Summary: “Vayechi,” means “And he lived” – just as we had with Chayey Sarah, which means the life of Sarah but actually talks about her death, here too we will begin with Vayechi Yaakov – Yaakov lived, but we are actually seeing Yaakov’s last moments.
Yaakov will take the transformation of death haed on: he first make Yosef, or Joseph, swear that his body will be taken to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah; and then in a second scene he blesses Yosef’s children, Efrayim and Menashe. The third scene of his passing is where our triennial picks up: at the end of his blessings for each of his children. We read the blessing for Biniamin and an explanation for the request of being buried in the Cave of Machpelah. We will read the Egyptian rites for Yaakov and the Jewish ones. The portion will end with Yosef again assuring his brothers of his complete forgiveness, his death and making the descendants of Yaakov promise they would take his bones back to the land of Israel when possible.
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KS
There was once a man who lived a comfortable life in a quiet village. He had three close companions whom he loved dearly, each played an important role in his life.
One day, a royal messenger arrived at his home with startling news: “The king has summoned you to his court. Prepare yourself, for you must give an account of your life.”
The man grew anxious. “I have never been to the palace,” he thought. “I need support. I must ask my friends to accompany me.”
He turned to his first friend, the one he loved most. He said to the friend: “the king has summoned me. Will you come with me to the palace?”
The friend answered: “Are you kidding? I will stay in your house. Don’t you know what is written? “Riches profit not in the day of wrath” (Prov. 11:4).
The man felt a pang of sorrow. He then turned the second friend, whom he loved but paid less attention in life than the first friend and asked: “the king has summoned me. Will you accompany me and speak on my behalf?”
The second friend was a little better than the first, but not by much. He said: “I will come with you to the gates of the palace, but we cannot go beyond the gates. At the king’s court, you you are on your on. Don’t you know what’s written: “None can by any means redeem their brother” “For the redemption of their soul is priceless” (Ps. 49:7-8).
The man’s heart grew heavy. Finally, he turned to his third friend, which he had often neglected in the busyness of life. Hesitantly, he approached him. “My faithful friend,” he said, “I have not always tended to you as I should. But the king has summoned me and I am afraid. Will you come with me?”
The third friend, glowing with quiet strength, replied, “I have been with you all along, though you may not have noticed. Wherever you go, I will go. At the king’s court, I will even speak for you. Don’t you know what’s written? “Your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of Hashem will be your reward” (Isa. 58:8)
The man felt a deep sense of peace.
The first friend, his possessions, only help a person in this world. Even before burial, they are gone. The second friend, which are a person’s family and friends, can only help to escort a person to burial. Then they must take leave. But our good deeds, even though they are not always appreciated and even though they are the ones we least pay attention to, they are the true loyal friend. With their assurance, the man prepared for his journey to the palace, as we all do.
(Based on Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, 34:8, on Ps 49:5)
Supporting sources
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִייָא רוּבָּא כְּדוֹן אִינּוּן מֵימָר לְמָחָר אִינּוּן גַבָּן וְאִינּוּן מְעִיקִין לָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְחַכְמִין אִינּוּן כְּלוּם לָא כֵן כְּתִב וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ לִקְרוֹת אַתְּ יוֹדֵעַ. לִדְרוֹשׁ אֵין אַתְּ יוֹדֵעַ. כִּי הַחַיִּים יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיָּמוּתוּ אֵלּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁאֲפִילוּ בְמִיתָתָן קְרוּיִין חַיִּים. וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה אֵלּוּ הָֽרְשָׁעִים שֶׁאֲפִילוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶן קְרוּיִין מֵתִים. מְנַיִין שֶׁהָֽרְשָׁעִים אֲפִילוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶן קְרוּיִין מֵתִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי לֹא אֶחְפּוֹץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת. וְכִי הַמֵּת מֵת. אֶלָּא אֵילּוּ הָֽרְשָׁעִים שֶׁאֲפִילוּ בְחַיֵּיהֶן קְרוּיִין מֵתִים. וּמְנַיִין שֶׁהַצַּדִּיקִים אֲפִילוּ בְמִיתָתָן קְרוּיִין חַיִּים. דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו זֹאת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר. מַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֵאמֹר. אָמַר לוֹ לֵךְ וֶאֱמוֹר לָאָבוֹת כָּל־מַה שֶׁהִתְנֵיתִי לָכֶם עָשִׂיתִי לִבְנֵיכֶם אַחֲרֵיכֶם.
(Proverbs.9.5) “The living know that they will die”, these are the just people, who even in death are considered living; “but the dead do not know anything;” these are the wicked people, who even in life are called dead. From where that the wicked even in life are called dead? It is said (Ezekiel.18.32) “For I have no pleasure in the death of the dead;” how can a dead person die? But these are the wicked who even in life are called dead. And from where that the Just even in death are considered living? It is written (Deuteronomy.34.4) “And He said to him: This is the land I had sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to tell.” Why does the verse say “to tell”? He said to him: go and tell the patriarchs that all I had promised I fulfilled to your descendants after you. Jerusalem Talmud, Brachot 2:3
״וְהַמֵּתִים אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מְאוּמָה״ — אֵלּוּ רְשָׁעִים, שֶׁבְּחַיֵּיהֶן קְרוּיִין ״מֵתִים״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאַתָּה חָלָל רָשָׁע נְשִׂיא יִשְׂרָאֵל״. וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא, מֵהָכָא: ״עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יוּמַת הַמֵּת״, חַי הוּא! אֶלָּא, הַמֵּת מֵעִיקָּרָא.
In contrast to the righteous, who are referred to as living even after their death, the verse states explicitly: “The dead know nothing.” These are the wicked, who even during their lives are called dead, as the prophet Ezekiel said in reference to a king of Israel who was alive: “And you are a slain, wicked prince of Israel” (Ezekiel 21:30). And if you wish, say instead that the proof is from here: “At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses the dead shall be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6). This is puzzling. As long as the accused has not been sentenced to death, he is alive. Rather, this person who is wicked is considered dead from the outset. Brachot 18b
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Morning – questions for discussion
~ Look at the burial practices of Egypt and of the Hebrews, both in our reading.
~ What is surprising? What can you tell about the pressures Yosef is under?
~ What do you make of the exchange between Yosef and Pharaoh?