B"H

Thursday, Tevet 16, 5784 / December 28, 2023

This week’s Parsha is Vayechi, which concludes the first Book of the Torah, Breishis (Genesis)

The Parshabegins with the words, Vayechi Yaakov – Yaakov lived in the Land of Egypt 17 years.  

Joseph was separated from his father for 22 years.  His first 13 years in Egypt were spent as a slave and as a prisoner.  After the 13 years he became ruler of the Land of Egypt.  It took another nine years, and only due to the great famine, when his brothers came to Egypt to buy food did they discover Joseph.  For twenty-two years, Yaakov mourned his lost son, whom he considered dead. 

Thus, the last seventeen years of Yaakov’s life, which he lived in Egypt, were the best years of his life after being united with his son Joseph and his family.  Yaakov had a difficult life compared to his father, Yitzchak, and grandfather, Abraham. Yaakov expresses it himself when he was introduced to Pharaoh. He tells Pharaoh, “Few and troublesome have been the days of my life, and I have not attained the years of my father’s life.” These last 17 years of his life were Yaakov’s best years.

Q.   When Joseph became ruler of Egypt, why didn’t he let his father know that he was alive?

A.    Here are two answers:  1) The reason that G-d decreed that Joseph be away from his father for twenty-two years was a punishment to Yaakov, measure for measure, for the twenty-two years which Yaakov spent by his father-in-law, Lavan, and was away from his elderly parents, Yitzchak and Rivkah.  Thus, before the 22 years were up Joseph couldn’t tell his father where he was.

2)  Yaakov never knew that his children sold their brother. He believed that Joseph was killed and devoured by a wild animal.  Joseph was afraid to let his father know that he was alive because then he would figure out that his own children had sold him into slavery.  That would be “loshon hara” – “speaking slander,” which was prohibited by the Torah.  He was also afraid that Yaakov would punish his brothers if Yaakov found out the truth.  Thus, he decided not to tell about his whereabouts and left it up to G-d to decide how Yaakov would find out.

Q. Yaakov’s father, Yitzchak, lived 180 years, while Yaakov lived only 147 years.  Why? 

A.  Our sages explain that Yaakov should have lived 180 years.  But, as mentioned above, when Joseph presented his father to King Pharaoh, he asked Yaakov his age. Yaakov replied, "The days of the years of my life are a hundred and thirty years; few and bad have been the days of my life and they have not attained the days of the years of the life of my fathers" (Gen. 47:9).  This verse contains 33 Hebrew words.  As a result of Yaakov complaining about his bad lot and misfortunes in life and not accepting happily that which G-d had in store for him, G-d shortened his life by 33 years – the amount of words he used when he complained!

It teaches us to have faith and accept whatever G-d has in store for us and say, Thank You G-d.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL