Thursday, December 02, 2004

Vayeishev #3: The Clothes Make The Man

As I already posted, Yaakov used Esav's clothes to pretend to be Esav. Yosef's brothers use his coat to pretend that Yosef has died.

There is another instance in the parsha where clothes are used as an identification mark for Yosef. In Bereishit 39:10-18:
י וַיְהִי, כְּדַבְּרָהּ אֶל-יוֹסֵף יוֹם יוֹם; וְלֹא-שָׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ לִשְׁכַּב אֶצְלָהּ, לִהְיוֹת עִמָּהּ. 10 And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
יא וַיְהִי כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, וַיָּבֹא הַבַּיְתָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתּוֹ; וְאֵין אִישׁ מֵאַנְשֵׁי הַבַּיִת, שָׁם--בַּבָּיִת. 11 And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there within,
יב וַתִּתְפְּשֵׂהוּ בְּבִגְדוֹ לֵאמֹר, שִׁכְבָה עִמִּי; וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ בְּיָדָהּ, וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה. 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
יג וַיְהִי, כִּרְאוֹתָהּ, כִּי-עָזַב בִּגְדוֹ, בְּיָדָהּ; וַיָּנָס, הַחוּצָה. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
יד וַתִּקְרָא לְאַנְשֵׁי בֵיתָהּ, וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לֵאמֹר, רְאוּ הֵבִיא לָנוּ אִישׁ עִבְרִי, לְצַחֶק בָּנוּ: בָּא אֵלַי לִשְׁכַּב עִמִּי, וָאֶקְרָא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל. 14 that she called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them, saying: 'See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
טו וַיְהִי כְשָׁמְעוֹ, כִּי-הֲרִימֹתִי קוֹלִי וָאֶקְרָא; וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ אֶצְלִי, וַיָּנָס וַיֵּצֵא הַחוּצָה. 15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled, and got him out.'
טז וַתַּנַּח בִּגְדוֹ, אֶצְלָהּ, עַד-בּוֹא אֲדֹנָיו, אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
יז וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלָיו, כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר: בָּא-אֵלַי הָעֶבֶד הָעִבְרִי, אֲשֶׁר-הֵבֵאתָ לָּנוּ--לְצַחֶק בִּי. 17 And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me.
יח וַיְהִי, כַּהֲרִימִי קוֹלִי וָאֶקְרָא; וַיַּעֲזֹב בִּגְדוֹ אֶצְלִי, וַיָּנָס הַחוּצָה. 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled out.'

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