VaYeshev (וַיֵּשֶׁב)
Genesis 37:1 – 40:23
Second Aliyah
37:12
[Joseph’s] brothers left to tend their father’s sheep in Shechem.
[Joseph’s] brothers left to tend their father’s sheep in Shechem.
Vayelchu echav lir’ot et-tson avihem biShchem.
וַיֵּלְכוּ, אֶחָיו, לִרְעוֹת אֶת-צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם, בִּשְׁכֶם.
37:13
Israel said to Joseph, ‘I believe your brothers are keeping the sheep in Shechem. I would like you to go to them.’ ‘I’m ready,’ replied [Joseph].
Israel said to Joseph, ‘I believe your brothers are keeping the sheep in Shechem. I would like you to go to them.’ ‘I’m ready,’ replied [Joseph].
Vayomer Yisra’el el-Yosef halo acheycha ro’im biShchem lechah ve’eshlachacha aleyhem vayomer lo hineni.
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף, הֲלוֹא אַחֶיךָ רֹעִים בִּשְׁכֶם–לְכָה, וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֲלֵיהֶם; וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, הִנֵּנִי.
37:14
‘Then see how your brothers and the sheep are doing,’ said [Israel]. ‘Bring me a report.’ [Israel] thus sent him from the Hebron valley, and [Joseph] arrived in Shechem.
‘Then see how your brothers and the sheep are doing,’ said [Israel]. ‘Bring me a report.’ [Israel] thus sent him from the Hebron valley, and [Joseph] arrived in Shechem.
Vayomer lo lech-na re’eh et-shlom acheycha ve’et-shlom hatson vahashiveyni davar vayishlachehu me’Emek Chevron vayavo Shchemah.
וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, לֶךְ-נָא רְאֵה אֶת-שְׁלוֹם אַחֶיךָ וְאֶת-שְׁלוֹם הַצֹּאן, וַהֲשִׁבֵנִי, דָּבָר; וַיִּשְׁלָחֵהוּ מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן, וַיָּבֹא שְׁכֶמָה.
37:15
A stranger found him blundering about in the fields. ‘What are you looking for?’ asked the stranger.
A stranger found him blundering about in the fields. ‘What are you looking for?’ asked the stranger.
Vayimtsa’ehu ish vehineh to’eh basadeh vayish’alehu ha’ish lemor mah-tevakesh.
וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ, וְהִנֵּה תֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה; וַיִּשְׁאָלֵהוּ הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר, מַה-תְּבַקֵּשׁ.
37:16
‘I’m looking for my brothers,’ replied [Joseph]. ‘Perhaps you can tell me where they are tending the sheep.’
‘I’m looking for my brothers,’ replied [Joseph]. ‘Perhaps you can tell me where they are tending the sheep.’
Vayomer et-achay anochi mevakesh hagidah-na li eyfoh hem ro’im.
וַיֹּאמֶר, אֶת-אַחַי אָנֹכִי מְבַקֵּשׁ; הַגִּידָה-נָּא לִי, אֵיפֹה הֵם רֹעִים.
37:17
‘They already left this area,’ said the man. ‘I heard them planning to go to Dothan.’ Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
‘They already left this area,’ said the man. ‘I heard them planning to go to Dothan.’ Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
Vayomer ha’ish nas’u mizeh ki shamati omrim nelchah Dotaynah vayelech Yosef achar echav vayimtsa’em beDotan.
וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ, נָסְעוּ מִזֶּה–כִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֹמְרִים, נֵלְכָה דֹּתָיְנָה; וַיֵּלֶךְ יוֹסֵף אַחַר אֶחָיו, וַיִּמְצָאֵם בְּדֹתָן.
37:18
They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they were plotting to kill him.
They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they were plotting to kill him.
Vayir’u oto merachok uveterem yikrav aleyhem vayitnaklu oto lahamito.
וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתוֹ, מֵרָחֹק; וּבְטֶרֶם יִקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם, וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ.
37:19
‘Here comes the dreamer!’ they said to one another.
‘Here comes the dreamer!’ they said to one another.
Vayomru ish el-achiv hineh ba’al-hachalomot halazeh ba.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אִישׁ אֶל-אָחִיו: הִנֵּה, בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה–בָּא.
37:20
‘Now we have the chance! Let’s kill him and throw him into one of the wells. We can say that a wild beast ate him. Then let’s see what will become of his dreams!’
‘Now we have the chance! Let’s kill him and throw him into one of the wells. We can say that a wild beast ate him. Then let’s see what will become of his dreams!’
Ve’atah lechu venahargehu venashlichehu be’achad haborot ve’amarnu chayah ra’ah achalathu venir’eh mah-yihyu chalomotav.
וְעַתָּה לְכוּ וְנַהַרְגֵהוּ, וְנַשְׁלִכֵהוּ בְּאַחַד הַבֹּרוֹת, וְאָמַרְנוּ, חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ; וְנִרְאֶה, מַה-יִּהְיוּ חֲלֹמֹתָיו.
37:21
Reuben heard these words and tried to rescue [Joseph]. ‘Let’s not kill him!’ he said.
Reuben heard these words and tried to rescue [Joseph]. ‘Let’s not kill him!’ he said.
Vayishma Re’uven vayatsilehu miyadam vayomer lo nakenu nafesh.
וַיִּשְׁמַע רְאוּבֵן, וַיַּצִּלֵהוּ מִיָּדָם; וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא נַכֶּנּוּ נָפֶשׁ.
37:22
Reuben tried to reason with his brothers. ‘Don’t commit bloodshed. You can throw him into this well in the desert, and you won’t have to lay a hand on him.’ His plan was to rescue [Joseph] from [his brothers] and bring him back to his father.
Reuben tried to reason with his brothers. ‘Don’t commit bloodshed. You can throw him into this well in the desert, and you won’t have to lay a hand on him.’ His plan was to rescue [Joseph] from [his brothers] and bring him back to his father.
Vayomer alehem Re’uven al-tishpechu-dam hashlichu oto el-habor hazeh asher bamidbar veyad al-tishlechu-vo lema’an hatsil oto miyadam lahashivo el-aviv.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם רְאוּבֵן, אַל-תִּשְׁפְּכוּ-דָם–הַשְׁלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל-הַבּוֹר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְיָד אַל-תִּשְׁלְחוּ-בוֹ: לְמַעַן, הַצִּיל אֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם, לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ, אֶל-אָבִיו.