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A refreshing and clear review of each Parsha in the Torah presented by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe
00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, texas. This is the Parsha Review Podcast.
00:10 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back everybody to the weekly Parsha Review. My name is Rabbi Ariah Wolby and this week's Parsha is Parsha's. Vayi-chi is the twelfth and final portion in the book of Genesis, in the book of Beraeus. There are 85 verses in this week's Parsha 1,158 words and 4,448 letters. Not an extra word, not an extra letter, not an extra verse. There are no mitzvahs, not performative or prohibitions, and the Parsha begins with a promise.
00:48
After 17 years in Egypt, yaakov senses that his days on earth are ending and he summons Yosef, the viceroy, to come be with him. Yaakov makes Yosef swear to bury him in Hevron, with his parents, in the cave of Machpela Remember Abraham and Sarah, isaac and Rebecca, and now Jacob wants to be buried there as well and he wants Yosef to promise that he will be buried there. And Yaakov falls ill and we'll see soon. We mentioned last week that Yaakov asked to become ill prior to death. We'll see soon what that means and why that's such a gift. But Yaakov falls ill and Yosef brings Manashin Afrayim to their grandfather. Yaakov kisses and hugs them as Yaakov is blind from old age. Yosef bleeds his sons close. Yaakov blesses Afrayim and Manashin. Until now we've been saying Manashin, afrayim, because Manashin was older, but Yaakov blesses Afrayim before Manashin. They will each become tribes like Yaakov's sons. He had not thought to see his son Yosef again, let alone Yosef's children. This was a huge gift to Yaakov that he was able to see his son Yosef and his grandchildren. Yaakov summons the rest of his sons in order to bless them. Yaakov's blessings reflect the unique character of each tribe, directing each in its mission in serving Hashem.
02:18
Reuvene, you acted too quickly, you were impulsive. You can't get the kahuna. You can't get the priesthood, not kingship. You can't do that if you're impulsive and you're not getting a double portion. Instead, it's going to go to Yosef Shimon and Levi. You guys cause problems. Remember Shachem? You remember? Yosef Shimon will settle in the middle of Yehuda's territory. Levi won't inherit land at all. Instead, they'll be the teachers and be scattered about around Eretz, yisrael, around the land of Israel. Yehuda's a lion cub to be lion king. Leadership qualities that Yehuda has. The sale of Yosef instead of killing him.
03:04
Benjamin's prison exchange, the first in marching in the desert, and the battles of Canaan. Nachshon, who was the first one to go into the sea. When Moshe said that the sea is going to split, he was from the tribe of Yehuda. Bezalel, who was the architect of the Tabernacle, was also from the tribe of Yehuda. The head of the Nisim, the first judge, asni Elba Kenaz, was from the tribe of Yehuda. King David and Mashiach will come from the tribe of Yehuda, so Yehuda has the tribe of leadership also. By the way, if you're not a Cohen or a Levi, then you come from the tribe of Yehuda. We are all from the tribe of Yehuda, unless we're a Cohen and Lavy, and then we come from the tribe of Lavy. Yaakov blesses Yehuda's mountainous land with vines and succulent grapes, fields filled with grains, pastures crowded with sheep.
03:56
Zavulun is a merchant by the sea and will partner with Yisachar in their Torah. We'll see what that means. The Yisachar-Zavulun partnership is very important because Zavulun says look, we're not going to have a chance to sit in the study halls and learn Torah, we're busy merchants. They lived next to the ports. That's where their inheritance of the land was and they needed to get some merit of Torah study. So they go to Yisachar and you say let's make a 50-50 partnership. We will give you 50% of our income, but you have to give us 50% of the merit of your Torah study. This is, by the way, what people do today, many people who are involved and immersed completely in business. They don't have the opportunity to learn Torah. So they say, let's find a Torah scholar, we'll give him 50% of our earnings, he gives us 50% of his Torah. We've got to find a scholar who's ready to give up 50% of his merit in the world to come, but still, yisachar learns Torah and many will serve on the Sanhedrin court. There were scholars.
05:00
Don is sly like a snake and he will protect Israel from behind. Shem Shon comes from the tribe of Don Samson and will be a descendant who uses cunning tactics to protect the Jewish people. God, god are strong fighters and will receive the land in Jordan. They're going to fight. It's probably going to be part of the agreement We'll see later when they say we don't want to enter the land of Israel, we want to keep our portion in the Jordan. And Moshe makes an agreement with them you can keep the land in Jordan, but you've got to come fight with us when we conquer the land of Israel. And when we're done conquering the land of Israel, then you can go back and take your inherited land in the trans-Jordan region, asher. Many olives will be growing in their land and their oils will light the menorah. Naftali is a dough, swift as a deer. Their crops will grow fast and they will run very fast.
05:57
Yosef, ephraim and Menasha are the double portion from Yaakov, and Benjamin will be peaceful. He was not part of the sale of Joseph and therefore the base Hamigdash, the holy temple, will be built in the portion of Benjamin. Jerusalem is the portion of Benjamin. Fierce, like a wolf that catches and runs. King Saul ruled very briefly as well, and then we have the story of Yaakov's death.
06:29
Yaakov passes away at 147 years old. Yosef cries and mourns his father, as do his brothers and all the people of the land of Egypt. Yosef keeps his promise and, with a tremendous procession, brings his father, yaakov, from Egypt to his resting place in the cave of Machpela in Hebron. After Yaakov's passing, the brothers are concerned that Yosef will now take revenge of them, and they thought that their only protection was because their father was still alive. So Yosef would never do that in front of his father. But Yosef reassures and comforts them, even promising to support them and their families, to show an overwhelming sign of love for them. Yosef lives out the rest of his years in Egypt, seeing Ephraim's great-grandchildren, so his great-great-grandchildren, and before his death, yosef foretells to his brothers that God will redeem them from Egypt, gives them a sign of encouragement and he makes them swear to bring his bones out of Egypt with them. At that time Yosef passes away at the age of 110 and is embalmed and thus ends the safer of the first book of the Torah, genesis and chazak, chazak and chazek. We should be strong and stronger and continue to get strengthened in our study of Torah.
07:57
Let's look very quickly at some of the important lessons that we see in this week's parasha. Number one is Yaakov's burial in Hevron Hevron. Why doesn't Yaakov just get buried in Egypt? And, just like Yosef, when the Jewish people get out of Egypt, then they'll bring his bones, they'll bring his body to be buried in the land of Israel. So there are three reasons that Yaakov did not want to be buried in Egypt. The first is that the plagues were going to come to Egypt and they were going to plague the land of Egypt and the land will be filled with lice, and Yaakov didn't want to be afflicted with that plague. Additionally is that he'll be made out into an idol and all the idols in Egypt will be destroyed. He didn't want that either, and Yaakov wanted to be the first to rise in Trias-Amesim in the resurrection of the dead.
08:58
Our sages teach us that after the coming of Messiah, there will be also a resurrection of the dead, where all of those who were deceased are going to come back to life. And, in fact, if the verse in Psalms that says az yemaleh s'chokpinu, u'l shonaynu rina, then when is? Then? At the time of the resurrection, our mouths will be filled with laughter and our lives filled with joy. What's going to happen? What happens if someone passed away at the age of 30, when they're resurrected, they'll be resurrected as a 30-year-old. Someone who passes away as 118 will be resurrected as 118-year-old, and everyone's going to be strong and healthy. But imagine if a father passed away at a young age, a 35-year-old passes away and his children way outlive him and they passed away at 85-years-old and the father's going to be a young guy. The children are going to be older and they're going to get up at the resurrection or the egg and be like you're my son. That's the most incredible thing, and people are going to be filled with laughter and there's going to be so much joy in the streets. Can you believe it? All of those who deceased at a young age or at an older age. We miss them and hopefully we will all be reunited. We hope and pray Every single day. We pray in our amida for that resurrection. It's the second blessing of the amida M'chaye'e amitim. God will bring those who are deceased back to life.
10:30
Now I want to include in here a very important, vital message to everyone. If you know anyone who wants or is thinking of cremating after they pass from this world, urge them not to do so. There is nothing more cruel to a soul that lived this life than to cremate the body, because at the time of resurrection or say just tell us, there's not going to be a body for that soul to be rejoined with and that's going to be very, very painful for the soul. So it's important Burial is what Hashem wants us to do, burial is what the Torah commands us to do, and cremation is a terrible, terrible thing. Just by the way, it is the worst thing for the environment. So for those who are saying well, you know, burial is not good for the environment and you have the yeah, the environmentalist should be pushing burial, not cremation.
11:41
The fumes and the terrible, terrible things that come to this world from a corpse being burnt is really, really devastating, but for the only reason of doing the will of Hashem, the Yachov davins for illness. Why? So that it be a notice for impending death. It used to be that people would just sneeze and die, which is why we say gizantite. We say so gizant, we say bless you, we say nazdarovia, salut. Why do we say that? Because it used to be that when someone sneezed, they were dead, they finished, they're sold, departed their body, and that was it. Yachov changed that.
12:26
Yachov prayed. He says, hashem, before someone dies, give them the opportunity to repent, give them the opportunity to make amends. If I know that I'm ill, I know that I'm about to die, and this is a great time to reflect. Bring my family together, everyone, come around, let me make amends and use this as an opportunity for Teshuvah, for repentance. So Yachov asked for that as a special sign of mercy. People say, oh, that's terrible. Someone's ill? Why is there illness? The illness is a prophecy almost telling us it's time to reconcile, it's time to work things out, because the time may not be long.
13:15
Yachov blesses Ephraim and Rennacher and it's such an amazing thing. It says Bechoh Yevorach Yisroel, the Jewish people forever will bless their children by you, ephraim and Rennacher. Do you know, when we bless our children, the blessing starts Yisimchoh Elohim ke Ephraim v'chim Rennacher. Hashem should make you like Ephraim and Rennacher. Who are Ephraim and Rennacher? Shouldn't they be like Abraham, isaac and Jacob? Shouldn't they be like Sarah, rebecca, rachel and Leia? Why does the Torah say specifically that when we are going to bless our children forever, for eternity, we're always going to bless them by Ephraim and Rennacher? Say just tell us something so vitally important, ephraim and Rennacher.
14:01
Where did they learn? Where did they grow up? They grew up in Egypt. They didn't have a Yeshiva system, they didn't have a Bechihachov girl school, they didn't have all of the luxuries of a Jewish community, they didn't even have a synagogue of a million of people, and yet they grew up to be righteous Torah scholars. They grew up to be observant, fully committed Jews.
14:27
So, no matter if you grew up in Des Moines, iowa or Memphis, tennessee, or in Argentina or in Mexico City or any place else in the world, don't forget that you have something in common with a Freiman Rina, who grew up in Egypt, which was the land of Materialism, which was the land of living, for living alone. There was no death, there was no world to come. There was that it was all about eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow You'll die. That's it you live for. Here Freimanasha lived exactly the other way of life. No, we're living for a higher purpose.
15:08
This is not the end game, this is the investment part of it. Over here, we invest to do our mitzvahs. Over here, we invest to build our relationship with God through all of the challenges, the trials, the tribulations. This is just a very short, small little. Stay Stint. We come here. 60 years, 70 years, 80 years, 90, 100 years, 110, 120. Hopefully we all live to 120, and good health, I mean.
15:37
But a Freiman, manasha taught us no matter where you are, don't be despair, don't be in despair, just know. We grew up in Egypt and where we didn't have schools and we didn't have shuls and we didn't have a Jewish community and we didn't have an environment that's enriched with Judaism, we didn't have the luxuries of an HEB and a Randall's and a Kroger to buy our kosher food, and yet we preserved our Judaism. Bechayivorach, yisrael Yaakov is saying forever the Jewish people will be blessed, just like you. Just like you. I think it's such a warm encouragement. Also, why did Yaakov put a friand before manasha? Because Yahushua, the future leader of the Jewish people, was going to come from the tribe of a friand and therefore he took precedence over his older brother, manasha.
16:31
Now Yaakov's final parting words are a little bit interesting. My grandfather dedicates many, many pages, many, many hours, to explain what type of blessing to most of them, yaakov's giving a blessing. You should be like this and you should be like that, not to shaman and levy. And it seemingly to shaman and levy. All he does is criticize and reprimand them. You guys use force, brute force, used it in shchem, clay, chalmers, bechara. Same use trickery. What type of blessing is that? That's anything but a blessing. A Grandfather says such an amazing lesson True criticism, meaning one that comes from the heart, one that comes with love, one that comes because of concern for a fellow, is the greatest blessing you can give them.
17:29
When you really care about somebody and you tell them something that can help change them and make them a better person, that is the greatest blessing you can bestow upon them. And what Yaakov was teaching us here is that shaman and levy had something they needed to correct. Let me just give you an example. Okay, so someone gives you a blessing oh you should be blessed with such good health and you say I'm in. Does that mean that health is gonna come your way? No, not necessarily. But if someone comes to you and says you know criticism, I think you should change your diet and you should eat healthier food so that you can live a healthy life. So which one can you actually apply immediately, instantly, for results? The second one what are you criticizing? What I'm eating? I care about you, I Love you.
18:28
The sages tell us. The sages tell us in tractative about. We say this many, many times Just like there's a mitzvah to reprimand and criticize someone who's going to listen, there's a mitzvah not to reprimand someone who will not accept or heed your message. Just like there's a mitzvah to reprimand someone who will listen, there's a mitzvah not to say a word if they won't listen. Sages, our sages tell us. How do we know, how do we know if they're gonna listen? Well, you have to know them better, someone who you know, someone who you're, your spouse, your children, that you know very well. You know exactly what you can say and what you can't say. You know exactly how to say so they accept it and how not to say and they won't accept it.
19:20
A person needs to learn sensitivity to other people. It's not always simple, it's not always easy. You know what? Sometimes Deferring to a later time, it's not the right time Right now. They're in a delicate time.
19:32
So that what the Torah is teaching us here, what the Talmud is saying get to know people better before you start walking around criticizing people. You walk over. You know you should this and you know you should that and you like. You know you should do like this and like that and it's like really that's not going to be effective. On the contrary, people are not going to accept it lovingly, people are going to be hurt by it or people might dislike you because of it. Therefore, there's a clear warning in the Talmud Only criticize someone out of love when they're ready to accept. When are they ready to accept? Get to know them better and you'll find out. You don't know them well enough. You have no business criticizing them.
20:17
Another very important lesson here from this week's part is that Yaakov is buried in Hevron in the cave of Machpela, but so is Asav's head. We mentioned this a few weeks ago, that Asav's head is buried in the cave of Machpela. Why his head? Why his head? Only his head, not his body. Because his head was always thinking good thoughts, but his body was always doing bad deeds. His head was thinking about how to honor his father. His head was thinking about great things that he can do, as he was supposed to be one of the four patriarchs. Because this avowed of his responsibilities, he was removed as one of the patriarchs and we know that Leia was predestined to be his wife and she cried her eyes out. She says I don't want to marry Asav, this wicked guy.
21:11
Now his head. In his mind he was a spiritual guy, he was lofty, he was doing great things, but his body was too attracted to the materialistic elements of the world and went in a negative route. Now I had his head come off. His body. Say, just tell us when Yaakov was being buried, his children, his grandchildren, everyone was there. The son of Don was Hushim, who was deaf, and Hushim is seeing a commotion because Asav is there and Asav is getting involved and he thought there was an argument going on. He pulls out his sword and chops off Asav's head and Asav's head rolls right into the cave of Machpela, and they saw that as a prophecy, as a sign from heaven that his head was supposed to be with the patriarchs and matriarchs, with Adam and Eve, in the cave of Machpela. But his body wasn't warranting such a high level.
22:14
Now the B'nai Yisrael, the Jewish people and the Egyptians mourn Yaakov and the famine returns. We have to understand that the righteous sustain the nation. When the righteous are around, they protect the nation, they bring blessing to the world. Yaakov was such a righteous person. The entire famine stopped because of Yaakov and when Yaakov passed away, there was no longer that heavenly spiritual protection and the famine was returned. The brothers ask for forgiveness from Yosef and he reassures them and I think it's such a beautiful reassurance that he gives his brothers don't worry, my brothers, I'm not going to harm you.
23:02
And then when Yosef dies, after being a ruler for 54 years in the land of Egypt, it is a time of obvious tragedy that befalls the Jewish people because, as we'll see next week's Torah portion in the beginning of the book of Exodus, it's suddenly there's a new king in town, there's a new sheriff, and this new king doesn't know Yosef and he's like Yosef, who never heard of him, no idea. And Many times we have people that we put our trust in. It could be the, the vice president of the company who likes me, and they're gonna give me my raise, and I'm putting all my eggs in that basket and and suddenly they get fired and there's a new vice president who doesn't know who you are and really doesn't have any favor for you and Doesn't think that you deserve anything and we're like we're all in distraught. We need to always put our trust in our shem and Yosef is an example that, wherever he was, he always was connecting with the heavens. He was connecting with God. Hashem should bless us that we should take the lessons of the entire book of Genesis, the holy book of Genesis.
24:20
You know people say I once I heard this quote recently the first 10, 12 portions of the Torah is why we are Jewish, and Then the next four books is why we're not Jewish. You know it's like because then we have all the commandments. We have one commandment after another commandment. I think it's such a grave error that people make. The first 12 is not only telling us quote stories of our ancestors, it's not just stories of our ancestors. It's telling us how to conduct our lives properly, how to build a relationship with God.
24:52
But we need things that are concrete, like every mitzvah that we perform, that we're going to see in the book of Exodus. We're going to see mitzvah after mitzvah, after mitzvah. These mitzvahs are like a flower that a husband buys for his wife. It's a representation of the love, of the affection that's there. When Tommy goes and buys flowers, when any man goes to buy flowers for his wife Doesn't just say I just give me any flowers, I don't care, I don't care, just any flowers, fine. No, he looks for the most beautiful flowers. Why? Because the beauty of those flowers represents his relationship. Every mitzvah that we perform is representing our relationship with Hashem.
25:34
Judaism is not a religion, it's a relationship. We don't just conduct acts Because this is what our theology teaches us. We do it because this is an expression of love to the Almighty. Hashem should bless us that we should learn from the messages of the book of Genesis, of the book of Bureches, from Adam and Eve and Noah and his children and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and Sarah, rebecca, rachel and Leah and all of the matriarchs, to learn what it means to build a beautiful relationship with Hashem. Hashem should bless us that we should always feel that connection with joy, with happiness and fulfillment. Amen, thank you. And mazolatav, chazak, chazak and itchazek.