Vayechi Artscroll P

14 January 2017 16 Tevet 5777 Shabbat ends London 5.11pm Jerusalem 5.44pm Volume 29 No. 16 Vayechi Artscroll p. 268 | Hertz p. 180 | Soncino p. 296 In loving memory of Leah Taub Vayechi by Yoram Raanan printed with permission of the artist, www.yoramraanan.com ‘Then Ya’akov called for his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall 1 you in the End of Days”’ (Bereishit 49:1). Sidrah Summary: Vayechi 1st Aliya (Kohen) – Bereishit 47:28-48:9 (Rashi). Asher will receive a fertile portion of land Ya’akov has been in Egypt for 17 years and is 147 and prosper, as will Naftali (Rashi). Ya’akov praises years old. Knowing that he will soon die, he asks Yosef for overcoming his many challenges. Yosef to take an oath to bury him in Cana’an (later Israel) in Me’arat Hamachpela (the Cave of the 6th Aliya (Shishi) – 49:28-50:20 Patriarchs) where his forefathers are buried. Yosef Ya’akov hints that King Shaul (Saul), Mordechai and agrees. Ya’akov becomes ill; Yosef visits him, Esther will descend from Binyamin (Rashi). Ya’akov together with sons Ephraim and Menashe. Ya’akov reiterates the burial instructions to his children and tells Yosef that these two grandsons will be like the then dies. Yosef falls on his dead father in tears. other tribes and will receive a portion of the Land. Yosef instructs doctors to embalm Ya’akov. This process takes 40 days, followed by 30 days of the 2nd Aliya (Levi) – 48:10-16 Egyptians mourning Ya’akov’s death (Rashi). Yosef Ya’akov’s sight is failing. Yosef places his younger asks for and receives permission from Pharaoh to son Ephraim to Ya’akov’s left and the older son bury his father in Cana’an. Pharaoh sends a large Menashe to Ya’akov’s right. However, Ya’akov entourage to accompany Yosef and his relatives. crosses his arms, putting his right hand on The brothers observe seven days of mourning Ephraim’s head and his left hand on Menashe’s (shiva). Ya’akov’s sons bury him in Me’arat head. He blesses them with his hands in this Hamachpela. Yosef reassures his anxious brothers position. that he is still at peace with them. Point to Consider: Why did Yosef’s brothers 3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 48:17-22 become anxious? Yosef tries to switch Ya’akov’s hands back but Question: What was the name of the place where Ya’akov resists. He tells Yosef that Menashe will be a eulogy was said for Ya’akov? (50:10)? Answer great, but Ephraim greater still. Ya’akov tells Yosef on bottom of page 6. that God will eventually bring the people back to Cana’an. 7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 50:21-26 Yosef commits to providing food for his brothers 4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 49:1-18 and their families. He makes them take an oath to Ya’akov gathers together his sons to deliver a final take his bones out of Egypt when the nation message to them. Reuven is criticised for behaving eventually leaves. Yosef dies, aged 110. He is impulsively. Shimon and Levi are criticised for embalmed and placed in a coffin. This concludes aggression. Yehuda is given a leadership role. the Book of Bereishit. Zevulun will be successful as a sea merchant. Yissachar will bear the yoke of Torah learning Haftarah (Rashi). Dan will be as great as Yehuda (according King David, about to die, entreats his son and to Rashi). successor Shlomo (Solomon) to stay faithful to the ways of the Torah. His final request is for 5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 49:19-27 Shlomo to make sure to punish Yoav and Shimi The tribe of Gad’s battalions will fight wars safely Ben Gera for their rebellious behaviour. United Synagogue Daf Hashavua Produced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue Editor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial Team: Ilana Epstein, Michael Laitner, Sharon Radley Available also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United Synagogue To sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Loraine Young on 020 8343 5653, or [email protected] If you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email [email protected] In loving memory of Yaakov and Hinda Rosen 2 Solutions in the Sidrah: The Three Pence a Minute Café by Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum, Hadley Wood Jewish Community ‘Ziferblat’ is a chain of location of the burial cave, as well as the identity of Russian cafés with an those already buried there. These are the very last unusual system of payment. words of Ya’akov recorded in the Torah. Why was Instead of charging per it so critical for him to use his final minutes in this purchased item, customers way? Surely there could have been other, more are simply charged 3 pence a inspirational, parting words than the technical minute for however long they details of his funeral arrangements? are in the cafe, during which they can eat or drink anything they like. In Rabbi Elie Munk (d. 1981) writes that Ya’akov accordance with the name ‘ziferblat’, which means actually used his last minutes in the most effective ‘clock-face’ in Russian, customers take an alarm way possible. Through requesting burial in the Land clock from a cupboard upon arrival, note the time of Cana’an (later Israel), he ensured that his and clock out at the end. Ziferblat, which recently descendants would always remember that the opened its first branch in London, advertises using future Land of Israel, rather than Egypt, was their the clever slogan, ‘Everything is free inside – except true home. the time you spend here’. There are times when, regardless of whether a café One objection to the Ziferblat model was voiced by clock recording payment per minute is ticking or a regular café-goer: “I want to buy a coffee and sit not, the preciousness of every minute is obvious. with a book and watch the world go by. Isn't enough of our lives already on a timer?!” The reality of the Ziferblat idea is that regardless of the In his final minutes, Ya’akov seized one such extremely low cost per minute of café time, the opportunity to make a powerful, long-lasting uncomfortable sense of ‘counting the minutes’ may impression on his children, which would endure be unavoidable. Those primarily seeking a space long after those minutes had ticked by. for rest and relaxation might not be so tempted to visit the establishment. This week’s sidrah, which documents the final minutes of Ya’akov’s life, is an object lesson in valuing and utilising every minute properly. Each of Ya’akov’s blessings to his children, although relatively brief, contained key messages designed to guide, inspire and instruct them long after his passing. More surprising are the detailed instructions Ya’akov gave to his children regarding his burial arrangements: “I shall be gathered to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite….” (Bereishit 49:30). Ya’akov then gave comprehensive details of the In loving memory of Leah bas Moshe (Lily Frankel) 3 Remembering Kindness by Rabbi Chaim Gross, Editor, Daf Hashavua In this week’s sidrah, Ya’akov Perhaps there is a deeper message here. Back in told Yosef that his two parashat Vayetze, Leah had already given birth to sons, Menashe and Ephraim, six sons, unlike Rachel, who was childless. When would be considered as tribes pregnant with a seventh child, Leah selflessly in their own right (Bereishit prayed that it would be a girl and not a boy, lest she 48:5). Why specifically were take away Rachel’s prospects of mothering at least these two brothers chosen, as many tribes as Ya’akov’s maidservants, Bilhah amongst Ya’akov’s many and Zilpah, who each had two sons. Leah’s prayers grandchildren? were answered; that girl was Dinah (see Rashi to 30:21) and Rachel went on to mother Yosef and Later in the sidrah, Ya’akov, following Rashi’s Binyamin. commentary, said of Yosef: “a charming son is Yosef, a charming son to the eye; each of the girls Yet the ensuing results of Leah’s benevolent act climbed heights to gaze” (49:22). Rashi quotes a were very difficult for her. Her daughter Dinah had Midrash that young girls in Egypt used to scale the to endure the terrible trauma of being captured by walls to try to catch a glimpse of Yosef’s beauty. Shechem. Her granddaughter Asenat was sent There is a fascinating sub-plot to this Midrash, away from her home, her destiny unclear. Where which may help to explain the special status given was the reward for Leah’s selflessness? to Ephraim and Menashe. Yet God never neglects or ignores acts of kindness. When Yosef had been appointed viceroy in Egypt, He guides events to ensure eventual reward, he was given Asenat by Pharaoh as a wife (41:45). measure for measure. Leah gave up the possibility Who was she? The Chizkuni (Rabbi Chizkia ben of mothering an additional tribe. Yet her Manoach, 13th century) tells us, citing a different descendants Menashe and Ephraim, through Midrash: When Dinah (daughter of Ya’akov) was the line of Dinah herself, via Asenat, ended up abducted by Shechem (34:2), she conceived and becoming tribes of Israel in their own right, gave birth to a baby girl. Ya’akov’s sons did not unlike any of Ya’akov’s other grandchildren.

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