Parsha Vayeshev Discussion Questions

As part of our Book of Bereshit (Genesis) Engagement Project, as we read from the Book of Bereshit,  every week we will be posting discussion questions that we hope families will use to discuss the Torah portion over Shabbat, as well as a video D’var Torah.

This week’s discussion questions were  developed by this past summer’s Machon campers, when they were in Shoafim.   We encourage you to post any of your family’s answers to the questions in the comments section below.

Parsha Vayeshev Discussion Questions

Developed by:

Tyler Baturin, Michael Fine, Gabi Orbach, Ruth S. Sherman, Tova Benson-Tilson,

and Jake Levitt

• Was it right for Joseph to share his dreams with his brothers? Why?

• It was commonplace to impregnate a brother’s wife if he died, so should Onan (the second child) have given Tamar a child, even though in modern times we would not do this? Should Judah have given Tamar his third son?

• Does Tamar’s right to have a child justify her acting and disguising herself and sleeping with Judah?

• Could Judah have handled things differently with the third son?

• What purpose do the twins at the end of the story serve?

• Was being sent to jail too harsh a punishment for God to bestow on Joseph? Why

• Do you think what happened to Joseph was part of God’s master plan for him?