With Vayechi, the book of Genesis, full of conflicts within the family, comes to a serene end. Jacob, reunited with his beloved Joseph, sees his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, and blesses them. This is the only such scene in the Torah. Then, on his death-bed, Jacob blesses his twelve sons. He dies and is buried in the Cave of Machpelah…
…blessing, echoing a history of reversed roles. Menashe: The elder brother, graciously accepting a younger’s share, proud of his unique blessing. The 12 Tribes: From leadership to scholarship, from strength to wisdom, we embody their diverse paths. Yosef: At his father’s side, along with his sons. Dreams do come true! Parsha Philosophy Vayechi, the last parsha in Sefer Bereishit, uses…
The Parsha in a Nutshell With Vayechi, the book of Genesis, full of conflicts within the family, comes to a peaceful end. Jacob, reunited with his beloved Yosef, sees his grandsons, the only such scene in the Torah. He blesses them. Then, on his death-bed, he blesses his twelve sons. He dies and is buried in the cave of Machpelah…
…a senior lecturer of Tanach and Jewish Thought at Matan Institute for Torah Studies, and other adult education institutions. A Closer Look Dr White now shares her own reflections on Rabbi Sacks’ essay for Vayechi. What is the most important message for the young people reading this week’s parsha to notice? For me it is the notion of the unpredictably…
Jacob was on his death-bed. He summoned his children. He wanted to bless them before he died. But the text begins with a strange semi-repetition: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.” Gen. 49:1-2 This seems to be saying the same…
…1986. The only person to have achieved a non-anthropocentric, God’s-eye-view of creation, was Job in chs. 38-41 of the book that bears his name. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR VAYECHI Why can’t there be both truth and peace simultaneously? Are these values always at odds? Do you agree peace is more important than truth? Can we conclude that peace is the ultimate…
Every Friday night we re-enact one of the most moving scenes in the book of Bereishit. Jacob, reunited with Joseph, is ill. Joseph comes to visit him, bring bringing with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob, with deep emotion, says: “I never expected to see you again, and now God has shown me your children as well.” Gen….
…94. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR VAYECHI How easy do you find it to trust that God is looking after you when things seem to be going terribly wrong? Does this idea of Divine Providence give you the strength to forgive those who you feel may have acted against you? Which of the lessons in leadership from Bereishit’s Covenant & Conversation pieces…
The Parsha in a Nutshell After all the family fights and arguments we have seen in the Book of Bereishit, this chapter gives a peaceful end to the story. Yaakov is finally reunited with his beloved son Yosef, and meets his grandsons for the first time. This is the only time in the Torah we see a grandfather together with…
…their grandchildren and are blessed by them. Grandparents – Covenant & Conversation, Vayechi Core Questions Why are sibling relationships often fraught? What can the Torah teach us about how to navigate sibling rivalries? What can we learn from parent-child relationships to help us understand our relationship with God? How is grandparenting an ideal model for all relationships? Rabbi Sacks Video…