Parshas Vayechi 5766

Commentary by Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum

---

In the final section of the Book of Genesis, the period of the Patriarchs comes to a close. After many years of separation, Jacob’s family was finally reunited— albeit in Egypt and not in their homeland. Joseph, as the viceroy of Egypt, and all of his family, were well respected by the Egyptians. Yet the beginnings of the exile were already felt.

When Jacob felt his end approaching, he instructed Joseph to bury his remains in Canaan, in the Cave of Machpelah, alongside his wife Leah, his parents, and his grandparents. Although the Egyptians would have preferred for Jacob to be buried in Egypt, Jacob made Joseph swear that he would not do so, even temporarily. Rashi comments that he did not want himself deified by the Egyptians after death, since he had brought good fortune to Egypt. He also wanted his children to realize that Egypt was not their home, and that eventually they must return to Canaan.

Jacob awarded Joseph the double portion inheritance reserved for the firstborn. His two sons, Menashe and Ephraim, would be considered children of Jacob, and not merely grandchildren. Joseph brought his two sons to receive Jacob’s blessings. Joseph situated Menashe, the firstborn, to Jacob’s right and Ephraim, the younger son, to his left. Jacob, however, crossed his arms and placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and his left hand on Menashe.

Joseph tried to correct his father, but Jacob told him that he knew exactly what he was doing. Even though Menashe was the firstborn, and was also destined for greatness, Ephraim was destined for leadership, as his descendant Joshua would be the successor to Moshe. He was therefore deserving of the greater blessing.

Jacob also blessed all his sons before his passing. He pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of each of his sons, and where they should concentrate their efforts. This ethical will spoken on his deathbed made a profound impression, not only on Jacob’s children but on future generations too, as these traits became ingrained into the nature of each of the tribes. Jacob’s remarks would wax prophetic as Jewish History would unfold.

After Jacob died, the brothers were again concerned that Joseph would punish them for their earlier mistreatment of him. Joseph again reassured his brothers that he held nothing against them. Before Joseph’s death, he had his brothers swear that when they would eventually leave Egypt, they should take his bones with them and bury them in Canaan.

...Shimon and Levi are brothers…Cursed be their anger... . (Gen. 49:5-7)

Rav Elya Lopian worked very hard to maintain a calm demeanor and not to lose his temper. Even when his children would misbehave and he had to punish them, he would first wait several days in order to ensure that he was not disciplining them out of anger, but rather out of the need to educate them.

He used to say that the mere fact one has not gotten angry in a while does not mean he has conquered this trait, as he may be embarrassed to react in front of others he tries to impress. That is like a thief in prison who has not stolen while incarcerated. Ther is no proof he has been rehabilitated, since the opportunity to steal has not arisen. The litmus test to see if one has conquered his anger is how he interacts with his family, when he doesn’t feel the need to impress anyone there, and he may drop his guard.

Did You Know...

There is an obligation to bury a Jewish corpse. Cremation is prohibited, as it shows finality to the deceased, and the Jewish tradition believes in the eternity of the soul. Even if a person leaves over a will to be cremated, his wishes are not obeyed, since Torah law does not recognize mastery over one’s own body.

Preferably, A Jew should be buried amongst other Jews.

If financially possible, there are advantages for a Jew to be buried in the Land of Israel, since the body will suffer less at the time of the Resurrection, in the Messianic Era. However, many great leaders preferred to be buried in their hometown, for the convenience of their families to visit the grave.