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Parashat Vayeshev

וַיֵּשֶׁב · Genesis 37:1 to 40:23, portion 9 of 12 in the book of Genesis.

Next reading

Saturday 5 December 2026

25 Kislev 5787

In Israel and abroad

The year after

Saturday 25 December 2027

25 Kislev 5788

In Israel and abroad

What happens in Vayeshev

Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colours, and Joseph's dreams turn his brothers against him. They sell him, and he is taken to Egypt as a slave in the house of Potiphar. The portion turns to the story of Judah and Tamar. Joseph rises in Potiphar's house, is falsely accused and put in prison, where he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker.

וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן

“And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.”

Genesis 37:1, the opening verse, in the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation.

This week's portion·All 54 portions

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Frequently asked questions

When is Parashat Vayeshev read in 2026?+

On Shabbat 5 December 2026 (25 Kislev 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 25 December 2027.

What is Parashat Vayeshev about?+

Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colours, and Joseph's dreams turn his brothers against him. They sell him, and he is taken to Egypt as a slave in the house of Potiphar. The portion turns to the story of Judah and Tamar. Joseph rises in Potiphar's house, is falsely accused and put in prison, where he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker.