 27:2, YHVH tells Moshe that “when a man separates a vow by the evaluation of lives unto YHVH, and it is a male from 5 years old up to twenty, the evaluation shall be twenty sheqels”. Torah states that 20 sheqels is value of a young man below 20 years of age. Remember, Yoseph was 17.

41. BOUGHT SHOESLegends of the Jews The brethren of Joseph bought shoes for the money, for they said: "We will not eat it, because it is the price for the blood of our brother, but we will tread upon him, for that he spake, he would have dominion over us, and we will see what will become of his dreams." And for this reason the ordinance has been commanded, that he who refuseth to raise up a name in Israel unto his brother that hath died without having a son, shall have his shoe loosed from off his foot, and his face shall be spat upon. Joseph's brethren refused to do aught to preserve his life, and therefore the Lord loosed their shoes from off their feet, for, when they went down to Egypt, the slaves of Joseph took their shoes off their feet as they entered the gates, and they prostrated themselves before Joseph as before a Pharaoh, and, as they lay prostrate, they were spat upon, and put to shame before the Egyptians.

42. BLOOD OF A MALE GOAT They took Yosef's robe, killed a male goat and dipped the robe in the blood. Then they sent the long-sleeved robe and brought it to their father, saying, "We found this. Do you know if it's your son's robe or not?“ (Genesis 37:31-32 CJB) And, they took his priestly garment, his tunic and, having killed a male goat, dipped it in the blood and brought it home to show Ya‟aqob. It‟s interesting that Torah makes sure to tell us that they killed a “male goat” (as in Yom Kippur) and dipped the tunic in the blood of the “kapparah” or offering of atonement and bring it home to Yisra‟el. For, as we read in the blessing Yisra‟el gave to Yehudah regarding the Lawgiver Genesis 49:8-12; that his garment would be washed in the “blood of grapes”. You, Yehudah, .. Binding his donkey to the vine, and his donkey‟s colt to the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes… The Passover Seder‟s third cup of wine (blood of the grapes representing the kapparah), the cup of redemption. This is a picture of Mashiach‟s redemptive work.

43. MOURNED He recognized it and cried, "It's my son's robe! Some wild animal has torn Yosef in pieces and eaten him!" Ya`akov tore his clothes and, putting sackcloth around his waist, mourned his son for many days. Though all his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, he refused all consolation, saying, "No, I will go down to the grave, to my son, mourning." And his father wept for him. (Genesis 37:33-35 CJB) Now, Ya‟aqob mourned Yoseph many days. He refused to be comforted. The word for comforted here is “nachum”, “nun-chet-mem”. “nun” is “kingdom”, “chet” is “life” and “mem”, in addition to “water”, is “chaos”. So, “the kingdom’s life was in chaos”. “Nachum” also means to “repent”. This is very interesting in that according to B’reshith 5 & 6 (the telling of Noach and the flood), this word “nachum” is used to describe, first why Lemek named his son Noach; because he brings “nachum” or “comfort” to them concerning the toil of their hands, because of the ground that Elohim had cursed, in Genesis 5:28-29. Then, in Chapter 6:6, YHVH “repented” (“nachum”) that He had made man on the earth.

44. JUDAH LEAVES It was at this time that Y'hudah went off from his brothers .. (Genesis 38:1 CJB) Now, the sages teach that when the brothers saw how Yoseph‟s loss hurt their father that they turned on Yehudah; because it was his idea to sell Yoseph. And, this is why Yehudah left his brothers and went his own way, at this time. Legends of the Jews: When the sons of Jacob saw how inconsolable their father was, they went to Judah, and said to him, "This great misfortune is thy fault." Judah replied: "It was I that asked you, What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? and now you say the sin lies at my door." The brethren continued to argue: "But it was thou that didst say, Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and we followed thy advice. Hadst thou said, Let us restore him to his father, we had heeded these words of thine as well."

45. REPENTANCE .. settled near a man named Hirah who was an `Adulami. There Y'hudah saw one of the daughters of a certain Kena`ani whose name was Shua, and he took her and slept with her. (Genesis 38:1-2 CJB) Yehudah goes to a city named Adullam. Adullam, and Adullamite, come from the root word “adull” which means “justice”. “Adullami” or “Adullamite”, as used in our text, means “people‟s justice” and “Adullam” (the city) is referred to as “hiding place”, as in a “city of refuge” according to Gesenius‟ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon; which is part of Elohim‟s justice. Yehudah goes to a “city of refuge” and “turns aside” or “finds”Hirah(“nobleman”). Then, he meets the daughter of a Kena‟anite named Shuwa and he marries her. Shuwa or Shuva is Strong‟s #7770. While Strong‟s translates this as meaning “wealth” or “riches”, it also means “to cry for help” or “an outcry” and is the root for “teshuva” or “turning and repenting”, because it involves the crying out of a contrite heart. So, Yehudah in fact marries into “repentance”.

46. TAMAR She conceived and had a son, ..`Er. She conceived .. Onan. Then she conceived again .. Shelah; he was in K'ziv when she gave birth to him. Y'hudah took a wife for `Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But `Er, ..was evil from Adonai's perspective, so Adonai killed him. Y'hudah said to Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's wife — perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and preserve your brother's line of descent." However, Onan knew that the child would not count as his; so whenever he had intercourse with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground, so as not to give his brother offspring. What he did was evil from Adonai's perspective, so he killed him too. Then Y'hudah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Stay a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "I don't want him to die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived at home with her father. (Genesis 38:3-11 CJB)

47. TAMAR con’t Er, means “watcher” or “enemy Onan, meaning “strong”. Shelah, which means “to be safe”. Shelah, is born in Kezib which means “false”. It would indeed be a “false safety”. Yehudah takes a wife for his eldest son, Er, whose name was Tamar, which means “upright”, as in a palm tree. The righteous people of Elohim are compared to trees, tall and upright trees, as in terebinth, palms and oaks. This one is indeed fitting as Tamar was the granddaughter of Shem, the son of Noach, the MelekTzadik of Avraham, Yitzaq and Ya‟aqob. It was her brother Eber that instructed Yoseph. The office of MelekTzadik (Righteous King) passed from Shem to Eber, skipping Eber‟s father; because he was either not a Tzadik or simply chose a different path. The Book of Yasher and the other oral histories teach that Er found Tamar so beautiful that he did not want her to have children and lose her youthful beauty.

48. THE PROSTITUTE In due time the wife of Y'hudah, died. .. he went up to be with his sheep-shearers in Timnah, .. Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law has gone up to Timnah to shear his sheep." So she took off her widow's clothes, completely covered her face with her veil, and sat at the entrance to `Einayim, which is on the way to Timnah. ..When Y'hudah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute.. "Come, let me sleep with you." She answered, "What will you pay to sleep with me?" He said, "I will send you a kid from the flock of goats." She said, "Will you also give me something as a guarantee until you send it" ..She said, "Your seal, with its cord, and the staff you're carrying in your hand." … About three months later Y'hudah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been acting like a whore; moreover, she is pregnant as a result of her prostitution." Y'hudah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned alive!" When she was brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Determine, I beg you, whose these are — the signet, the cords and the staff." .. He said, "She is more righteous than I, because I didn't let her become the wife of my son Shelah." ... (Genesis 38:12-26 CJB)

49. INHERITANCE While this “right-ruling” or “commandment” would not be codified until B‟neiYisra‟el were in the wilderness, this “levirate marriage” (a childless widow of a first-born marries his brother to produce an heir) mitzvah was already known to Ya‟aqob‟s children and Tamar. While Tamars genealogy is not discussed in Torah, the Book of Jubilee‟s, Chapter 41 and Josephus‟ works state that she was an Aramean (descendent of Shem) and Levi‟swife‟s (Milcah‟s) sister. So, when Yehudah decides not to honor this command, he was in sin regarding all Yisra‟el. Tamar‟s actions in tricking Yehudah into giving her an heir, helped set things right, or made “tikkun”, the Hebrew concept of “rectification”. Yehudah acknowledged this publicly when he said that she had been more righteous than he. The encounter between Yehudah and Tamar came at Enayim or the “crossroads” on the way to Timnah. Timnah means “portion” or “a part assigned”. It carries the connotation of “inheritance”. They were at the crossroads. Had Yehudah simply walked on by, there would be no heir for Tamar, no inheritance for the upright.

50. DAUGHTER OF HIGH PRIEST Legends of the Jews: With prophetic caution, Tamar demanded that, as a pledge for the reward he promised her, he leave with her his signet, his mantle, and his staff, the symbols of royalty, judgeship, and Messiah ship, the three distinctions of the descendants of Tamar from her union with Judah. It was the opinion of Judah that the woman was liable to the penalty of death by burning, for she was the daughter of the high priest Shem, and death by fire is the punishment ordained by the law for a high priest's daughter that leads an unchaste life. The daughter of a cohen who profanes herself by prostitution profanes her father; she is to be put to death by fire. (Leviticus 21:9 CJB)