This week’s parsha (Torah portion) marks more then the end of the first book of the Torah. It also marks the passing of an era. We start by discovering Yakov (Jacob) is dying and we end with the death of Yoseph (Joseph).
Both of these have something in common: neither want their remains left in Egypt. We do not hear of this request from anyone else. And interestingly, the parsha is entitled Vay’chi which can mean he lived or he will live. How?
Well, in Hebrew the prefix vov, means and. In biblical Hebrew, this vov can, but does not have to, change the tense of the verb it is attached to. In context, it is referring to Yakov and takes on the past tense. I find this interesting because while the parsha has an element of wrapping things up, it also talks about the future. Let’s look at the parsha and then I will explain what I mean.
The parsha starts by telling us that Yakov lived in Egypt 17 years and he was close to death. He calls for Yoseph and makes Yoseph swear not to bury him in Egypt; but, only to bury him at the double cave (the cave is named Macpelah which means double in Hebrew) that Avraham bought as a burial place. Of course Yoseph accepts the oath. Then Yakov blesses Yoseph’s children, Manasheh and Ephriam.
However, he goes against tradition by putting his right hand on the younger boy’s head, and his left hand on the first born’s head. Yoseph is not happy with this, and Yakov explains that as great as Menasheh will be, Ephriam will be greater. And he finishes by giving the following blessing: With you will Israel bless saying ‘May god (Elokim) put you like Ephriam and Menasheh.
The rest of the brothers are then gathered to Yakov who, “Blesses,” them with what, “He will call with you-all in the last days.”
After the blessings, Yakov gives final instructions for his burial and dies. After a 70 day mourning period, Pharaoh oks Yoseph’s request to go and bury Yakov in the land of Canaan, and a retinue consisting of the whole family of Yakov, along with all the servants of Pharaoh and the elders of Egypt and horsemen, all go to bury Yakov. So impressive is the final 7 days of mourning, on the bank of the Jordan river, that the inhabitants named the place Avel Mitzrayim which means the mourning of Egypt.
After they all return to Egypt, Yoseph’s brothers are worried that with their father gone, Yoseph might still be harboring a grudge because of what they did to him all those years ago. They are so scared they even lie, saying that Yakov told them to tell Yoseph, after Yakov died, to forgive them for what they did. Yoseph cries when he hears this, and talks to their heart and comforts them. The parsha, and the book of Breisheit/Genesis ends with Yoseph’s death at the age of 110.
A very dense way to bring the book, and the era of the ancestors, to a close. When you bring something to a close, it is a good idea to wrap up loose ends and bring things to completion and closure. We see this most obviously with the death of Yakov which ends the lineage of one tribe (from now on we are 12 tribes). Interestingly, we also get a foreshadowing of the new system of leadership: an individual, separated out (which is the literal meaning of kadosh, btw), who leads and provides for the people.
There is one other completion that happens here in this parsha, and it happens on two levels: the fixing of sibling rivalry/jealousy. Now I can hear all of you saying, “What do you mean? How can you say that; we still have sibling rivalry and jealousy today.” And I agree with you.
Am I contradicting myself? I don’t think so, for you can always fix something and break it again. However, what we are given in the parsha is the tools/ways to not have such rivalries and jealousies. Let me show you.
The first example of sibling rivalry and jealousy is Cain and Abel. It resulted in the death of Abel and the exile of Cain. Later we have Yishma’el and Yitzhak who are separated because Sarah saw the seeds of rivalry and jealousy beginning to sprout. Then we have Asov and Yakov which is an improvement, over Cain and Abel, for nobody gets killed. We then have Yoseph and his brothers who again want to kill him.
Why do we have all this murder and attempted murder? Because one brother, the younger, is told he has a bigger role to play then the other(s).
Now we come to Ephriam and Menasheh, and once again we discover that the younger one is to be the greater of the two. But, finally we have an older brother who is accepting of the situation, and so loves his brother, that it does not matter to him who is the greater of the two.
It is for this reason that Yakov bestows upon them the blessing that is still used by the sons of Yakov today: May god make you like Ephriam and Menasheh.
And this blessing is the weapon we can use today to prevent jealousy between brothers. For, if it is said with kavannah/intention, it can instill the brotherly love that Menasheh had for Ephriam.
Another reason Yakov bestowed this blessing onto Yoseph’s sons is because they learned to be forgiving from their father Yoseph. Yoseph, upon realizing the big picture of what haShem/god had in mind for him, was able to forgive his brothers.
This was something his brothers never understood, or were able to do for themselves. This is why Yoseph cried when he heard the fear between the lie they told him after Yakov passed on.
Yoseph, as we mentioned last week (or was it two weeks ago), being the great healer, does what he can to help them forgive themselves by talking to the part of them that is in pain – their hearts.
So, it makes sense the healing/fixing of something that separates brothers (jealousy/rivalry) would come from Yoseph, and is realized in his sons.
With fixing of the emotions that separate, the brothers become unified, and we see this in the blessing Yakov gave them, “With you will Israel bless saying: ‘May god (Elokim) put you like Ephriam and Menasheh.’ ” The word ‘you’ in both places is singular meaning that not only are Ephriam and Menasheh unified, but also the ones being blessed with the blessing. All the future generations of brothers are being blessed to be unified as brothers, to work together and not for the downfall of the other(s).
As we close this book, and wrap up a few loose details, the sun also is wrapping up its lowest point (here in the northern hemisphere anyway :). The days are about to start getting longer; the light is about to start to come back. We have all made it thru the darkest time of the year.
And I wish everybody the strength to wrap up loose ends as we begin a new time of light and that we can all see the truth that is revealed in the light: that we are all brothers/sisters. And may we all be like Ephriam and Menasheh.
If you want to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.