Dramatic events unfold in this week's parsha, Vayeshev. They involve Yehudah and Tamar, and Yosef and his brothers.
Tamar is the daughter-in-law of Yehudah, a son of Yaakov. When Yehudah fails to give her in marriage to her late husband's brother, as required by Jewish law, Tamar, to ensure the continuation of the line of descent in her late husband's family, dresses as a prostitute, and stands where Yehudah is passing. Yehudah has sexual relations with her. When she becomes pregnant, she is sentenced to death. Although Tamar is in possession of Yehudah's identifying signs, she does not reveal him as the father of the child. The rabbis learn from this that it is better that a person be thrown into a fire than that they humiliate their neighbor in public. Eventually, Tamar sends Yehudah's signs to him. He recognizes them and acknowledges that he is the person who had relations with Tamar. His acknowledgement saves her from death, She bears twins, one of whom is Peretz. According to the rabbis, he is an ancestor of King David, and ultimately of the Mashiach.
Parshas Vayeshev also contains the story of Yosef and his brothers. Yaakov favors Yosef as the son of his senior years, causing jealousy among his brothers. When Yaakov sends Yosef to find his brothers, their jealousy drives them to throw him into a pit. The Torah says that there was no water in the pit, suggesting that the brothers did not try to kill Yosef. However, the rabbis say that although there was no water, there were scorpions and snakes in the pit; According to the rabbis, then, the brothers did not hesitate to torture Yosef.
Yosef is sold to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites heading for Egypt, where Yosef is sold again, this time to Potiphar,a favorite of the king. Yosef ascends in importance in Potiphar's household. When Potiphar's wife tries to seduce him, the Torah tells us that he flees the house. Yosef, the Torah explains, did not want to be disloyal to his master. The rabbis say that Yosef saw an image of his father Yaakov when Potiphar's wife tried to tempt him, and that is the reason that he fled. Potiphar's wife reports Yosef as having tried to seduce her, and he is imprisoned.
The next parsha, Miketz, continues with the story of Yosef's rise to power in Egypt.
Because this Shabbos is Shabbos Chanukah, there is a special haftorah from Zecharia, 2:14-4:7, which includes a discussion of the menorah. The haftorah also includes the famous statement that the redemption will come "not by might and not by power, but with my spirit, says the Lord."
