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Parshat Vayechi January 7, 2023 14 Tevet, 5783
Rabbi Sacks on Vayechi

TORAH If you want to understand important. In the next chapter turn the page and begin the
what a book is about, look
– the first of Exodus – the
book of Exodus, we
ARTSCROLL 268 carefully at how it ends. Israelites are, for the first time, discover that the position of
HERTZ 180 Genesis ends with three described as a people. It is hard the Israelites in Egypt was
deeply significant scenes. to see how they could live very vulnerable indeed, and
First, Jacob blesses his
all the power Joseph had
together as a people if they
HAFTORAH grandsons, Ephraim and could not live together as a centralised in the hands of
ARTSCROLL 1145 Menashe. This is the blessing family. Pharaoh would eventually
HERTZ 191 that Jewish parents use on Third, after the death of Jacob, be used against them.
Friday night to bless their the brothers asked Joseph to Genesis is not about power.
It is about families. Because
forgive them, which he does.
sons. My predecessor Lord
Jakobovits used to ask, why He had also done so earlier. that is where life together
this blessing of all the Evidently, the brothers harbour begins.
Times blessings in the Torah? He the suspicion that he was The Torah does not imply
(Monday Edition) gave a beautiful reply. He merely biding his time until that there is anything easy
said, all the others are from their father died, as Esau at one about making and
Week of 1/1 fathers to sons – and between point resolved to do. Sons do sustaining a family. The
fathers and sons there can be not take revenge within the patriarchs and matriarchs –
Mon 7:30/8:30am tension. Jacob’s blessing of family while the father is alive – Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel
Tue (Fast of Tevet) 6:30/7:45am Ephraim and Menashe is the that seems to have been the especially – know the agony
Fast Begins 5:51am only instance in the Torah of principle in those days. Joseph of infertility. They know
Fast Ends 5:17pm a grandparent blessing a speaks directly to their fears what it is to wait in hope
Mincha 4:15pm grandchild. And between and puts them at rest. “You and wait again.
grandparents and intended to harm me but God Sibling rivalry is a repeated
Wed/Fri 6:45/7:45am
grandchildren there is no intended it for good,” he says. theme of the book. The
Thur 6:35/7:45am tension, only pure love. The Torah is telling us an Psalm tells us “how good
Mincha 4:30pm Second, Jacob blesses his unexpected message here: the and pleasant it is for
twelve sons. There is family is prior to all else, to the brothers to dwell together.”
Shabbat 1/7 discernible tension here. His land, the nation, politics, It might have added, “and
blessings to his eldest three economics, the pursuit of power how rare.” Almost at the
Candle Lighting 4:24pm
sons, Reuven, Shimon, and and the accumulation of wealth. beginning of the human
Mincha 4:30pm Levi, read more like curses From an external point of view, story, Cain kills Abel. There
than blessings. Yet the fact is the impressive story is that are tensions between Sarah
Hashkama 8:00am that he is blessing all twelve Joseph reached the heights of and Hagar that lead to
Parsha Shiur 8:30am together in the same room at power in Egypt, the Egyptians Hagar and Ishmael being
the same time. We have not themselves mourned the death sent away. There is rivalry
Main 9:00am seen this before. There is no of his father Jacob and between Jacob and Esau,
Youth 9:00am record of Abraham blessing accompanied the family on their and between Joseph and his
either Ishmael or Isaac. Isaac way to bury him, so that the brothers, in both cases
Beit Midrash 9:15am blesses Esau and Jacob Canaanites, seeing the coming close to murder.
Gemara Shiur 3:50pm separately. The mere fact that entourage said, “The Egyptians Yet there is no diminution
Jacob is able to gather his are holding a solemn ceremony of the significance of the
Mincha 4:20pm sons together is of mourning” (Gen. 50:11). But family. To the contrary, it is
unprecedented, and that is externality. When we the main vehicle of
Shabbat Ends 5:33pm
Seudah Shlishit is sponsored by Lillian & Gary Chubak
Latest Times for In Memory Of His Father Benjamin Chubak, z”l
Shema/Shemoneh Esrei
and by Ellen & Dale Polakoff
in Memory of Her Father Casper Pinsker, z”l
January 7 9:40/10:27am
Bima Flowers are sponsored by Josh Windsor & Norma Bilbool
January 14 9:40/10:28am
to celebrate Jonathan Windsor earning
a Master of Finance from Baruch College
and to honor the 13 anniversary of his Bar-Mitzvah
th