Parasha V’yeishev

Bereshit (Genesis) 37:1 –40:23
Haftarah: Amos 2:6 -3:8
Brit Chadasha: Acts 7:9 -16

The Aleph Tav

• In the Revelation of Yeshua Ha Mashiach to John we find 4 references to the Aleph Tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew Aleph Bet; Rev. 1:8, 1:11, 21:6 and 22:13. The translation reads “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. Messiah Yeshua is a Hebrew man and not a Greek man therefore He would have said “I am the Aleph and the Tav, the beginning and the ending. He is the entire Hebrew Aleph Bet from A to Z so to speak therefore He is ALL the Hebrew letters, ALL the Hebrew words. Jn. 1:1 confirms this understanding. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim.” In its ancient form the Aleph Tav would read “strength of the covenant.”
  
• Mt. 13:47 -51: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but threw the bad away. So, it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
• After His resurrection: Jn. 21:6: “And He (Yeshua) said to them, ‘cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.”
• Jn. 21:11: “Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three (153); and although there were so many, the net was not broken.

Parasha V’yeishev

ויַּשֵֶׁב meaning to dwell, sit, reside or abode

Parasha Highlights:

• The dreams of Joseph
• Joseph is sold
• Judah and Tamar
• The dreams of the cupbearer and the baker
  
• Our sidra begins in 37:1″ “Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob. Joseph ( יוֹסֵף ) being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers ( אֶת־אֶחָיו ). **Joseph is 17 years old when he is sold into slavery. Seventeen makes an association with resurrection. Joseph is another type and shadow of Yeshua; Yeshua having been resurrected on the 17th day of the first month.
  
  Resurrection gives us a connection to the third day of creation when all “seed” bearing vegetation was created. Seed lies dormant then burst, resurrect, from the earth. The word used for “seed” speaks not only to plant life with its fruit but the physical “seed” i.e., descendants of man.
  
• The complete mention of “seed” is found in Rev. 12:17: “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her “seed”, who keep the commandments of Yehovah and have the testimony of Yeshua Ha Mashiach. this is how we know we are part of Covenant Israel; we are those who keep the commandments of Yehovah and have the testimony of Yeshua.
  
• The first Messianic prophecy found in Scripture is recorded in Ge. 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
  
• The Hebrew word for “seed” is Zerah. Seed bears fruit, Yeshua is the “first fruit;” the “first fruit” of the resurrection (1st Cor. 15: 20-21 But Messiah has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.…). **The numerical value of seed, Zerah, is 277; 2 + 7 + 7 = 16. The festival of first fruit occurs on the 16th day of the first month. The 16th day of the first month is the day we begin to count the “Omer.” The Omer (Hebrew: ע֫מֶֹר ‘ ōmer) is an ancient Israelite unit of dry measure; the amount necessary for an individual’s daily “bread.”
  
• Seed = fruit = grain/wheat or barley with Yeshua being the true bread from heaven. Spiritual seed is the Word of Yehovah, which is the Torah.

17 is the triangle of 15317 + 16 + 15 + 14 + 13 + 12 + 11 + 10 + 9 + + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 +1 = 153

• You may be wondering why the triangle of 17 is even relevant. One thing to consider is the structure of this sidra. This sidra presents as a chiastic structure. A chiastic structure, or chiastic pattern, is a literary technique in narrative motifs and other textual passages.
• 37:1 –36 tells the story of Joseph
  • 38:1 –30 presents the narrative of Judah and Tamar
• 39:1 –41:23 resumes the story of Joseph (a triangle of sorts)

Judah and Tamar

• The narrative regarding Judah, the 4th son of Jacob, and Tamar is still speaking to “seed;” particularly the “seed” of Judah. Tamar is the granddaughter of Shem, the royal bloodline. Ge. 38:1: “It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.” **The numerical value of Judah, יהְוּדָה , is 30. So, we can confirm it is his “seed” that is significant.
  
• V 2 –8: “And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went into her. So, she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name ( אֶת־שְׁמֹו ) Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name ( אֶת־שְׁמֹו ) Onan. And she conceived yet again and bore a son and called his name (אֶת־שְׁמֹו) Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him. Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yehovah, and Yehovah killed him. And Judah said to Onan, “Go into your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir(seed) to your brother.”
  
• The Book of Jasher offers some insight as to why Yehovah thought Er was wicked. “And Er came to his wife Tamar, and she became his wife, and when he came to her, he outwardly destroyed his seed, and his work was evil in the sight of Yehovah and Yehovah slew him (Jasher 45:24).”
  
• V 9 –10: “But Onan knew that the “seed” would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went into his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give a “seed” to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased Yehovah; therefore, He killed him also.” **The behavior of Er and Onan was disgraceful to The Father because they were trying to PREVENT the “pure seed of Messiah” from being birthed. It was already ordained that the “pure seed” would descend from Judah.
  
• V 11 –19: “Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown. For he said, ‘lest he also die like his brothers.’ And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” So, she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. Then he turned to her by the way, and said, ‘please let me come into you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So, she said, ‘what will you give me, that you may come into me?’ And he said, ‘I will send a young goat from the flock.’ So, she said, ‘will you give me a pledge till you send it?’ Then he said, ‘what pledge shall I give you?’ So, she said, ‘your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.’ Then he gave them to her, and went into her, and she conceived by him. So, she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.”
  
• Tamar plays the harlot to Judah. What is the concealed narrative?
  
• The Hebrew word for Tamar is תָּמרָ . In its paleo or ancient form would read: “the Covenant is mighty from the beginning.” The numerical value of Tamar is 640; 6 + 4 = 10. The number 10 speaks to the Northern kingdom. Now we have a picture of the Southern Kingdom represented by Judah and the Northern Kingdom represented by Tamar. The Northern Kingdom (10 tribes) goes into the Assyrian captivity because of her spiritual harlotry and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) goes into the Babylonian captivity because of her spiritual harlotry. Obviously, Tamar was ordained to be included in the ancestry of Messiah which was originally subverted by Er and Onan. Tamar was a wife, a widow, betrothed and a harlot. All these are represented in the spiritual condition of the Northern Kingdom.
  
• V 20: “And Judah sent the young goat ( אתֶ־גּדְִי ) by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, sends the Aleph Tav (Yeshua) goat to Tamar, the Northern Kingdom. The numerical value of goat, גדי , is 17. The bridge between each kingdom is the death of Messiah Yeshua. Recall Yeshua said in Mt. 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Joseph

• Joseph is the 11th son of Jacob and the firstborn son of Rachel, the bride of promise. Ge. 37:2: “And the lad was with the sons (אתֶ־בְּניֵ ) of Bilhah and the sons ( אתֶ־בְּניֵ ) of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report ( אתֶ־דִּבּתָםָ ) of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph ( אֶת־יֹוסֵף ) more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic ( כְּתנֹתֶ ) of many colors. The numerical value of Joseph, יוֹסֵף , is 156; 1 + 5 + 6 = 12; 1 +2 = 3. Joseph is not in the lineage of Messiah however his life is a type and shadow of the life of Yeshua.
  
• The garment Jacob gave to Joseph was a priestly garment.

• The word for tunic, kotonet, is the same word used for the garments made by Yehovah for Adam and Chava in Gan Eden and the same garment worm by Yeshua. Jn. 19:23: “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Yeshua, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic (kotonet). Now the tunic ( כתנת ) was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing (tunic) they cast lots.'” (Ps. 22:18) Therefore the soldiers did these things.
  
• This particular garment is worn by the High Priest on Yom Kippur thus connecting Joseph and Yeshua to their priestly duties. In one of the most tragic elements in the Parasha, the brothers take Yosef’s garment and dip it in blood, “and they took Yosef’s coat, and killed a male of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood (Genesis 37:31).” Another type and shadow of the blood shed by Yeshua.

Compare the life of Joseph and Yeshua

• In conclusion, Joseph, Judah and Tamar, each in his own way, represent Messiah Yeshua.
• Joseph: The 11thson of Jacob and the firstborn of Rachel, the bride of promise. Eleven, a number associated with Yeshua.
• Judah: Messiah will descend from the tribe of Judah. Judah is the 4thson of Jacob while the first Alef Tav is the 4thword of Scripture.
• Tamar: a representation of the Northern Kingdom; those that Yeshua came to set free. She conceived twins from Judah, Perez and Zerah.
• Perez is the 2ndtwin and the ancestor of Yeshua.

Haftarah

• Amos 2:6 –3:8
• 2:4 Amos prophesies about the judgment of Judah, the Southern Kingdom.
• 2:6 Amos prophesies about the judgment of Israel, the Northern Kingdom.
• Both are judged for the 4th transgression aligning with the Aleph Tav.
• 3:1 – 2 Hear this word ( אתֶ־הדַָּברָ ) that Yehovah has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Brit Chadasha

• Acts 7:9 -10
• And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but Yehovah was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.