Vayeshev

Parshat Vayeshev The Clothes Make A Man Rabbi Ari Kahn The story of Yosef is one of the saddest and most severe stories in the book of Bereishit. The sons of Ya’akov are remembered for the near- fratricide, rather than for displays of love and respect we would have expected. Infamy is their legacy, and it is this episode – their hatred of Yosef and his subsequent sale into slavery, which define their place in history, and mar their record. The story itself is well known. The coat of many colors given by Ya’akov to his beloved son Yosef became the object of the brothers' hatred, the symbol of animosity, and when the coat was saturated with blood, we can imagine the cathartic effect for the brothers: Their anger dissipated, vengeance was taken. Yet this coat is more than a symbol. Clothing seems to be a major theme in this Parsha, providing an intriguing subtext for the stories told. We are told in passing of Yosef, Yehuda, Tamar, and again Yosef in various modes of dress and undress, and of Ya’akov and Reuven tearing their garments: Now Israel loved Yosef more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a striped coat. (37:3) And it came to pass, when Yosef came to his brothers, that they stripped Yosef of his coat, his striped coat that was on him. (37:23) And Reuven returned to the pit; and, behold, Yosef was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. (37:29) And they took Yosef’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the striped coat, and they brought it to their father; and said, 'This have we found; know now whether it is your son’s coat or no.' And he knew it, and said, 'It is my son’s coat; an evil beast has devoured him; Yosef is without doubt torn in pieces'. And Ya'akov tore his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. (37:31-34) And she took off her widow’s garments, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnat; (38:14) And he said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' And she said, 'Your signet, and your cloak, and your staff that is in your hand.' And he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. And she arose, and went away, and took off her veil, and put on the garments of her widowhood. (38:18,19) And it came to pass about this time, that Yosef went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there inside. And she caught him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me;' and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got out. (39:11,12)

Then Paroh sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his garment, and came in to Paroh. (41:14) Clothes are given, shed, and ripped. They cover and uncover their possessors. Not all the clothing mentioned has one term, nor one thematic message: Different words are utilized to describe garments, indicating separate motifs. The term used to describe the gift given to Yosef is "k'tonet pasim". The first time the word k'tonet is used is at the dawn of history, to describe the first set of clothes which followed man’s trespass and subsequent feeble attempt to cover himself. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves garments (hagurot). (Bereishit 3:7) For Adam and for his wife the Lord G-d made coats (k'tonot) of skins, and clothed them. (Bereishit 3:21) In this context it is somewhat strange that specifically this term is used to describe the gift of Ya’akov to Yosef1. There is a tradition that these clothes were one and the same: handed down from Adam to Nimrod, to Esav, and finally used by Ya’akov to procure the blessing from his father2. These were the clothes given to Yosef. If this is the case, we can appreciate the resulting enmity between Esav and Ya’akov, but Ya’akov’s motivation in giving these clothes to Yosef seems obscure. The more specific term k'tonet pasim is used one other time in scripture, also in a context involving relations between siblings: And Amnon said to Tamar, 'Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat of your hand.' And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, 'Come lie with me, my sister.' And she answered him, 'No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not do this shameful deed. And I, where shall I carry my shame? And as for you, you shall be as one of the base men in Israel. And therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.' But he would not listen to her voice; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her very much; so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, 'Get up, be gone.' And she said to him, 'Do not add this greater wrong of sending me away to the other that you did to me.' But he would not listen to her. Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, 'Take now this woman away from me, and bolt the door after her.' And she had a striped coat [k'tonet pasim] upon her; for with such robes were the king’s daughters who were virgins dressed. Then his servant took her out, and bolted the door after her. (2 Shmuel 13:10-18) 1

2

The Midrash is critical of Ya’akov for showing favor to one son over the others. Midrash Rabbah - Genesis LXXXIV:8 AND HE MADE HIM A COAT OF MANY COLORS (PASSIM). Resh Lakish said in the name of R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah: A man must not make a distinction among his children, for on account of the coat of many colors which our ancestor Ya'akov made for Yosef, THEY HATED HIM (ib. 4). Rav Kasher cites this Midrash which exists in manuscript form. See Torah Shelemah Vayeshev, chapter 17 note 50.

Amnon's shameful, dastardly deed led to his murder, by order of his brother Avshalom: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her striped coat that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, crying aloud as she went. And Avshalom her brother said to her, 'Has Amnon your brother been with you? But keep silence, my sister; he is your brother; take not this thing to heart.' So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Avshalom’s house. But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. And Avshalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar. And it came to pass after two full years, that Avshalom had sheepshearers in Baal-Hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Avshalom invited all the king’s sons. And Avshalom came to the king, and said, 'Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech you, and his servants go with your servant.' And the king said to Avshalom, 'No, my son, let us not all now go, lest we should be a burden to you.' And he pressed him; but he would not go, and he blessed him. Then said Avshalom, 'If not, I beg you, let my brother Amnon go with us.' And the king said to him, 'Why should he go with you?' But Avshalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. And Avshalom had commanded his servants, saying, 'Mark now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, "Strike Amnon"; then kill him, fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous, and be brave.' And the servants of Avshalom did to Amnon as Avshalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man rode on his mule and fled. Again, hostile, vile, violent relations between siblings are punctuated by this coat of many colors – k'tonet pasim. From this context, it appears that these are royal garments, the clothes of the aristocratic class3. If this is so one may posit that Ya’akov was indicating that Yosef would one day rule. This would necessarily mean that Reuven, the first of all the sons, would fall into disfavor, and the firstborn of his beloved Rachel, would now lead4. There is, however, another usage of the term k'tonet, in relationship with the priestly garb: And for Aharon’s sons you shall make coats (kutonot, plural form of k'tonet), and you shall make for them girdles, and turbans shall you make for them, for glory and for beauty. And you 3

Ramban makes this observation. King Saul's loss of the kingdom is connected to two instances relating to clothing: His clothing is ripped as a sign of his impending loss of the kingdom. Furthermore: And Saul disguised himself, and put on other garments, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said, I beg you, divine for me by a spirit, and bring him up for me, whoever I shall name to you…. Because you would not obey the voice of the Lord, nor execute his fierce anger upon Amalek, therefore has the Lord done this thing to you this day. And the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow shall you and your sons be with me; the Lord also shall deliver the camp of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. (1 Shmuel 28:8,18,19) 4

shall put them upon Aharon your brother, and his sons with him; and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me in the priest’s office. (Sh’mot 28:40,41) While the connection between Yosef and the priestly garb seems obscure, the Midrash draws a line between them: "…and the garments "(8, 2). R. Simon said: Even as the sacrifices have an atoning power, so too have the [priestly] garments atoning power, as we have learnt in the Mishnah: The High Priest officiated in eight garments, and an ordinary priest in four, namely in a k'tonet, breeches, a mitre, and a girdle. The High Priest wore, in addition, a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, and a head-plate. The tunic, to atone for those who wear a mixture of wool and linen, as it is said, "And he made him a coat of many colors (k'tonet pasim) (Bereishit 37, 3); the breeches atoned for unchastity [lit. the uncovering of nakedness], since it is said, And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of nakedness (Sh'mot 28, 42); the mitre atoned for arrogance, since it is said, 'And thou shalt set the mitre on his head' (ib. 29, 6); the girdle was to atone, some say, for the crooked in heart, and others say for thieves. (Midrash Rabbah - Vayikra 10:6) The k'tonet pasim is understood as being made of Shatnez, the product of wool and linen. Apparently this is what is meant by k'tonet – from flax, and pasim – wool. However, where do we see a sin of “wool and linen” in the Yosef story? Why would this section serve as the prototype for Shatnez5? The Vilna Gaon explained the mystical idea communicated by the prohibition of Shatnez6. Hevel was a shepherd, while Cain worked the land. The fratricide of Cain resulted in the prohibition against shatnez! The tragic relationship of two brothers with an inappropriate relationship resulted in the law of Shatnez, which was designed to heal the rift caused by that terrible sin. Only the priest was allowed to wear a garment of the two species together, because the priest is involved in spiritual healing. Perhaps Ya’akov gave Yosef these clothes as an antidote to the insidious hatred which seethed within the family. Perhaps Ya’akov saw Yosef as a prototype of the High Priest. All the discussion till this point revolves around the term k'tonet. When the Torah tells us of Adam and Eve being clothed, the text reads: For Adam and for his wife the Lord G-d made coats (kutonot) of skins, and clothed them. (3:21) 5

6

The Talmud in a number of places, says that the k'tonet atones for murder. See Z'vachim 88b, Arachin 17. This would help explain the reference to the k'tonet in the section of Amnon and Tamar, where Amnon is murdered. The Midrash in Shir Hashirim cites both traditions: Midrash Rabbah - Shir HaShirim 4:8: "Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes: things of definite number, namely, the garments of the high priesthood, since we have learnt: 'The High Priest ministered in eight garments and the ordinary priest in four-in a tunic and breeches and a mitreand a girdle. To these the High Priest added the breastplate, the ephod, the k'tonet, and the plate of the holy crown.’ The k'tonet used to make atonement for bloodshed, as we read, 'And they dipped the coat in the blood' (Bereishit 37, 31). Some say it was for those who wore garments of diverse kinds, as we read, 'And he made him a coat of many colors (k'tonet pasim).(Bereishit 37, 3). Commentary to the "Sifra Deztenuta" chapter 4, See my discussion in Berishit 98, and Kidoshim 98/.

The concluding term is vayalbishem – He clothed them. The Talmud explains the etymology of the word as follows: lebushah [upper garment]: lo bushah [no shame]. Gelima [a cloak] [is so called] because one looks in it like a shapeless mass [golem] (Shabbat 77b) The word l'vush- clothe- is connected with the phrase “without shame”. The purpose of clothing is to hide one's shame. Man, who stood all but naked in the Garden of Eden, was clothed by G-d in an act of compassion, his embarrassment covered. In a sense, all clothing covers the individual and hides the real person, and must be considered within this context. The word for coat, me'il, has connotations of me'ila, a trespass. Once we understand the association between clothing and man’s sin we can penetrate the end of the Parsha. We are told that Yosef is the object of advances of the mistress of the house of Potiphar, which he heroically withstands: And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Yosef; and she said, 'Lie with me'. But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, 'Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; nor has he kept back any thing from me but you, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' And it came to pass, as she spoke to Yosef day by day, that he listened not to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Yosef went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there inside. And she caught him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me;' and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled out… (39:7-13) The sages are divided regarding Yosef’s intention, when he allowed himself to be secluded with her. R. Johanan said: This teaches that both [Yosef and Potiphar's wife] had the intention of acting immorally. ‘He went into the house to do his work’ — Rav and Shmuel [differ in their interpretation]. One said that it really means to do his work; but the other said that he went to satisfy his desires. ‘And there was none of the men of the house…' Is it possible that there was no man in a huge house like that of this wicked [Potiphar]! — It was taught in the School of R. Yishmael: That day was their feast-day, and they had all gone to their idolatrous temple; but she had pretended to be ill because she thought, 'I shall not have an opportunity like today for Yosef to associate with me.' 'And she caught him by his garment, saying….' At that moment his father's image came and appeared to him through the window and said: ‘Yosef, thy brothers will have their names inscribed upon the stones of the ephod and thine amongst theirs; is it thy wish to have thy name expunged from amongst theirs and be called an associate of harlots?’ (Sotah 36b)

Here the term for clothing is beged; she grabbed his clothing, b'vigdo. The root of the word is BGD. This is also the root of the word “rebel”7. Tradition tells us that these two words which share a common root--rebel and clothing-- are interrelated. Clothing is the testimony to the first and perhaps most profound rebellion which man staged against G-d. In the Garden, when the world was brand new and man was innocent and pure, man reached beyond his rightful grasp. The world has never been the same. Clothing is a symbol of lost innocence. When Yosef went into the room, he allowed himself to enter a spiritually precarious situation. Sin was palatable. Yosef was guilty of rebellion. At that moment she grabs his clothing, seizing his “rebellion”. Nonetheless, Yosef extricates himself, retaining his innocence. He will once again wear royal garb, just as his father had envisioned years before. Then Pharaoh sent and called Yosef, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his garment, and came in to Pharaoh. (41:14) Yosef let go of his rebellion, and he emerged spiritually fortified, a man who was able to withstand temptation. Yosef no longer wore b'gadim. Now Yosef wore royal clothes, befitting aristocracy. Yosef becomes the person his father knew he would become. His clothes now fit.

7

This association is already implied in the Talmud: R. Simeon said: Just as a man cannot sell his daughter for servitude after marriage, so a man cannot sell his daughter for servitude after servitude. Now this enters into the dispute of the following Tannaim. For it was taught: [To sell her unto a strange people he shall have no power], seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her [be-vig'do bah]: once he spread his cloak over her, he can no longer sell her: this is R. Akiba's view. R. Eliezer said: seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her — having dealt deceitfully with her, he may not sell her [again]. Wherein do they differ? R. Eliezer maintains: the traditional text [i.e., letters without vowels] is authoritative; R. Akiba maintains: the text as read is authoritative; whereas R. Simeon holds: both the traditional text and the vocalization are authoritative. Kiddushin 18b See Rashi's commentary where he cites the verse referring to Yosef. See Bal Haturim, and Rabbenu B'chaye, Sh'mot 21:8, see the Ramban 39:9 where he labels Yosef's possible affair as a "b'gida," rebellion; in light of the numerous times the word beged is used in this section, I would doubt that the Ramban did not intend this association.