Yaakov on his deathbed

נמצאו 14 תוצאות חיפוש

1. Not Egypt!

   Rabbi Alex Israel | 35 דקות

   Yaakov is on his deathbed, and he wishes to give his final instructions for his burial. Why does he repeat his instructions, and why is the first set given to Yosef, without the other brothers present? Why does Yaakov act so deferential, and yet insists on Yosef swearing an oath to fulfill his wishes? The two sets of instructions serve two different important purposes: political expediency and transmission of identity and legacy.

2. Vayechi Yaakov - Vayechi Yosef

   Prof. Jonathan Grossman

   The title of our parasha would seem to introduce a summary of Yaakov's life, but in fact this parasha - which concludes Sefer Bereishit - closes three different circles.

   All of the last few parashot (starting from Vayeshev) have followed a single continuum, dealing with the same story - that of Yosef and his brothers. The story as a whole has three principal heroes who take center stage in turns: Yaakov, the brothers (and, as we have seen in Parashat Vayeshev, Yehuda sometimes serves to represent all the brothers), and Yosef. Our parasha closes three separate circles related to these three heroes. By closely examining the parsha, we notice how all three circles relate to each other, and how they serve as a summary of the different (but interrelated) stories. 

3. "They Are Mine, Efraim and Menashe:" The Meaning of Yaakov's Two Flashbacks

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Yaakov is on his deathbed. His eyes can no longer see. His actions, on the other hand, are characterized by lucidity: he looks at things that physical eyes cannot see, a hidden future and a forgotten past.

   The scene where Yaakov exchanges his hands - placing the right hand upon the head of Efraim, Yosef's younger son, and the left upon the head of Menashe, the elder - illustrates this contrast between his weakened physical state and his lucid prophetic consciousness. Unable to see Yosef's sons with his eyes ("And Yisrael saw Yosef's sons, and he said: Who are these?"), he nevertheless knows with certainty where he wants to place his right hand. The dialogue between him and his son is a slightly ironic illustration of the fact that the sight of the elderly, blind father is better than that of his younger, clear-sighted son.

   As stated, the "narrative present" of this story is fragmented: memories of the past and images of the future penetrate the present, shaping Yaakov's consciousness and his actions in our story. And so the boundaries between past, present and future are blurred. 

   What logical connection runs between the flashback utterances of Yaakov? Why is he now reminded of these events from the distant past - decades ago - and what does he mean to express by mentioning them now, in his words to Yosef?

   Through an analysis of this episode as well as the flashback narratives, we can understand that Yaakov knew that at this late stage of his life his light had begun to shine, and after all his suffering he suddenly merited an expansion of his family, from the direction of this beloved and lost branch: from Yosef, Rachel's son. Only then did Yaakov give final expression to his emotions: both to his profound sorrow over the death of Rachel, who had died on the way at a young age, and to the contradiction this event engendered in his consciousness - a problem to which he had reacted with silence until now, when its solution was suddenly revealed to him in a wondrous new reality.

4. Yaakov's Blessing

   Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

   The Torah refers to Yaakov's speeches on his deathbed as "blessings": "This is what their father told them, and he blessed them – each according to his blessing, he blessed them," and they do indeed give the impression of being blessings. But the concept of "blessing" is itself somewhat opaque; the question is, what exactly is the status of Yaakov's blessings, and what was Yaakov's intention in blessing his children?

   A blessing can be a wish or prayer. On the other hand, it may also be a sort of division of inheritance or roles. Another possibility is to perceive Yaakov's words here as a sort of prophecy or Divinely-inspired vision. Indeed, at the outset Yaakov says: "Gather yourselves and I shall tell you what will befall you at the end of days."

   By examining some key aspects of the content of Yaakov's blessings we can glean some insights into their status and intention.

5. Yosef – From Exile to Redemption

   Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

   The parasha begins with a description of Yaakov's preparations, knowing that he is about to die. He commands Yosef to bury him in Eretz Kena'an; he declares that Efrayim and Menasheh will have special status as sons deserving of an inheritance; he blesses all of his children, and commands all of them to bury him in Me'arat ha-makhpela. The text then describes his death, the mourning that follows, and the funeral procession.

   Following Yaakov's death there is a conversation between Yosef and his brothers, straightening out the affairs between them. The parasha then ends with Yosef's parting words to his brothers, and then his death.

   If we compare the two descriptions of death – that of Yaakov and that of Yosef – we find a considerable degree of similarity. Admittedly, the description in Yaakov's case is far more detailed, but the same central elements appear in both

   Both Yaakov and Yosef know that there will be a redemption from Egypt, and both command their descendants to bury them in Eretz Kena'an. However, there are two important differences between them:

   a. Yaakov does not tell all of his sons that there will be a redemption; he tells only Yosef. Yosef, on the other hand, tells all of his brothers.

   b. Yaakov's body is brought to Eretz Kena'an for burial, while Yosef's body remains, for the meantime, in a casket in Egypt.

   Why is Yosef's body left, for the meantime, in Egypt? Why does he not command his sons to bury him right away, as his father did, instead commanding them to take up his bones only when they are redeemed from Egypt? And why is it specifically Yosef who tells the brothers about the future redemption, rather than Yaakov?

   Sefer Bereishit does not end with the descent to Egypt and the settling there that represents the beginning of the exile. Rather, it ends with the story of two burials, which express the hope for redemption.

   The burial of Yaakov in the land of Israel, and the oath to bury Yosef in the land in the future, together represent a heavy anchor that draws them back to the land, with the promise that redemption will arrive and take them back.

6. Yaakov's Blessing to Yosef

   Rabbi Yehuda Rock

   Yaakov's monologue in Parshat Vayechi comprises three parts:

   a. Mention of the blessing of "the Almighty God" (El Sha-dai) to Yaakov (3-4)

   b. Status bestowed on Ephraim and Menasheh like that of Yaakov's sons for the purposes of inheritance (5-6)

   c. Mention of the death and burial of Rachel (7)

   Through an examination of the significance of each part and the connections between them, we can learn an important lesson about the inheritance of the Land of Israel. 

7. From Egypt to Canaan

   Rabbi Ezra Bick

   One of the clear sub-themes of our parasha is the contrast and tension between the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan.  This is clear from the theme which connects the beginning and the end of the parasha - Yaakov's request that he be buried not in Egypt but in Canaan.  Yaakov not only addresses this request to Yosef, but asks him to swear as well; later, on his deathbed, he charges his other children with the task of bringing his body to Canaan.  The Torah then records at length the trip to Canaan and the burial in the Cave of Makhpela. Why was this so important to Yaakov? An examination of the texts reveals the reason behind Yaakov’s insistence on the place of his burial, which also relates to the status of Ephraim and Menashe as full tribes, and teaches us about the importance of Jewish identity in exile. 

8. Yaakov’s Blessings to Menashe and Efraim

   Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

   When did Yaakov meet Menashe and Efraim?

   The unit describing the meeting begins with the words, “And it came to pass after these things.” Which events are referred to here?

   An examination of the text allows us to conclude that “it came to pass after these things” takes us back to an earlier point in time – specifically, after Yaakov arrived in Egypt. The account in our parasha, then, is a continuation of the first encounter between Yaakov and Yosef as described in the previous parasha.

   Why is this summary of past events necessary?

   Through an analysis of the blessings that Yaakov gave to his children and to Efraim and Menashe, we find an answer to this question. We can also appreciate the importance that Yaakov placed on each son’s inclusion in the nation, and recognize that the blessings represent a vision of the land promised to the tribes, spread out and depicted in all its glory.

9. Yosef and Honoring Parents

   Rabbi David Silverberg

10. The Meaning of Yosef Closing Yaakov's Eyes

    Rabbi David Silverberg

11. VaYishlach: Where Was Rivka?

    Rabbi Jay Kelman

12. Assemble

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

13. For They Are Lively (Ki Hayyot Henah)

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

14. On Life and Death

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky