Parashat Vayeishev, Genesis 37:1-40:23

Today, we are all running around, preening ourselves in our ornamented tunics.

Clothes make the man. Not that Mark Twain had Joseph in mind when he said this, but it certainly does apply to him. Joseph's life is bound up in clothing. It all begins in this week's parasha when Joseph is presented with a garment by his father Jacob, aka Israel. Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him an ornamented tunic (Genesis 37:3).

The garment that Joseph received is called a kutonet passim. Translations vary from "ornamented tunic" to a "coat of many colors," a "long sleeved coat," and even a "coat reaching to his feet." Passim can mean striped as is the modern Hebrew understanding, or it can be interpreted as embroidered according to ibn Ezra, long sleeved according to Rashbam and midrash Breishit Rabbah, or colorful according to Radak. Rashi understands passim to describe the material as being fine wool. Whatever explanation you prefer, there was something special about this garment. It has even inspired modern interpretations ranging from the "Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" of Webber and Rice, to the "Coat of Many Colors" lovingly remembered by Dolly Parton.

This same kutonet passim is believed to be a garment that was uniquely Semitic. Drawings in Egyptian tombs give us an idea of such Semitic attire.

Whatever it looked like, this was a special garment. No wonder Joseph's brothers were upset. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him so that they could not speak a friendly word to him (Genesis 37:4).

Actually, this garment was more than a special gift from father to son. Clothes make the man, and this one item publicized to one and all that Joseph had a special status. Biblical scholar Jon Levenson notes that this could be a symbol conferring firstborn status on a beloved son.

The presentation of the special garment may have been an act of investiture, analogous to the special apparel that Aaron and his descendants don in connection with their ordination to the priesthood (Exod 28:40-41) or to the mantle that Elijah threw over Elisha when he designated him his successor (I Kgs 19:19). If these analogies hold, then the presentation of the ornamental tunic to Joseph was more than a doting father's innocent (if catastrophically insensitive) demonstration of affection; it was, instead, Jacob's designation of his primary beneficiary. If this be the case, then it is readily understandable why Joseph's brothers "hated him so that they could not speak a friendly word to him" (Gen 37:4). With that one act of investiture, Jacob's biological eleventh son became his legal first-born, leapfrogging over Leah's first-born son as well as over those of the two slaves, Bilhah and Zilpah.

Jon Levenson, The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son, pp57-8

Joseph's coat showed that his father thought of him as a special individual and wanted everyone to know it. Beyond that, Joseph's garment symbolized a more subtle change in status. He was designated as the "beloved son." The Smother Brothers used to jokingly argue over whom mom loved best. If one of them had had a kutonet passim, the argument would have been settled.

Yet if Tom and Dick Smothers had read Levenson's book, they might not have wanted the beloved son designation; it is a double-edged sword. While the benefits are readily apparent, the drawbacks soon become clear as well. Look at the reaction of Joseph's brothers. Beyond that is a responsibility that comes with his chosen status. Yes, Joseph will be in a position of authority, but that also entails service. And Joseph will also suffer because of his chosen status. Being chosen carries with it profound responsibilities, one of which is concern for the greater good. A charming coat does not mean a charmed life. It is only once Joseph accepts his status, acknowledging that he is a servant of God that he can fulfill the task set for him.

Let's translate these grand ideas into our contemporary experience: Joseph's special garment was a visible sign of his self-esteem. These are concepts that resonate with us. In our families, our schools, our communities, we strive to promote positive feelings, most notably in our children. Self-esteem is associated with success. Today, we are all running around, preening ourselves in our ornamented tunics.

But what is the measure of success? Is it the young Joseph we meet in chapter 37, strutting about in his fancy clothes, aware of himself but insensitive to everybody else? Or is it the Joseph in chapter 39, stripped of his garment, battered by life but realizing that specialness and self-esteem are worthless unless put them to use for the good of others?

It wasn't the coat that made Joseph special; it wasn't even the unique traits with which he was blessed. It was his realization – a long time coming – that his gifts were a Divine blessing and should be used for the common good. This is what Joseph discovered. The result was a little less self-esteem, a lot more humility and a benefit to the entire community. It's about time each one of us looked at our kutonet passim, not to admire ourselves in the mirror but to check the label: who – or more properly Who – made it? May we be inspired to follow Joseph's example.

Shabbat shalom,
MS