Summary
This is the beginning of Joseph’s story: Joseph’s father gives him a special coat, and he has dreams of his brothers bowing down to him. Out of frustration and malice, the brothers sell Joseph into servitude to traders who bring him to Egypt. There, he becomes the chief servant of Potiphar, who himself served Pharaoh. Potiphar’s wife unsuccessfully tries to seduce Joseph and gets him sent to jail. There, he correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker.
In the middle of Joseph’s story, we learn that his older brother Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar, had two husbands die without impregnating her. When Judah does not then give Tamar his youngest for a husband, she takes matters into her own hands.
Aliyah-by-Aliyah Summary
1st Aliyah: Genesis 37:1-11
At seventeen years old, Joseph reports on his brothers’ behavior to their father. Jacob loves him the best of all his children and gives Joseph a special coat (usually described as either many-colored or striped), which fan the brothers’ hate for Joseph. Joseph dreams of his brothers’ sheaves of wheat bowing to his, then he dreams that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow to him.
2nd Aliyah: Genesis 37:12-22
Joseph is sent to the fields to find his brothers, and when they see him coming, they conspire to kill him. Reuven suggests casting Joseph into a pit rather than killing him.
3rd Aliyah: Genesis 37:23-36
The brothers tear off Joseph’s special coat and throw him into the empty pit. While they eat, a caravan of traders passes by, and Judah suggests selling Joseph rather than killing him. The brothers agree, and they sell Joseph, who is brought to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar. At the same time, the brothers kill one of the sheep and dip Joseph’s coat in the blood. They show the coat to Jacob, who plunges into mourning, believing that a wild animal ate Joseph.
4th Aliyah: Genesis 38:1-30
Judah marries and has children, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er marries Tamar, but God is displeased with him, and Er dies. Onan is told to perform a levirate marriage (marry Tamar and the firstborn would be treated as if Er fathered it). Onan lets his seed go to waste rather than provide offspring in his brother’s name. God doesn’t like this and kills Onan.
Judah instructs Tamar to wait for Shelah to grow up, then marry him. When Judah’s wife dies, he goes to Timnah for sheep shearing, and Tamar waits for him. She knows that Shelah is grown up, but she has not been given to him as a wife. She seduces Judah and holds on to his seal, cord, and staff as collateral until he pays her. She becomes pregnant. Judah tries to find and pay the woman he slept with but cannot.
Three months later, everyone knows Tamar is pregnant, and she is accused of being a harlot. She brings out Judah’s seal, cord, and staff and says that the owner of these items is the baby’s father. Judah realizes that she is more right than he was. She gives birth to twins, Perez and Zerah.
5th Aliyah: Genesis 39:1-6
In Potiphar’s house, God is with Joseph and brings him success. Potiphar makes Joseph his personal attendant in charge of the household, and the household flourishes. Joseph is described as well-built and handsome.
6th Aliyah: Genesis 36:7-23
Potiphar’s wife tries to get Joseph to sleep with her, but he rejects her. She continues, until, when no one else is in the house, she manages to grab his outer garment and pull it off of him. He flees outside, but she uses the garment in her hand as evidence that Joseph is trying to seduce her. Potiphar is furious and has Joseph put in prison. God is with Joseph in prison, and the chief jailor puts Joseph in charge of the other prisoners.
7th Aliyah: Genesis 40:1-23
Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. The cupbearer describes a growing vine and then filling Pharoah’s cup with wine. Joseph says this means Pharoah will pardon the cupbearer, and he asks the cupbearer to remember him once he is out of prison. The baker describes his dream of baskets of bread on his head and birds eating out of them. Joseph tells the baker that this means he will be killed. (Maftir, Genesis 40:20-23) Joseph’s interpretations come true, but the cupbearer does not remember Joseph.
Triennial Breakdown
Note: For more information about the tradition of spreading the TorahRefers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, also called the Five Books of Moses, Pentateuch or the Hebrew equivalent, Humash. This is also called the Written Torah. The term may also refer to teachings that expound on Jewish tradition. Read more readings over a 3-year cycle see here.
| Aliyah | Year 1: 37:1-37:36 | Year 2: 38:1-38:30 | Year 3: 39:1-40:23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37:1-37:3 | 38:1-38:5 | 39:1-39:6 |
| 2 | 37:4-37:7 | 38:6-38:11 | 39:7-39:10 |
| 3 | 37:8-37:11 | 38:12-38:14 | 39:11-39:18 |
| 4 | 37:12-37:17 | 38:15-38:19 | 39:19-39:23 |
| 5 | 37:18-37:22 | 38:20-38:23 | 40:1-40:8 |
| 6 | 37:23-37:28 | 38:24-38:26 | 40:9-40:15 |
| 7 | 37:29-37:36 | 38:27-38:30 | 40:16-40:23 |
| Maftir | 37:34-37:36 | 38:27-38:30 | 40:20-40:23 |
Triennial Summaries
Year 1: Jacob prepares for his meeting with Esau, wrestles a “man” and is greeted by Esau with a hug and a kiss.
Year 2: Dinah is raped and her brothers avenge her.
Year 3: The genealogy of Esau’s descendants is recorded.
Haftarah Summary
Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1-21
There is a call to battle against Edom (Esau and his descendants) because they didn’t come to Jacob’s (the people of Israel) rescue when Jerusalem was attacked.
See our Haftarah breakdown here.
