B"H

Tuesday, Tevet 14, 5781 / December 29, 2020

The first time that the Torah mentions someone being sick, is in this week's Parsha, Vayechi. The Parsha tells about the last seventeen years of Yaakov’s (Jacob’s) life, which he spent in Egypt. In total, Yaakov lived 147 years.

In the beginning of the Parsha we read that Yosef (Joseph), who was the ruler of Egypt at that time, is told "Behold your father is sick."  Immediately, upon hearing this, Joseph took his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim, and went to visit his father, Yaakov, in Goshen.  When Yaakov learns that Joseph has arrived, "he strengthened himself and sat upon the bed."

On his sick bed, Yaakov says to Joseph, "Your two sons who were born to you in Egypt, before I came to Egypt, are like my own sons; Ephraim and Menashe as Reuben and Shimon shall be unto me." As a result, Ephraim and Menashe are the only grandchildren of Yaakov to be numbered among the twelve tribes of Israel.

Q.  What was special about these two grandchildren of Yaakov over the other grandchildren?

A.  Menashe and Ephraim were the only grandchildren who were born in Egypt, before Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt. Although, they didn’t grow up in their grandfather’s traditional G-d fearing environment, as his other grandchildren did, they were nevertheless committed to the values of their grandfather as taught to them by their father, Yosef. When Yaakov came to Egypt he was surprised to find these two grandchildren as being so much part of his family.

In fact, Yaakov expresses his great Nachas and joy from these two grandchildren by saying to his son, Joseph, “I didn’t expect to see your face, and now G-d has shown me your children too!” To have been raised in an Egyptian environment and culture and still be connected and so attached to their grandfather’s belief and tradition was something which Yaakov greatly appreciated. As a result, Ephraim and Menashe are the only grandchildren of Yaakov to be identified as individual tribes to make up the twelve tribes of Israel.

Q.Why isn’t there any mention in the Torah of someone becoming ill before Yaakov?

A.The Midrash says that before Yaakov, people would not become sick but would pass away when their time came, without any warning. Yaakov prayed that G-d let him know when his death was near so that he could pass along his last will and testament to his children and bless them before his passing.  Thus, Yaakov was the first person to become sick before passing away.

Visiting the sick is a great mitzvah.  This mitzvah is called "Bikur Cholim."  Our sages state that by performing this mitzvah, a person "enjoys its fruits-reward in this world while the principal reward remains intact in the World-to-Come."

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Thursday, Tevet 16, 5781 / December 31, 2020

The Torah concludes the Book of Genesis (Breishis) with this week’s Parsha, Vayechi. We read about the passing of Yaakov, the last of the Patriarchs, and the passing of his twelve sons.

This concludes the stories about the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Jewish people. The next Book of the Torah, Shemot, will begin with the enslavement of the Jewish people in Egypt, their subsequent liberation, the Giving of the Torah and the building of the Tabernacle.

In Parshat Vayechi Yaakov, before his passing, blesses his sons and two of his grandchildren, Ephrayim and Menashe. Yaakov singles them out from the rest of his grandchildren as only they were born in Egypt before Yaakov came there. In the Parsha, Yaakov makes his son, Joseph, swear that after Yaakov’s passing he will not bury him in Egypt, but take him to be buried in the family burial plot in Hebron.

Yaakov came to Egypt when he was 130 and passed away at the age of 147. He lived there for 17 years. Yosef (Joseph) was brought to Egypt at age 17 and passed away at the age of 110. Thus, he lived in Egypt 93 years.

Q. Where were Yaakov’s twelve sons buried?

A. They were originally buried in Egypt. When the Jewish people left Egypt at the time of the Exodus, they took their bones with them to be buried in Israel. Joseph was also taken out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus and later buried in the city of Sh’chem.

Q. Which of Yaakov’s wives was buried with him in the Me’arat Hamachpeila in Hebron?

A. His wife, Leah. His wife, Rachel, who died about 48 years before Yaakov, was buried near Bethlehem. Yaakov knew by Divine inspiration that the Temple would one day be destroyed and his descendants, the Jewish people, would be exiled from Jerusalem. He deliberately buried Rachel in Bethlehem at the side of the road, so when they pass by there Rachel would pray for them and invoke G-d’s mercy upon them.    

Q. Yaakov’s blessing to his two grandchildren was, “In you will the people of Israel bless their children. They will say to their sons, ‘May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe.’” What is the meaning of this blessing?

A. From the beginning of creation we find in the Torah brethren rivalry as a result of jealousy. Cain killed his brother Abel; Ishmael didn’t get along with his brother, Yitzchak: Esau wanted to kill his brother, Yaakov; Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery. But Menashe and Ephraim, although Menashe was the older one, wasn’t jealous of Ephraim, whom Yaakov favored and blessed before him. This is the blessing Yaakov gave, that every parent will bless their children, that they be like Ephraim and Menashe – that there should be mutual respect and harmony between their children.   

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Monday, Tevet 20, 5781 / January 4, 2021

This Shabbat we will begin reading the Second Book of the Torah – S’hmot.

In this week’s Parsha, S’hmot, we will read about the beginning of the Egyptian Exile and the enslavement of the Jewish people in Egypt (Mitzrayim). We will read about the birth of Moshe (Moses), who would become the leader of the Jewish people. He led them out of Egypt and through their 40 year journey in the desert.

The Parsha begins, “These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt, together with Yaakov, each came with his household…. All the people who came from Yaakov were seventy souls, and Yosef was already in Egypt.”

Q. The Torah had already mentioned in Parshat Vayigash all the names of the descendants of Yaakov who came with him to Egypt, and that their number was seventy. Why does the Torah repeat it?

A. Our sages explain that it is mentioned again in the beginning of the Book of S’hmot, where we will eventually read about the Exodus. The Torah wants to show us that although Jews were oppressed and enslaved for all these years in Egypt, yet, from only 70 who came into Egypt, they multiplied into 600,000 men over the age of 20, besides the women and children- a total of a few million people.

Q. How many years after Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt did the actual enslavement begin?

A. As long as one of Yaakov’s sons, especially his son Joseph, who was ruler of Egypt, was alive, the children of Israel were free. Only after the last of Yaakov’s sons passed away did the Egyptians enslave the people.  Of Yaakov’s sons, Levi lived the longest, 137 years. He was 43 when he came to Egypt and lived in Egypt 94 years. From when Yaakov came to Egypt until the Exodus was 210 years. If we deduct 94 from 210 we are left with 116 years. Thus, the total amount of years of enslavement was 116 years.

Q. How many years after coming to Egypt was Moshe born?

A. Moshe was 80 at the time of the Exodus. If we deduct 80 from 210 we have 130. Thus, Moshe was born 130 years after Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt.

The name of the Book of Exodus is, S’hmot, which means names. The Midrash says that one of the merits which brought about the Exodus was the fact that throughout all their years in Egypt, they never changed their Hebrew names for Egyptian ones. Yaakov's descendants kept their Jewish identityby using their Hebrew names. It teaches us how important it is to remember our Hebrew names.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY SUCCESSFUL & WONDERFUL DAY

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In loving memory of Mrs. Bessie Miller - Chaya Basya Sima bat Tzvi Hirsh & Miriam - z"l.

Yartzeit was on Shabbat, Tevet 18.  May her Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden. 

May her memory be a blessing. Dedicated by her son, Irwin Miller