THE ROBE

“Now Isra’el loved Yosef the most of all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a long-sleeved robe.”
Genesis 37:3

The story of Yosef and his robe of many colors is known by many. Yosef was born of Ya’akov’s original love, Rachel, and therefore he was favored. This favoritism did not sit right with his brothers, however. They sensed the strong feelings Ya’akov had and it angered them. Of course things were only added to when Yosef began sharing his dreams with his brothers. For today, however, I want us to just consider a few key elements from today’s Parashah portion.
First I bring your attention to Genesis 37:10. It is in this passage, after Yosef has shared his second dream with his family, that Yosef hears the words of mockery from his father. His father states, “Do you really expect me, your mother and your brothers to come and prostrate ourselves before you on the ground?” It is suggested that not all pieces of Yosef’s life were written in chronological order. I bring this idea up because in reading this we see the word mother as opposed to mothers. I also bring this piece to our attention because based on Genesis 37:3, where we see the term ‘old age’, it can be assumed that Binyamin was not yet born. Quite possibly, Rachel may have still been alive when Yosef began to share his dreams.
But now, let us go back to the factors of the robe. By the text we can assume it must have been as beautiful as it was colorful. We also know it was the reason for additional envy from his brothers. But in studying this passage, I want to suggest an additional reason as to why it caused such troubles. As is the custom in European families, each family name has its own shield or coat of arms. So it was with each of the tribes, that an emblem defined them. Still, it is thought that each tribe also had its own color. What if the robe of many colors had the color of each of the brothers? It is easy to see how this could add to the brothers’ anger.
As we continue to move forward in the coming days looking at the life of Yosef, I believe that we will find ourselves in the story. With new eyes and an open mind, let us learn.

Genesis 37:1-11