B"H
Monday, Tevet 9, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 2, 2023
This week’s Parsha, Vayechi, is the final Parsha in the first Book of the Torah - Breishis (Genesis).
In this Parsha we read that Yaakov (Jacob) lived his final seventeen years of his life in Egypt. We read about Yaakov’s blessings to his children before his passing and how, after his passing, his children brought him back to Canaan to be buried in the family burial plot in Hebron.
Yaakov, who was the third patriarch, lived the shortest. His grandfather, Abraham, lived 175 years; His father, Yitzchak, lived to be 180. Yaakov lived 147 years.
According to our sages Abraham and Yaakov should also have lived to 180. However, G-d shortened Abraham's life by five years to spare him the pain of seeing his grandson, Esau's evil behavior.
Q.Why did Yaakov lose 33 years of his life? Our sages explain the reason as follows:
A. When Yaakov came to Egypt and Pharaoh asked him his age, he 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).
The verse in which Yaakov complains about his bad lot and misfortune in life contains 33 Hebrew words. As a result of complaining and not accepting his lot in life, which G-d chose for him, his life was shortened by 33 years.
But, unlike Abraham and Isaac, about whom the Torah says that they died, the Torah doesn't use the word “died” to describe Yaakov's passing. As a result, our sages say, "Yaakov did not die!"
This is further emphasized by the name of the Parsha. Even though it details Yaakov's passing, the Parsha is called "Vayechi Yaakov" which means "Yaakov lived!"
How is Yaakov different than his forefathers that the Torah doesn’t use the term died with Jacob? The Talmud explains it as follows: Abraham's son Ishmael and his descendants departed from Abraham's ways. Similarly, Isaac’s son Esau and his descendants strayed from their father’s ways. Yaakov was the only one of the patriarchs whose children all followed in their father's tradition. As a result, "Yaakov didn't die, for through his children, who continue in his ways, he too lives on."
Life doesn’t stop with one’s passing. Since Yaakov’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren – the Jewish people until this very day, continue in his footsteps, he too, is forever considered alive.
Through continuing our Jewish traditions and way of life, we too, keep our parents and grandparents alive. Each of us is a link in the continuation of the golden chain of our beautiful Jewish heritage. It is up to each of us to make sure it continues on forever.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Tevet 10, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 3, 2023
Today, (Tuesday)the 10th day of the Hebrew month, Tevet, is a fast day.
Q. What happened on the 10th of Tevet to warrant it a fast day?
A. On the 10th of Tevet in the year 3336 (-425), Nebuchadnezar, King of Babylon, began his siege of Jerusalem. It ended in the year 3338 (-423), with the destruction of the First Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and the exile of Jews from Israel to Babylon.
Though Nebuchadnezar's mighty army laid siege to Jerusalem, the small Jewish army within its walls inflicted heavy losses on their attackers. Despite starvation in the city, they fought heroically for two and a half years. Finally, on the 17th of Tammuz, Nebuchadnezar's army breached the walls of Jerusalem. Three weeks later, on the 9th of Av, they set fire to the Holy Temple.
The First Temple was built by King Solomon four hundred and forty years after the Jewish people came to Israel. The First Temple stood for 410 years until it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezar.
Q. Why should we remember a tragic event which took place over two thousand years ago?
A. The Code of Jewish Law states the reason for these fasts: "The purpose of the fast is to stir our hearts to repentance and to remind us of our own misdeeds, as well as those of our ancestors, which brought upon them, as well as upon us, all these troubles. Remembering these events and lamenting them encourages us to improve our ways."
The Prophets tell us that eventually when Moshiach comes, these fast days will be suspended and will, instead become days of happiness, rejoicing and festivity. May it be speedily in our days. Amen.
Q. How many fast days are there throughout the year and which are they?
A. There are six fast days during the year. The order of the fasts as they occur in the Hebrew calendar are: Tzom Gedaliya - Fast of Gedaliya (3rd of Tishrei); Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei); Asara B'Tevet (10th of Tevet); Ta'anit Esther - Fast of Esther (13th of Adar); Shiva Asar B'Tammuz (17th of Tammuz); Tisha B'Av (9th of Av).
Four of them, Tzom Gedaliya, Asara B'Tevet, Shiva Asar B'Tammuz, Tisha B'Av, are connected with the destruction of the Holy Temple.
With this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, we conclude the first Book of the Torah – the Book of Breishis (Genesis). At the conclusion of the Torah reading on Shabbat, everyone announces in unison, “Chazak, Chazk, V’nischazek” – “Be strong! Be strong! May we be strengthened!” Torah is our life and concluding the first Book of the Torah gives us strength to continue all the other Books of the Torah.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Thursday, Tevet 12, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 5, 2023
In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, the last Parsha in the book of Genesis, we read about Yaakov’s (Jacob) blessings to his children and grandchildren, before his passing.
Yaakov requests that he not be buried in Egypt. He makes his son, Yosef (Joseph), swear that he will bury him in the Me’arat Hamachpeila, in Hebron, alongside his parents, grandparents and his wife Leah. The Torah describes the great honor and royalty extended to Yaakov after his passing.
The Parsha ends with the passing of Joseph. Like his father, Joseph also requested to be buried in Israel. But contrary to his father, whose body was carried back to Israel soon after his death, Joseph's body was in Egypt until the Exodus when the entire Jewish people left Egypt. Joseph was later buried in Sh’chem.
Joseph was sold into slavery and brought to Egypt, the most immoral culture of its time. He spent many years exposed to the Egyptian culture. He spent years in an Egyptian prison. Yet he stayed true to his religion and moral values. He ultimately became the ruler of the land of Egypt and saved the people of starvation. The Torah describes his life story in great length and in great detail.
Q. At what age did Yaakov pass away? At what age did Yosef pass away?
A. Yaakov was 147. Yosef was 110.
Q. Which of the patriarchs lived the shortest?
A. Yaakov. Abraham lived to 175. Yitzchak (Isaac) to 180. Yaakov passed away at the age of 147.
Q. Why wasn’t Yosef buried in Israel right after his passing just like Yaakov?
A. Yosef was the ruler of Egypt, thus he had the power to fulfill his father’s wish. But when Yosef died, Pharaoh didn’t allow his body to be taken out of Egypt.
Q. How many years passed from Yaakov's coming to Egypt until the Exodus?
A. Two hundred and ten years.
Q. How many years from Joseph's death to the Exodus?
A. One hundred and thirty-nine years.
Q. Of Yaakov’s children, who lived the longest and who lived the shortest?
A. Yaakov’s third son, Levi, lived the longest, 137 years. Yosef, lived the shortest. He passed away, before his brothers, at the age of 110 years. Joseph's life span was the shortest of all his brothers, yet he overcame many adversities and achieved much more during his lifetime. One's life is not necessarily measured in the number of years, but rather in quality and their achievements during their lifetime.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
B"H
Tuesday, Tevet 17, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 10, 2023
This Shabbat we will read Parshat Shemot. With this Parsha webegin the second Book of the Torah, the book of Exodus(Shmot). The Parsha tells how the Egyptians enslaved the Jewish people and that King Pharaoh of Egypt, decreed that every Jewish boy born shall die.
The Parsha also talks about the birth of Moshe and how his mother, Yocheved, placed him is a basket at the river. He was saved by Pharaoh’s own daughter and was raised in Pharaoh’s palace. Moshe eventually had to flee Egypt and came to Midyan, where he met his future wife, Tziporah. There he became a shepherd for his father-in-law, Yitro.
We read how G-d revealed Himself to Moshe. The Torah says, "And Moshe was feeding the flock of Yitro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, and he came to the mountain of G-d, to Horeb. G-d’s angel appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. Moshe saw the bush was on fire, but the bush was not consumed.”
Moshe decided to get closer to observe this wonderous site of the bush being on fire, yet not being consumed. When Moshe came closer, G-d called to him out of the midst of the bush and said, “Moshe, Moshe, remove your shoes from your feet for the place upon which you are standing is holy ground." G-d tells Moshe to go to Pharaoh and bring forth My people, out of Egypt.
Q. The Midrash tells that a gentile once asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha, "Why did your G-d speak to Moshe from the midst of a bush and not from a different tree?"
A. Rabbi Yehoshua answered, "Had He revealed himself from a carob tree, you would have asked the same question: Why that tree and not another one. However, now that you asked, I will answer you: G-d wanted to show Moshe that there was no place where G-d cannot be found and that He rests not only in the tall trees but also in a low bush.
Q. But why from a “thorn” bush?
A. Rashi explains that by revealing Himself from a thorn bush, G-d was saying to Moshe that, just as the Jewish people were suffering,He too, is in pain, which is symbolized by the prickly thorn bush.
Q. Why from a “burning” thorn bush?
A. To show Moshe that just as the fire didn't destroy the bush, so too, the Egyptianswillnot be able to destroy the Jewish nation. For thousands of years the Pharaohs of every generation, to this very day (their names may have changed, but their goals were the same), tried to destroy us. But in G-d’s first revelation to Moshe, He made it clear that, just as the bush was not consumed by the fire, because G-d was there with us, so too, the Jewish people will not be consumed, for G-d is always with us.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
In memory of Chaim ben Yosef, of blessed memory. May his Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden
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