Fact | Description |
---|---|
Parashah Number | 12th Parashah in the Book of Genesis (Bereshit) |
Parashah Name | Vayechi (וַיְחִי) translates to “and he lived” in Hebrew, reflecting the opening verse where Jacob’s life in Egypt is summarized. |
Torah Book | Genesis (Bereshit) |
Number of Verses | 147 verses |
Number of Words | Approximately 2,442 words (in the Hebrew text) |
Primary Characters | Jacob (Israel), Joseph, the twelve sons of Jacob, and other figures involved in the blessings, prophecies, and events of Jacob’s final years. |
Key Themes | Blessings, prophecy, family dynamics, reconciliation, and the fulfillment of divine promises. |
Significant Events | Jacob’s blessings to his sons, his death, Joseph’s reassurance to his brothers, the grand funeral procession for Jacob, and the fulfillment of Joseph’s oath regarding his bones. |
Notable Quotes | “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” – Genesis 50:20 |
Legacy | Parashat Vayechi emphasizes the importance of family blessings, the role of divine providence, and the fulfillment of God’s promises through the lives of the patriarchs and their descendants. |
Relevance Today | The themes of family unity, forgiveness, and the impact of sincere repentance resonate today, offering valuable lessons for fostering harmony within families and communities. |
Well-Known Stories | Jacob’s blessings, Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers, and the fulfillment of Joseph’s oath are well-known and poignant stories from Vayechi. |
Special Observances | Vayechi is often read during synagogue services and studied in Jewish communities, especially as it marks the conclusion of the Book of Genesis. |
Connections to Other Texts | Vayechi serves as a bridge between the Book of Genesis and the subsequent books of the Torah, setting the stage for the descent of the Israelites into Egypt and their eventual enslavement, leading to the Exodus. |
Theological Significance | Parashat Vayechi underscores the role of divine providence in shaping the destinies of individuals and nations. It also highlights the transformative power of reconciliation and the potential for redemption through sincere repentance. |
Parashat Vayechi is the twelfth and final portion in the Book of Genesis (Bereshit) in the Torah. The name “Vayechi” is a Hebrew word that means “and he lived,” and it is derived from the opening verse of the portion: “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob—the years of his life—were one hundred and forty-seven years” (Genesis 47:28).
The parashah primarily focuses on the final years of the patriarch Jacob’s life and his blessings to his twelve sons. It also contains the account of Jacob’s death and Joseph’s final interactions with his brothers.
Key events in Parashat Vayechi include:
Jacob’s Blessings: Before his death, Jacob gathers his sons around him to bestow blessings upon each one of them. These blessings are prophetic in nature, foretelling the destiny and characteristics of each tribe that will descend from the respective sons.
The Death of Jacob: After blessing his sons, Jacob passes away at the age of 147. His death is marked by great mourning, and Joseph, who had become a high-ranking official in Egypt, orchestrates a grand funeral procession to bury his father in the land of Canaan.
Joseph’s Reassurance: After Jacob’s death, Joseph’s brothers become anxious about possible retribution for their past mistreatment of Joseph. Joseph reassures them, expressing his belief that everything that transpired was part of God’s plan for good. This sentiment is captured in his famous words: “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today” (Genesis 50:20).
Joseph’s Death: The parashah concludes with the death of Joseph. Before his death, Joseph makes the Israelites swear to take his bones with them when they eventually leave Egypt. This oath is fulfilled during the Exodus, as Moses carries Joseph’s bones out of Egypt.
Parashat Vayechi serves as a bridge between the Book of Genesis and the subsequent books of the Torah, as it sets the stage for the descent of the Israelites into Egypt and their eventual enslavement, leading to the Exodus. The portion also emphasizes the theme of divine providence, illustrating how God’s plan unfolds through the lives of the patriarchs and their descendants.
ויחי
Vayechi
Genesis 47:28-50:26
“The God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day—
Bless the lads.
In them may my name be recalled,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
And may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth.”
Hearken to Israel your father:
My might and first fruit of my vigor,
Exceeding in rank
And exceeding in honor.
For when you mounted your father’s bed,
You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted!
Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.
Let not my being be counted in their assembly.
For when angry they slay a man,
And when pleased they maim an ox.
And their wrath so relentless.
I will divide them in Jacob,
Scatter them in Israel.
Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes;
Your father’s sons shall bow low to you.
On prey, my son, have you grown.
He crouches, lies down like a lion,
Like a lioness —who dare rouse him?
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet;
So that tribute shall come to him
And the homage of peoples be his.
His ass’s foal to a choice vine;
He washes his garment in wine,
His robe in blood of grapes.
His teeth are whiter than milk.
He shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall rest on Sidon.
Crouching among the sheepfolds.
And how pleasant was the country,
He bent his shoulder to the burden,
And became a toiling serf.
As one of the tribes of Israel.
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that his rider is thrown backward.
But he shall raid at their heels.
And he shall yield royal dainties.
Which yields lovely fawns.
A wild ass by a spring
—Wild colts on a hillside.
They shot at him and harried him.
And his arms were made firm
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob—
There, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel—
And Shaddai who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that couches below,
Blessings of the breast and womb.
Surpass the blessings of my ancestors,
To the utmost bounds of the eternal hills.
May they rest on the head of Joseph,
On the brow of the elect of his brothers.
In the morning he consumes the foe,
And in the evening he divides the spoil.”
מלכים א
ב׳:א׳-י״ב
I Kings
Vayechi
more on Parashat Vayechi
Quick Guide: The Five Books of Moses
Genesis | Exodus | Leviticus | Numbers | Deuteronomy |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bereshit (1:1-6:8) |
Shemot (1:1-6:1) |
Vayikra (1:1-5:26) |
Bemidbar (1:1-4:20) |
Devarim (1:1-3:22) |
Noach (6:9-11:32) |
Va'era (6:2-9:35) |
Tzav (6:1-8:36) |
Naso (4:21-7:89) |
Va'etchanan (3:23-7:11) |
Lech Lecha (12:1-17:27) |
Bo (10:1-13:16) |
Shemini (9:1-11:47) |
Behaalotecha (8:1-12:16) |
Ekev (7:12-11:25) |
Vayera (18:1-22:24) |
Beshalach (13:17-17:16) |
Tazria (12:1-13:59) |
Shelach (13:1-15:41) |
Re'eh (11:26-16:17) |
Chaye Sarah (23:1-25:18) |
Yitro (18:1-20:23) |
Metzora (14:1-15:33) |
Korach (16:1-18:32) |
Shoftim (16:18-21:9) |
Toledot (25:19-28:9) |
Mishpatim (21:1-24:18) |
Achare Mot (16:1-18:30) |
Chukat (19:1-22:1) |
Ki Tetze (21:10-25:19) |
Vayetze (28:10-32:3) |
Teruma (25:1-27:19) |
Kedoshim (19:1-20:27) |
Balak (22:2-25:9) |
Ki Tavo (26:1-29:8) |
Vayishlach (32:4-36:43) |
Tetzave (27:20-30:10) |
Emor (21:1-24:23) |
Pinchas (25:10-30:1) |
Nitzavim (29:9-30:20) |
Vayeshev (37:1-40:23) |
Ki Tisa (30:11-34:35) |
Behar (25:1-26:2) |
Matot (30:2-32:42) |
Vayelech (31:1-30) |
Miketz (41:1-44:17) | Vayakhel (35:1-38:20) |
Bechukotai (26:3-27:34) |
Masei (33:1-36:13) |
Haazinu (32:1-52) |
Vayigash (44:18-47:27) |
Pekude (38:21-40:38) |
V'Zot HaBeracha (33:1-34:12) |
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Vayechi (47:28-50:26) |
Jacob spends his final 17 years of life in Egypt. He asks Joseph to swear an oath that he will bury him in the Holy Land before he dies. He blesses Joseph’s two sons, Menashe and Ephraim, elevating them to the status of his own sons as progenitors of tribes in Israel.
The patriarch wishes to expose the end of the world to his children but is unable to do so.
Jacob blesses his sons, assigning roles to each tribe: Judah will produce leaders, legislators, and kings; Levi will produce priests, Issachar will produce scholars, Zebulun will produce seafarers, Simeon will produce schoolteachers, Gad will produce soldiers, Dan will produce judges, Asher will produce olive-growers, and so on. Simeon and Levi are chastised for the murder of Shechem and the plot against Joseph, while Reuben is chastised for “confusing his father’s marital bed.” Naphtali is blessed with the speed of a deer, Benjamin with the ferocity of a wolf, and Joseph with beauty and fertility.
A massive funeral procession of Jacob’s descendants, Pharaoh’s ministers, influential Egyptian citizens, and Egyptian cavalry accompany Jacob on his final journey to the Holy Land, where he is buried in the Machpelah Cave in Hebron.
Joseph passes away in Egypt at the age of 110 as well. He also gives the order for his remains to be removed from Egypt and interred in the Holy Land, but this wouldn’t happen until the Israelites’ departure from Egypt many years later. Joseph delivers the promise to the Children of Israel just before he dies: “God will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” This promise will serve as the Children of Israel’s source of hope and faith during the trying times to come.
Parashat Vayechi is the shortest weekly Torah portion in the Book of Genesis (although not in the Torah). In a Torah scroll, there are 4,448 Hebrew letters, 1,158 Hebrew words, 85 verses, and 148 lines. Unlike other parashiyot, Vayechi does not begin with a space or on a new line. We read it on the twelfth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, which is usually in December or January.
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