In the first part of Parshat Vayeshev, the story of Yosef's dreams, his treatment by Yaakov and his treatment by his brothers is a very long section of the parsha. And immediately after Yosef is sold, the Torah interrupts the story and discusses how Yehuda left his brothers, married Bat-Shua, and what became of his wife and children, followed by the episode with Tamar. The Torah then resumes the story of Yosef upon his arrival in Mitzrayim.

What is the connection of the story of Yehuda to the rest of the parsha, which discusses Yosef?

The Torah begins the story of Yehuda with the words "Vayered Yehuda Me'echav" - And Yehuda went down from his brothers. And when the Torah resumes the story of Yosef, it begins with the phrase "VeYosef Hurad Mitzrayma" - And Yosef was taken down to Mitzrayim.

The Seforno says that these two "yeridot" happened at the same time. Immediately after Yosef was sold, Yehuda left to follow his own path. The next time they meet is in "VaYigash Elav Yehuda", when Yosef reveals himself to his brothers in Mitzrayim.

So what is the connection between these two "yeridot"? By looking at the stories, we can see that opposite things happen to Yehuda and to Yosef. The Torah relates that Hashem made Yosef successful in all that he did. His masters, first Potiphar, and then the prison guard, place him in leadership positions and give him control over the entire household, and later over all the other prisoners.

At the same time, Yehuda failed at everything he did. He got married, and had three children. His first two children died, followed by his wife. This was followed by the story of Tamar's harlotry, and even in that episode, Yehuda failed in judging her and issued a ruling that he later had to recant.

Rav Viner of Yeshivat Ma'a lot discusses the relationship between Yosef and his brothers. At first, Yosef is described in an unflattering way. He is described as delivering unfavorable reports about his brothers to his father. He relates his dreams to his brothers, and even when they lead to the brothers' hatred of Yosef, he continues and insists on telling them even more - and then does so in front of his father as well. We are left with the impression that Yosef is trying to raise himself above his brothers, that he is showing pride and avarice. Why would he stubbornly insist on continuing to relate his dreams when he sees that it leads to hatred?

And what of Yaakov's attitude toward Yosef and his brothers?

Yaakov viewed Yosef as the continuation of the leadership over the Jewish nation. That is why he gave Yosef the striped cloak. We see later in the story of Amnon and Tamar that princes wore striped cloaks. Yaakov's intention was to show that Yosef was the intended heir to leadership. The Sforno emphasizes that it was a message so that the brothers would heed Yosef's words.

Yaakov also gave Yosef a job - to supervise his brothers. That is what the Torah means by relating that Yosef "brought their evil reports to his father". He reported to Yaakov out of his concern for his brothers. Someone who exposes evil reports (as the Spies did upon their return from Eretz Yisrael (Bamidbar 13:32)) is evil - to publicize bad things is stupidity. But to bring bad reports to their father means reporting to him bad things out of concern for the brothers.

Yosef tried to convince the brothers that he is supposed to be their leader. He therefore asked them to hear his dreams - "Please listen to this dream that I dreamed".

But the brothers did not agree to accept his leadership. The Torah relates that the brothers "went to graze their father's sheep in Shchem." There are two dots over the word "et" in this pasuk, indicating that the word was meant to have been deleted, but was kept for a special purpose. The pasuk should have been "lir'ot tzon avihem". Rashi explains that the addition of the word means that they were really going "lir'ot et atzmam". The Chizkuni explains Rashi's intention as "they would go to graze themselves upon the sheep".

The reason for choosing Yosef as the successor to Yaakov is explained in the Midrash on the pasuk "Eleh Toldot Yaakov" at the beginning of the story: What happened to the first, happened to the second. They had the same facial features, and it was obvious that Yosef would be the successor.

The Torah relates that "Yosef haya ro'eh et echav batzon". Yosef was the shepherd - the leader - of his brothers with the sheep. But the brothers refused this, and wanted "lir'ot et atzmam" - to lead themselves.

The reason for the brothers' refusal is that they were worried that Yosef wanted to expel them from the family. They reasoned that Avraham had two sons. The oldest was expelled and the younger was the successor. Then Yitzchak had two sons. The oldest was expelled and the younger was the successor. They were afraid that here too, the older sons would be expelled and the younger - Yosef - would be the successor.

When Yosef arrived in Dotan, the Torah relates "Vayomer ish el achiv" - these were Shimon and Levi. They wanted to kill Yosef. The Sforno explains that the brothers sat and judged Yosef. Shimon and Levi raised the law of "Haba Laharog Otcha, Hashkem LeHorgo" - if someone comes to kill you, kill him first. They viewed Yosef as a Rodef - a pursuer, and based on Pikuach Nefesh - their fear for their own life - they wanted to issue a death penalty. But Yehuda held differently. "What gain will there be for us to kill our brother… Let us sell him to the Yishmaelim". He held that killing Yosef would not lead to the desired result. It would pain Yaakov and it wouldn't serve as a deterrent to anyone else, since the brothers would cover up the murder. Instead, he suggested selling him. The Sforno says that Yehuda held that since Yosef wanted to turn the brothers into servants, as evidenced by his dreams, by Midah Keneged Midah, Yosef should be turned into a servant by selling him.

Yehuda sat as a judge in this case. He judged the case according to the rule "All the Judge has is what he sees with his eyes." And Yehuda was certain that he was correct in this judgement.

But there is a problem here with this rule. Throughout the entire episode, there are dreams. Yosef's dreams at the beginning, the ministers' dreams in prison in Egypt, and later on, Pharaoh's dreams. This teaches us that our view is limited, and that we need to expand our point of view in order to really see the whole picture.

The Torah describes the argument, "Venir'eh mah yihyu chalomotav" - we will see what will become of his dreams. According to the pshat, Shimon and Levi uttered this phrase, but Chazal say that actually a Bat-Kol emanated and uttered it as they were making their case, as if to say, "in the end we will see which 'view' will emerge".

Once Yosef is sold, both he and Yehuda go their own ways. Yosef was brought down to Mitzrayim and made successful in everything he touched. Now it is clear - after all, he is the leader - even though his leadership is not carried out openly - in Eretz Yisrael, over his brother - but is rather hidden from the eye (in Mitzrayim, within the pit, in jail).

At the same time that Yosef started to rely on his own eyes and his own vision, the Torah describes him as "Yosef was of beautiful form and beautiful visage". Rashi there stated that he would comb and curl his hair. Immediately at that point, Potiphar's wife "raised her eyes toward Yosef". Yosef also relied on the Sar Hamashkim, and asked him to remember Yosef. Yet the Sar Hamashkim did not remember him, and also forgot him.

While all this was going on, Yehuda was learning a fundamental lesson - not to follow what his eyes see. The Torah relates that he saw a Canaanite woman and married her, and they had three children. Two of them died, followed by his wife. Everything Yehuda tried to build did not succeed. Yehuda began to understand what it is to lose children.

Then Yehuda saw Tamar and thought her a prostitute. She sat "bepetach enaim" - at the opening of the eyes. She did so because she saw that Yehuda's third son, Shelah, had grown up and she was not given to him as a wife. And when she was accused of prostitution, here is where Yehuda begins to see things differently. Yehuda again sits as judge. He rules, "take her out and burn her." Again, "the Judge has nothing but what his eyes see," and he sees prostitution, which calls for the death penalty. The Midrash relates that Tamar was a daughter of Shem, and therefore a "Bat Kohen", for whom the penalty for prostitution is death.

But here, Tamar tells him the sentence that changes everything. She says, "Haker na, lemi hachotemet vehaptilim vehamateh hazeh." - Please recognize whose signet and cloak and staff these are. Chazal in the Midrash say that when she uttered the words "Haker na", Tamar was referring not only to the things she held in front of her, but also to the twins she carried in her womb, saying "These belong to you and your creator." "You think you understand the picture here? You are not catching the depth of the situation. I am pregnant from you in order to establish your line of saviors and kings."

At that point, Yehuda understood that he didn't see the entire picture. "Vayiker Yehuda" - he recognized it, and he said "she is more righteous than I". Chazal emphasize his statement differently: "Tzadka" - She is righteous, "mimeni" - the children are mine. At the same time, a Bat Kol emanated and said, "Mimeni Yatz'u hadvarim" - these things have come from me.

In addition, when Yehuda heard the words "Haker na", it reminded him of his own utterance of the same words, when he asked Yaakov to recognize whose striped cloak he was holding, covered in blood. He now understood that his vision and his judgment concerning Yosef were also incomplete and improper.

In the end, Tamar's prostitution led to the birth of two righteous sons in place of Er and Onan who were "ra be'eini Hashem" - bad in the eyes of Hashem. And from Peretz and Zerach came the kingdom of David.

And when Yosef and the brothers meet, Yosef drives the point home to them (and to Yehuda), by saying, "it was not you who sold me here but Hashem". The future salvation is much deeper than what you see with your eyes.

Yaakov also learned this lesson. The Midrash Tanchuma says that Yaakov suspected that Yehuda had murdered Yosef. Yaakov said, "chaya ra'a achalat'hu" - an evil animal ate him. Yehuda is compared to an animal - a lion. It was as a result of this suspicion that Yehuda left his brothers at that time and went out on his own. Yaakov suspected him the entire time until he saw that Yehuda was prepared to lay down his life to protect Binyamin and it turned out that Yosef was alive. It was only through Yehuda's sacrifice for Binyamin that he finally cleared himself of all suspicion.

As a sign of Yehuda's forgiveness, he was the one whom Yaakov sent on ahead to prepare a place in Goshen - to show that Yehuda had returned to his rightful place within the family from Yaakov's point of view.

So we see that Yaakov also thought he saw the whole picture, and then realized that he didn't. The Heavenly viewpoint that leads the deep salvation of our people is much, much deeper.

And perhaps this lesson is expressed in the names of Tamar's children - Peretz and Zerach. These names are compared to the Sun (Zerach - the sunrise is called "Zrichat Hashemesh") and the Moon (Peretz). These heavenly bodies are the large light (Zerach, whose hand emerged first) which is revealed through breaching the limitations of our world (Pritzat gevulot - Peretz breached Zerach's birth by emerging first). We must understand that our view is limited and reduced, and that we need to breach those limitations and accept with modesty that Hashem's view is much broader.