Vayechi – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים

Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt. (47:28)

There is a general rule concerning the placement of a new parshah/sidrah in a Torah scroll: The new Sidrah either: begins on a new line, or it is separated from the previous parshah by a nine-letter space. Parashas Vayechi is unique in that no extra space exists between it and Parashas Vayigash – the preceding parshah. Thus, Rashi calls Parashas Vayechi a parshah setumah, closed parshah. Since nothing happens in a vacuum, Rashi explains why Vayechi is “closed.” It teaches us that at the time of his passing, the mood of Yaakov Avinu’s children was “closed.” They were acutely aware…

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ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayechi

And the days of the death of Yisrael drew near. (47:29)

The “days” of Yaakov’s death drew near. A person does not die over a period of days; he dies in a moment. The Zohar wonders what is the meaning of the “days of death”? The Zohar explains that when the time for a person to pass from this world arrives, all of his days (which he has lived) are calculated and assessed. Each day that was spent in the service of Hashem, committed to mitzvah observance, Torah study and performance of acts of lovingkindness – is considered a day worthy of being counted. Other days, which are found lacking in…

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ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך אשר לקחתי...בחרבי ובקשתי

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayechi

And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took…with my sword and my bow. (48:22)

B’charbi u’b’kashti, with my sword and with my bow. Rashi interprets sword and bow as: sword – sharp wisdom; bow – prayer. Targum Onkelos translates it as tzalusi u’b’bausi; with my prayer is my supplication. Thus, Yaakov Avinu’s strength lies not in his physical prowess, but rather, in his spiritual potency. Yaakov’s prayer was much more effective than his physical strength. This is true for all of us. Our strength is in our spirituality. We vanquish the enemy with our supplications, not with our guns. Horav Shimon Pincus, zl, observes that during an eis tzarah, period of tribulation, when the numbers…

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שמעון ולוי אחים כלי חמס מכרתיהם ... ארור אפם כי עז ועברתם כי קשתה

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayechi

Shimon and Levi are brothers; their weaponry is a stolen trade…Cursed is their wrath for it is intense and their age for it is harsh. (49:5,6)

The greatest blessing a parent (or anyone, for that matter) can confer upon a child is to tell him the truth about himself. If the subject of the blessing suffers from a shortcoming, his/her parent should note it and advise him/her about how to address the issues arising from this failing. Some parents and mentors shy away from relating the truth for fear of a negative reaction. This alone is proof that something is very wrong and should be addressed. Yaakov Avinu showed us the way, as he admonished his sons while he blessed them. After all, what value can…

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ושבענו מטובך

Roberto Szerer In 5778, Vayechi

V’sabeinu mituvecha. And satisfy us from Your bounty.

Satisfaction is elusive for some people. In Pirkei Avos, the Tanna extols one who is sameach b’chelko, happy with his lot. This means that he does not determine financial success by how much he has accrued, but, rather, by what he has – period. He understands that he is blessed according to what Hashem has determined his needs are. Everyone receives from Hashem enough to meet his needs. Many of us are dissatisfied with just having our “needs” filled. We also want to satisfy our “wants.” It does not work that way. A truly wealthy person is a satisfied person….

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ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות ויקרא לבנו ליוסף

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayechi

The time approached for Yisrael to die, so he called for his son, Yosef. (47:29)

Religion believes that life has purpose; each person’s existence has a clear raison d’etre. One who has no religion does not ascribe to a system of principles and beliefs; he lives a random, carefree life of abandon, without purpose or meaning. One who lacks religion lacks purpose; hence, he has no identity. The secular culture surrounding us – which is the result of a society where decadence is no longer taboo, but in vogue – has little use for religion. From the average “Joe” to the most powerful politicians and world leaders, religion will, at its best, receive nothing more…

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ואני בבואי מפדן מתה עלי רחל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayechi

But as for me, when I came from Paddam, Rachel died on me. (48:7)

Rashi explains that Yaakov Avinu was validating his burial of Rachel Imeinu outside of Eretz Yisrael, because it was Hashem’s decree that she be “available” to assist her descendants. “When Nevuzaraden will exile them, they will pass by her grave and Rachel will go out and pray on their behalf.” There is a very telling story connected with this pasuk. Although the story has very little direct connection with the pasuk, it does give us insight into the mind and heart of a secular Jew who, for all intents and purposes, never had any exposure to real Torah learning and…

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ואני בבאי מפדן מתה עלי רחל בארץ כנען בדרך...ואקברה שם בדרך אפרת.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5777, Vayechi

But as for me – when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me in the Land of Canaan on the road…and I buried her there on the road to Efras. (48:7)

Yaakov Avinu seems to be apologizing to Yosef for not having done for Rachel Imeinu as he was expecting Yosef to do for him. “Although I trouble you to bury me in the land of Canaan, though I did not do so for your mother, for, see now, she died near Beis Lechem”; “And I did not even take her to Beis Lechem, to bring her into the Land, and I know that there are hard feelings in your heart against me. But you should know that by the Word of G-d I buried her there so that she should…

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ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayechi

And someone said to Yosef, “Behold!” – your father is ill. (48:1)

If someone had not informed Yosef that his father was ill, he would not have known. During the entire seventeen years that Yaakov Avinu resided in Egypt he was never alone with his long lost son, Yosef. They had been separated for twenty-two years, their hearts yearning for one another; yet, they were never alone together, never saw one another, until the end, when Yaakov lay on his deathbed. Pesikta Rabbasi explains that Yosef was afraid to be alone with his father, lest he ask him the big question: “What happened?” Yosef was acutely aware of his father’s supernatural powers….

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ואני בבאי מפדן מתה עלי רחל... ואקברה שם בדרך אפרת הוא בית לחם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5776, Vayechi

But as for me – when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me… and I buried her there on the road to Efras, which is Bais Lechem. (48:7)

Rashi explains that Yaakov Avinu was excusing himself for not having buried Rachel Imeinu in the Meoras HaMachpeilah. Here he was asking Yosef to make a special effort to take his body out of Egypt in order to bury him in the Meoras HaMachpeilah – when he had not done the same for his wife – Yosef’s mother. Apparently, Yaakov sensed that Yosef might have been harboring ill will against him for not making that extra effort to bury his mother in what he might have felt was her rightful place. Yaakov explained that the decision concerning Rachel’s final resting…

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ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים

Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt. (47:28)

ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות

And the days of the death of Yisrael drew near. (47:29)

ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד על אחיך אשר לקחתי...בחרבי ובקשתי

And as for me, I have given you Shechem – one portion more than your brothers, which I took…with my sword and my bow. (48:22)

שמעון ולוי אחים כלי חמס מכרתיהם ... ארור אפם כי עז ועברתם כי קשתה

Shimon and Levi are brothers; their weaponry is a stolen trade…Cursed is their wrath for it is intense and their age for it is harsh. (49:5,6)

ושבענו מטובך

V’sabeinu mituvecha. And satisfy us from Your bounty.

ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות ויקרא לבנו ליוסף

The time approached for Yisrael to die, so he called for his son, Yosef. (47:29)

ואני בבואי מפדן מתה עלי רחל

But as for me, when I came from Paddam, Rachel died on me. (48:7)

ואני בבאי מפדן מתה עלי רחל בארץ כנען בדרך...ואקברה שם בדרך אפרת.

But as for me – when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me in the Land of Canaan on the road…and I buried her there on the road to Efras. (48:7)

ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה

And someone said to Yosef, “Behold!” – your father is ill. (48:1)

ואני בבאי מפדן מתה עלי רחל... ואקברה שם בדרך אפרת הוא בית לחם

But as for me – when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me… and I buried her there on the road to Efras, which is Bais Lechem. (48:7)

YEARS

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