VORTIFY YOURSELF
Rabbi Yosil Rosenzweig
rebyosil@gmail.com
Parshat VaYichi
Torah Reading Bereishit (Genesis) 47:28-50:26
Haftorah – 1 Kings 2:1-12
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Parshat VaYichi is the last Parsha in Bereishit, bringing us to stage two of the Biblical narrative: Israel’s exodus from Egypt. To review, the book of Bereishit began with the origins of humanity and traced the battle, which takes places when choosing between good and evil. It then dealt with the role of Israel as “G-d revealers,” a role that was originally given to all humanity, but man failed three times:
1. In the Garden of Eden
2. Ten generations later, at the time of No’ach
3. Ten generations later, at the Tower of Babel.
Avraham and his descendants were “chosen” to reveal HaShem’s goodness and that His holiness is accessible to all. They were also “chosen” to obliterate evil, both from within and without. The reward for fulfilling this role was twofold:
1. They would inherit Eretz Yisra’el – the Land of Israel
2. They would forever be HaShem’s “chosen” people.
The Or HaChaim states in Parshat Lech Lecha, that in order to establish any dominion over an object, territory or “nation,” one must acquire Chazaka (authority) over the possession through a three-fold or three-time control. Even the establishment of a national identity needs the Chazaka of three generations to be realized. Before Avraham could be established as the first of the patriarchs, there had to be a distinct separation from his previous generations. That is why Avraham could not have Yitzchak until he could no longer naturally father children. In addition, in each of the next two generations, there was an active power struggle to obtain control.
Avraham and Sarah went into the world and successfully revealed HaShem to hundreds of thousands of pagans. They had two sons, Yitzchak and Yishma’el, but Yishma’el is rejected (Bereishit 21:10) and only Yitzchak was retained as the second patriarch. Yitzchak receives only territory for his inheritance, for the status of “chosen people” could only be obtained in the third generation.
Yitzchak, dedicated as a holy offering to HaShem (Bereishit 22) spent his life destroying the evil that was around him. He and Rivkah also had two sons, Ya’akov and Eisav. Once again, there is a struggle in this third generation. This time, Eisav is rejected (but he was entitled to receive the territory of Se’ir from his father), while Ya’akov received both territory and people-hood. (As a footnote, is it not interesting that the modern descendants of Yishma’el and Eisav still are battling with Israel over inheritance? The Arab nation, descendants of Yishma’el, claim that Eretz Yisra’el is rightfully theirs. The Christian communities, descendants of Eisav also known as Edom, and always associated with the Roman Empire and later the Holy Roman Empire, claim that they are the chosen people and not the Jews).
Ya’akov, of course, has 12 sons and a daughter, and even though there are conflicts, no child was rejected. Therefore, the children of Ya’akov are called the B’nei Yisra’el (the children of Israel), a unified group – a nation, who have resolved their dissension and their differences and have joined their brother and their father in Egypt. Our Parsha begins with their tranquil life in Egypt. However, before we begin looking at our Parsha, one more piece of information is necessary.
The Torah is written without designated chapters and verses. Each of the five books contains a series of major and minor paragraphs; some paragraphs are separated by nine character spaces and others by the text beginning a new line. The beginning of a Parsha usually begins at one of the two forms of a designated new paragraph. Sentences and phrasing are inferred from the “trop” (musical notes) that appear with the vowels in the printed versions of the Torah. Parshat VaYichi is unique in that it is “Sa’tum” (closed); there is no separation between the beginning of this Parsha and the end of the last Parsha.
Let us begin. RaShI tells us two reasons why the Parsha is Sa’tum:
1. Since this is the last Parsha in Bereishit, and Ya’akov dies in this Parsha, “…the eyes and the hearts of Israel were “closed” from the expectation of the suffering of the bondage (RaShI assumes that we know that as long as the sons of Ya’akov were alive, the physical bondage would not begin).
2. Ya’akov wanted to reveal the final redemption of Israel (Bereishit 49:1), but that revelation was “closed off” from him.
As long as we keep the memory of Ya’akov alive through our actions (by continuing with his sacred mission), VaYichi Ya’akov – and Ya’akov lives. The Egyptian bondage passes, yet, the final redemption may take thousands of years to occur: that is of no concern, it is the mission that is all-important. RaShI teaches us that the Torah alludes to the vision of our national purpose by making this Parsha closed off from the others.
In fact, in chapter 49 prior to Yaakov’s death, he desired to inform his sons of the time of the final redemption. He gathered his children around his bed and suddenly his memory failed. Ya’akov was despondent, he thought that it was his son’s unworthiness that caused HaShem to take away the memory of the redemption. The 12 sons of Ya’akov knew what their father was thinking and tried to reassure him that they fully believed in HaShem. They said in unison:
Shema Yisra’el – Hear us our father Israel,
HaShem Elokeinu – HaShem is our G-d,
HaShem Echad – and HaShem is One.
When Ya’akov heard the response of his sons to his doubts, he knew that his lapse of memory had nothing to do with their worthiness, but, rather, it was HaShem who did not want this information to be revealed. With this realization, Ya’akov replied:
Baruch Sheim K’vod Malchuto L’Olam VaEd –
Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever.
These well-known phrases became the mainstay of our daily morning and evening prayers.
The Zohar, on the other hand, sees a different reason for the Parsha being Sa’tum. It explains that in last week’s Parsha Ya’akov was despondent. He had suffered greatly: the struggle with Eisav his brother; the conflict with Lavan his father-in-law; the episode with his daughter Dinah’s rape; and of course Rachel’s premature death had not disheartened the life of our greatest patriarch. At each of his trials not only did he succeed, he was able to see the good that came out of the experience for the future benefit of his family. That is – until the disappearance of Yosef. Then Ya’akov became despondent and lost his power of prophecy, which was not returned to him until joy was restored when he and Yosef were reunited.
Now in Egypt, Ya’akov experienced the seventeen happiest years of his life. As he watched his children and grandchildren grow in both material and spiritual wealth, Ya’akov experiences M’ein Olam HaBah (a taste of paradise). The Zohar explains that this direct connection with “real life,” which Ya’akov had the privilege of experiencing in Egypt, is why the two Parshi’ot of VaYigash and VaYichi are linked together.
This Parsha, which tells of the death of our namesake, is called VaYichi (and he lived). As we know, the material aspect of man is temporal while the spiritual is eternal. The body of Ya’akov can die and be buried, but the soul of Ya’akov lives on forever in the bodies and souls of his descendants, Israel. Though we may endure the bondage of Egypt, or Babylonia, or Greece or Rome, our spirit will never collapse, but will endure forever.
Just as Ya’akov knew that the final redemption would occur and though he could not reveal it to his sons, they also knew that there would one day be a final redemption. May we always be cognizant of our role in the final days and may we always find strength from our declaration of faith:
Shema Yisra’el – Hear O’ [nation of]Israel,
HaShem Elokeinu – HaShem (the Merciful) is (a Just) G-d,
HaShem Echad – HaShem, He is One.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yosil Rosenzweig
Vortify Yourself 