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(Me'am Lo'ez)

Ya'akov Blessing Efrayim and Menasheh

וַיִּקַּח יוֹסֵף, אֶת-שְׁנֵיהֶם--אֶת-אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֶת-מְנַשֶּׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיַּגֵּשׁ, אֵלָיו

Vayikach Yosef et-shneihem et-Efrayim bimino mismol Yisra'el ve'et-Menasheh vismolo mimin Yisra'el vayagesh elav.

48:13 Yosef took the two, Efrayim in his right hand to Yisra'el's left, and Menasheh in his left, to Yisra'el's right, and he came close to him.

 וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל-רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת-שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל-רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה  שִׂכֵּל אֶת-יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר

Vayishlach Yisra'el et-yemino vayashet al-rosh Efrayim vehu hatza'ir ve'et-smolo al-rosh Menasheh sikel et-yadav ki Menasheh habechor.

48:14 Yisra'el stretched out his right hand and placed it on Efrayim's head [although] he was the younger one. His left hand [he placed] on Menasheh's head. He deliberately crossed his hands, although Menasheh was the firstborn.

Yosef presented them to his father in the proper order, Menasheh the older one on his father's right, and Efrayim the younger one on his father's left. Ya'akov realized that this was the order in which Yosef would place his sons before him. This is why he crossed his arms in order to place his right hand on the head of Efrayim and the left hand on the head of Menasheh. He possessed sufficient divine inspiration to foresee that historically Efrayim would be of greater significance than his senior brother Menasheh. This is why he said of Menasheh (v19) "he too will become a nation, however his younger brother will be greater than he."

According to Rabbeinu Chananel Ya'akov did not actually cross his arms but he placed his hands one on top of the other. What the Rabbi meant was that Ya'akov did not rearrange the position of the boys but the position of his hands. This does not seem right. We do not need Rabbeinu Chananel to tell us this as the Torah had already made it plain that the lads remained in their respective positions but that Ya'akov crossed his hands!

The correct interpretation of Rabbeinu Chananel appears to be that the words שִׂכֵּל אֶת-יָדָיו, "he crossed his hands" mean that relative to Yosef he rearranged his hands. When the Torah said "he stretched out his right hand and placed it on Efrayim's head," the meaning is that he rearranged the boys and placed them so that Efrayim was opposite his right hand, etc. He also rearranged the position of Menasheh so that he stood opposite Ya'akov's left hand. He did not rearrange his own hands at all. All he did was to rearrange the position of the boys. This is the correct meaning of the words שִׂכֵּל אֶת-יָדָיו, i.e. he rearranged them differently from the say Yosef had arranged them. The blessing took effect as a result of Ya'akov placing his hands firmly on the heads of the lads. We find something similar in Bamidbar 27:23 where Moshe placed his hands on Yehoshua and proceeded to bless him, making him his successor. The act of placing one's hands on the person one blesses is designed to facilitate the transfer of the ruach ha-kodesh possessed by the one conferring the blessing to the recipient of said blessing.

When the Sages of old ordained someone they also literally placed their hands on the head of the person so ordained. In the case of the kohanim blessing the people this was physically impossible. Instead the kohen spread his hands heavenwards in a gesture commanding G-d's blessing on those present. This is the deeper meaning of the words שִׂכֵּל אֶת-יָדָיו, the word שִׂכֵּל being derived from שכל, חכמה, "intelligence, wisdom." The ten fingers are to be the instrument which draws down blessings from its celestial source.

כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר

ki Menasheh habechor

although Menasheh was the first born.

Ya'akov ignored this biological phenomenon as the younger of Yosef's sons displayed signs of spiritual superiority. The use of the word כִּי in the sense of "although" is not unique. We find it being used in the same sense in Tehillim 41:5 רְפָאָה נַפְשִׁי, כִּי-חָטָאתִי לָךְ, "heal me although I have sinned against You." Another example of the use of the word כִּי in the sense of "although" is found in our daily prayer: "forgive us our Father although we have sinned." It would certainly not be logical to translate the words סלח לנו אבינו כי חטאנו, "forgive us our Father for we have sinned."

May HASHEM continue to enlighten us with the Light of His Torah.

- Bachya, Me'am Lo'ez

Vayechi Pardes - End of Days

However, he was unable to do so. In other words, Ya'akov's channels of communication with the celestial regions had become "closed." H had announced that he would reveal to them "what will befall you in the end of days" (49:1). When when reading what follows it becomes clear that this is not what Ya'akov announced. The "end of days" Ya'akov had in mind was the exile in which we find ourselves now, not the exile in Egypt or Bavel. Seeing that Ya'akov was the third of the patriarchs it is reasonable that his life should have foreshadowed experiences of the Jewish people during their third exile, i.e. our exile. At any rate, G-d would not let him reveal these matters and even Dani'el (Dani'el 12:9 states that these matters remained sealed secrets until the end of that exile. Chazal felt that Dani'el had known about these developments and that is why the angel had to tell him to obscure the matter (Dani'el 12;4).

Yeshayahu said something similar in Yeshayahu 9:6 where we read: לםרבה הַמִּשְׂרָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם אֵין-קֵץ. The final letter ם (mem sofit) in the middle of the word לםרבה where we should have had a regular "open" letter מ (mem). is a warning that whatever the areas in which Yisrael excels, these will not be in evidence during their exiles. The prophet seems to be saying that even attempts to hasten the redemption through Torah-study, through establishing G-d's authority on earth, etc., will not affect G-d's timetable. It is interesting that we find exactly the reverse phenomenon in Sefer Ezra (Nechemyah 2:13) where an open letter מ (mem) appears at the end of a word, i.e. בְּחוֹמֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר הֵמ פְּרוּצִים, "the walls of Yerushalayim which are broken down." A Midrash comments on this verse that this is an allusion that whereas when the walls of Yerushalayim which are now "open," i.e. broken down, were still "closed," i.e. intact, such as during the period of the Temple, G-d's authority which had been "closed", i.e. not in evidence during that period, will re-emerge and reassert itself as a result of the Jewish people learning their lesson during a harsh exile. Just as the two letters  מ (mem) in the verses quoted from Yeshayahu and Nechemyah respectively contain allusions to maters hidden from us, so the unusual absence of a division between the two portions Vayigash and Vayechi also contain allusions to matters hidden from us, i.e. hidden from Ya'akov.

There is a Midrash according to which Ya'akov saw that the names of this twelve sons (the future Tribes of Yisrael) contained between them all the letters of the alphabet except the letters ח (chet) and ט (tet). He concluded that this was a hint that none of these sons were guilty of a sin (chet). This prompted him to reveal to them what he knew about the period preceding the final redemption. When he re-examined the letters in the names of the sons and realized that the letters ק (qof) and צ (tzadi) also did not appear in the names of any of them, he reconsidered and decided that his sons were not fit to have this information revealed to them. He therefore desisted, and this is why this portion is "closed."

May HASHEM continue to enlighten us with the Light of His Torah.

- Bachya

Parashat Vayechi - Me'am Lo'ez

Bereishit 47:28 - 50:26

47:28 Vayechi Yaakov be'eretz Mitzrayim shva esreh shanah vayehi yemei-Yaakov shnei chayav sheva shanim ve'arba'im ume'at shanah
Yaakov lived in the land of Mitzrayim seventeen years; and the days of Yaakov - the years of his life - where one hundred and forty-seven years.

One sees that Yaakov had troubles all his life.  First, Esav' wanted to kill him.  Then, when he fled to Padan Aram, Elifaz intercepted him and took all his possessions, leaving him virtually naked and without food.  He did not even have a pillow upon which to lay his head.  He then went to live with Lavan, where he served as a shepherd for 20 years, through the heat of the day and the frost of the night (31:40).  During these years he even went without sleep, but Lavan was totally unappreciative.  Aside from cheating him by substituting Leah for Rachel, Lavan also tricked Yaakov many other times, constantly changing the conditions of his employment.

No sooner had Yaakov returned home than Esav came with hundreds of troops to kill him.  When he was along in the field at night, Esav's guardian angle came and wrestled with him all night until dawn, striking him so hard that his hip was dislocated.  This was followed by the disaster occurring to Dinah in Shechem, after which a number of kings formed an alliance to wage war with him.  No sooner did he feel that he had survived all these troubles than he was confronted with the disappearance of Yosef.  His favorite son vanished and he did not know if he was alive or dead.  Hew as in mourning for 22 years.  During this time the heart of any one who heard him weep would tremble.  When he sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain during the famine, he had twice as much grief.  First because Shimon had been held hostage, and second because he was compelled to send Binyamin.

In all, Yaakov did not have a single pleasant day in all the years that he lived.

Now, the Torah tells us, "Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt for 17 years." During these 17 years in Egypt Yaakov truly lived, happy and content.  His years before this could not be considered years of life. (Yafeh Toar, p. 515)

The Torah teaches us that G-d rewards individual for the good that he does.  Yaakov had supported Yosef for 17 years; and feeding one's minor children is considered charity. (Rashi)

This is alluded to in the Torah's statement, "Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt for 17 years."  This might seem redundant, since the Torah earlier said that when Yaakov came to Egypt he was 130 years old (47:9).  Since the Torah now says that Yaakov lived to be 147 years old, why should it state that he lived in Egypt for 17 years?  The Torah thus indicates that Yaakov was supported in dignity by Yosef during these 17 years.

47:29 Vayikrevu yemei Yisrael lamut vayikra liveno le-Yosef vayomer lo im-na matzati chen be'eyneicha sim-na yadecha tachat yerechi ve'asita imadi chesed ve'emet al-na tikbereni beMitzrayim
The time approached for Yisrael to die, so he called his son, for Yosef, and said to him, "Please - if I have found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and do kindness and truth with me - please do not bury me in Egypt.
30 Veshachavti im-avotai unesatani mi-Mitzrayim ukvartani bikevuratam vayomer anochi e'eseh chidvarecha
For I will lie down with my fathers and you shall transport me out of Egypt and bury me in their tomb."

The Torah teaches us that he main life of a tzaddik is in the next world, that their days in this world are not considered significant.  Even if a person lives a thousand years, his lifetime passes as swiftly as the shadow of a flying bird. (Alluding to Tehillim 102:12; 1Divrei HaYamim; Cf. Bereishit Rabbah)  The moment a man dies, it seems to him as if he left through one door and entered through another.  Tzaddikim are like strangers visiting a foreign land; they constantly think about their homes and their families, and cannot wait to return.

We therefore see that all the tzaddikim mentioned their death verbally. (Regarding Avraham: "I am going [to my final resting place] childless" 15:2;  Regarding Yitzchak:, Bereishit 27:4)   This is because they knew that they would not attain true perfection on a physical plane; this can only be attained in the next world. (Bereishit Rabbah)

Yaakov prayed that G-d would allow him to live longer so that he would be able to go to the Holy Land and not die in Egypt.  G-d told him that his prayer would not be granted, since the time had come for him to die. (Yafeh Toar)

The Torah uses the expression, "The time approached for Yisrael to die," because Yaakov did not live as long as his fathers.  Avraham lived to be 175 and Yitzchak lived to be 180, while Yaakov only lived for 147 years.  The above expression is only used in cases where the individual did not live as long as his fathers. (Bereishit Rabbah; Rashi)

"please do not bury me in Egypt" In asking Yosef not to bury him in Egypt, Yaakov asked for true kindness. True kindness is that done for the dead, since one cannot expect any repayment for it. (Rashi)

Yaakov asked that he not be buried in Egypt, even though he might have wanted to remain there so that his merit would protect his descendants.  This would be proper, as it is written, "A father has compassion on his children" (Tehillim 103:13).  Yaakov knew that his descendants would suffer exile in Egypt.

However, when Yaakov came from the land of Kenaan, he was concerned that the Divine Presence would abandon him for leaving the Holy Land, and his children would therefore perish among the nations.  G-d then made him a promise and said, "Do not be afraid to go to Egypt....I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up" (46:3,4).  Yaakov therefore realized that there was no need for him to be buried in Egypt. (Zohar)

47:31 Vayomer hishave'ah li vayishava lo vayishtachu Yisrael al-rosh hamitah
He replied, "Swear to me," and he swore to him; then Yisrael prostrated himself towards the head of the bed.

At first Yaakov asked Yosef to swear that he would make an effort to have him brought to his ancestral grave in Chevron, without specifying who would actually bring his body there.

"I myself will bring you," replied Yosef.  "I myself will go to Chevron."

Hearing this, Yaakov said, "Swear to me.  When you placed your hand under my thigh, it was not a strong enough oath for this promise.  This will require much more than you have promised." (Rabbi Eliahu ibn Chaim)

Yaakov then prostrated himself toward the head of the bed.  He turned toward the Divine Presence which is a the head of a sick person.  He gave thanks and praise to G-d because all his offspring were perfect, and none were unworthy.  Yaakov had been very concerned about this, since Avraham had had his Yishmael, and Yitzchak had had his Esav'.  He had been particularly concerned about Yosef, since he had been enslaved by idolaters and was a ruler in Egypt.  But as he now saw, Yosef was a good and virtuous as ever. (Rashi; Zohar, VaYishlach. Cf. Zohar, VaYechi - according to this interpretation, "bed" in this verse denotes offspring.)

One might ask why Yaakov gave these instructions to Yosef rather than his firstborn Reuven, or to Yehudah, who was the leaders of the brothers.  Yaakov realized that YOsef was the only one who would have the power to fulfill his request, since he was a ruler in Egypt.  Had he asked any of his other sons, they might not have been able to fulfill the request;  Par'oh might not have granted permission.  Yaakov was also concerned that Esav's sons might come and claim Machpelah Cave. and not allow Yaakov to be buried in it.  They would not dare to do this to Yosef, first, because he was an Egyptian ruler; and second, because Yosef was Esav's nemesis.  (Yafeh Toar, p. 517)

The oath was merely to strengthen Yosef's hand with respect to Par'oh.  If Par'oh refused to let Yosef go to Chevron, Yosef would be able to argue that he could not violate the oath that he had made to his father. (RaMBaN)


Burial in Eretz Yisrael

Burial in the Holy Land confers a great advantage for six reasons:

1. When a person dies, the soul leaves the body.  If this occurs in Eretz Yisrael, the soul ascends directly to heaven.  The abode of souls is under G-d's כִּסֵא הַכָּבוֹד (Kissey HaKovod - Throne of Glory), and this Throne is in direct spiritual proximity to Eretz Yisrael.  The בֵּית הַמִקְדָשׁ (Beit HaMikdash - Holy Temple) on high is also in direct proximity to the place where the Temple in Yerushalayim stood on earth, and it is through this place that souls enter and leave the world.  During the first 12 months after a person's death, the soul descends to its grave every Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) to visit the corpse of the body with which it was previously associated. (Yeshayahu 66:23.  Cf. Shabbat 152b)  If the body is buried in Eretz Yisrael, the soul can descend and ascend through a direct route, without any delay. When a person dies outside Eretz Yisrael, the soul has great difficulty in ascending to the heavens.  It must go in roundabout ways and pass through all the Mekatrigin (Denouncing Powers) associated with the evil Sitra Achra (Other Side).  It is as if the soul were a person who suddenly found himself in the midst of an army of tens of thousands of armed warriors.  It must undergo much anguish until it can pass through them all. (Bachya, Lech Lecha; Zohar, Terumah; Yafeh Toar, p. 518; Chesed LeAvraham 3)  Many Jews therefore wanted to go to Eretz Yisrael to die, so that their souls would have a straight path when leaving the body, without any opposition.   One who is worthy of dying in Eretz Yisrael has great merit. (Zohar, Achrei Mot)  When a person dies in Eretz Yisrael, immediately after his death the soul goes directly to Machpelah Cave, and from there it goes to its proper place. (Zohar, Chayei Sarah)  Being buried in Eretz Yisrael is just like being buried beneath the Mizbeach (Great Altar), which was a focal point of the Temple in Yerushalayim.  It is also just like being buried under the Throne of Glory.
2. When people die outside Eretz Yisrael, they die by the hand of a destroying angel, Samael, otherwise known as the Angel of Death.  When a person dies in Eretz Yisrael, on the other hand, he dies through the hand of Gavriel, who is a merciful angel.  The only exception to this rule were Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, who died outside the Holy Land but were not given Sama'el. (Zohar, Terumah; Chesed LeAvraham, loc. cit.)  
3. If a person dies in Eretz Yisrael and is buried on the same day he dies, before nightfall, no unclean force has power over him. (Zohar)
4. The agony of the grave חִבּוּט הַקֶבֶר (chibbut ha-kever - literally "beating of the grave") is even worse than death itself (some say that chibbut ha-kever is the psychological anguish of seeing the decay of one's mortal remains).  When a person dies outside Eretz Yisrael, there is no way he can escape this fate.  In Eretz Yisrael, on the other hand, if a person is buried on Friday after the fourth hour of the day (around 10 a.m.) he avoids this anguish.  This is speaking of someone who lives in Eretz Yisrael and dies on a Friday.  Then the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and the holiness of the Shabbat join to protect him.  When a person dies under such conditions, it is an indication that he does not deserve such punishment.  Providence therefore arranges that he die on the day before the Shabbat.  Obviously, if he was a sinner, these two elements of holiness would not protect him from the agony of the grave.  Rather, the very fact that he died on a Friday indicates that he is a virtuous person.  Our sages taught that there are a number of good habits that can protect a person from the agony of the grave.  These include giving charity, accepting correction, enjoying good works and taking in guests, and saying one's prayers with כַּוָנָה (kavanah - concentration), without any external thoughts.  However, it is not enough to do such things when one has the opportunity; one must make an effort to create opportunities.  He must keep them with heart and soul, and not merely as an obligation, since heartless observance cannot protect one from the agony of the grave.  A man once died on Thursday. His relatives gave instructions that he should not be buried until late Friday afternoon to avoid the agony of the grave.  This was done, but the sages said that they had done wrong.  They had violated the mitzvah, "His body shall not remain out overnight" (Devarim 21:23).  Obviously, such delay will not help the individual avoid the agony of the grave at all.
5. When a person is buried outside Eretz Yisrael, his flesh decays and becomes maggoty.  Our sages say, "A worm in the flesh of the dead is like a needle in the flesh of the living." (Berachot 18b; Shabbat 13b, 152a.)  Since the soil of Eretz Yisrael is like lime, one's flesh does not become maggoty. (Yad Yosef:  Mevakesh HaShem)
6. Outside the Holy Land a person dies twice.  At the time of Techiyat HaMetim (the Resurrection), the soul cannot return to the body unless it is in Eretz Yisrael.  At the time of the Resurrection, G-d will personally open the graves; it will not be done by any angel (cf. Yechezkiel 37:13).  This cannot take place outside Eretz Yisrael, since other places are considered unclean. (Bereishit Rabbah; Yafeh Toar)  Of course, this does not mean that people buried outside Eretz Yisrael will not be resurrected.  Obviously, many great tzaddikim are buried in other lands.  The meaning, however, is as follows:  There is a small bone in man, at the base of the neck, known as the לוּז (Luz). This bone does not decay in the ground.   This bone is like the yeast in a batch of dough; from it the body is reconstructed.  The soul, however, cannot be returned to the body except in Eretz Yisrael.  After the bodies are reconstructed, G-d will provide underground passages through which they can be transported to Eretz Yisrael.  Until they reach Eretz Yisrael, they will remain bodies without souls.  Only there will G-d grant them souls so that they can come to life.  This is alluded to in the verse, "[G-d] gives a soul to the people in [the land]" (Yeshayahu 42:5).  This indicates that G-d will provide a soul for the resurrected dead when they are in the Holy Land. (Ketubot 111a)  According to another opinion, the archangel Gavriel will bring the bones of the dead to Eretz Yisrael and there they will be resurrected. (Zohar, Chayei Sarah; Ketubot, loc. cit.)  Furthermore, people buried in Eretz Yisrael will be resurrected before those buried elsewhere.  Others will have to be brought to Eretz Yisrael, and their resurrection will therefore be delayed.  This is alluded to in the verse, "Your dead shall live, my corpses shall rise, [awake and sing you who live in the dust]" (Yeshayahu 26:19).  "Your dead shall live" refers to the dead buried in Eretz Yisrael, while "your corpses shall rise" refers to those buried elsewhere.  They will merely rise and have their bodies reconstructed; then they will be brought to Eretz Yisrael, where they will be given souls that will bring them back to life. (Zohar; Ketubot)  There is a tradition that people buried in Eretz Yisrael will be resurrected 40 years before the dead buried elsewhere.  If a person buried outside Eretz Yisrael has been concerned with and has supported (to the best of his ability) a relative - either male or female - who is buried in Eretz Yisrael, that relative can see to it that he is resurrected at the same time as the dead in Eretz Yisrael.  All reward is measure for measure.  This person supported his relative so that he could live in the Eretz Yisrael, which is considered the same as ransoming captives (discussed in Lech Lecha).  Such a person therefore has very great merit, and he will partake in the resurrection long before the other people buried outside Eretz Yisrael.  This shows us that someone buried in Eretz Yisrael has two advantages with regard to the Resurrection.  First, he will be brought to life before people buried elsewhere. Second, he avoids the agony of having to travel through the underground passages, which involves great anguish.  Our sages say that all these advantages are accrued only by one who lives in Eretz Yisrael for a while and is then worthy of dying there.  However, if a person dies elsewhere and is brought to Eretz Yisrael, it is not proper to bring him there for burial.  Regarding those who do this it is written, "You came and defiled My land" (Yirmeyahu 2:7).  G-d complained because people came only after they were dead, and a dead body defiles, as it is ritually unclean (BaMidbar 19:14) (Yerushalmi, Ketubot 12:3; Zohar, Terumah, Achrei Mot)  

[Due to illness, there was not time to finish this parsha.]