190 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Genesis, Vayeishev (Genesis 37:1–40:23), Source Book Keys, PLYN GENESIS | 37:3 loved — GEN1444 Parents must be careful not to favor one ... GEN1444 Parents must be careful not to favor one child over the other. The Talmud comments on [this verse] that parents must never favor one child over anther. Because of the many-colored coat which Yaakov gave to Yosef and not to any of this other sons, Yosef’s brothers became jealous. The eventual outcome as that our forefathers went down to Egypt and were enslaved. (Shabbat 10b, see Tosfos). Parents must always be on the alert that their actions or words should not create jealousy. The consequences of jealousy among brothers and sisters can be tragic, and we must be careful to avoid doing anything that will breed it. Statements such as, “Why don’t you study with the diligence of your brother?” or “Why aren’t you as well-behaved as your sister?” are bound to cause ill feelings. Some parents might think that their children love and respect one another to such an extent that they are incapable of feeling jealously towards each other. However, just because a child does not overtly show envy, does not mean that envy is not present. PLYN 110 Share Print Source KeyPLYNVerse37:3Keyword(s)lovedSource Page(s)(See end of excerpt) Switch article GENESIS | 37:3 coat — GEN1443 R. Chama b. Guria sad in the name of Rav:... Previous Article GENESIS | 37:3 tunic — GEN1445 To be happy, children of one family must ... Next Article