"Adir Apam" and other thoughts on Vaychi

Now this is an interesting variant:

The Samaritans, troubled by the curse to Shimon and Levi among the "blessings" of Yaakov at the end of his life, take away the curse. Our Masoretic text has:

http://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0149.htm

אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז, וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה; אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב, וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. {פ}

"Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. "

The Samaritans change arur ("cursed") to adir ("mighty"), by changing the resh to the similarly written daled. And they change 'evrasam ("their wrath") to chevrasam ("their partnership"), which is a switch of one guttural letter for another. By dividing them and scattering them, he prevents their chevra.

Note that it isn't introduced as a blessing. Only at the end (Bereishis 49:28) does it state:

כָּל-אֵלֶּה שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר; וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם, וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם--אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כְּבִרְכָתוֹ, בֵּרַךְ אֹתָם.

BRK also carries the connotation of farewell and greeting (compare with the meeting with Pharaoh), rather than just blessing. But I do think the import of pasuk 28 is to say that he blessed them, and that this is the same as what he said to them, above.

See here (you would need to install the djvu extension):

http://jnul.huji.ac.il/dl/books/djvu/2093934-1/index.djvu?djvuopts&thumbnails=yes&zoom=page&page=66

Also, the following thoughts on parshas Vayechi:

1) If Yaakov is indeed bowing down to Yosef (Bereishis 47:31), then it isn't subserviance but an expression of gratitude.

2) Alternatively, this is a fulfillment of Yosef's dream, of which Yaakov had said (Bereishis 37:10) "Shall your mother and I and your brothers bow down to you?"

3) However, I don't think that Yaakov is bowing here at all. There is an
intended contrast between the end of this pasuk:

וַיֹּאמֶר, הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי--וַיִּשָּׁבַע, לוֹ; וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל-רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה.

and two pesukim later (Bereishis 48:2):

וַיַּגֵּד לְיַעֲקֹב--וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה בִּנְךָ יוֹסֵף בָּא אֵלֶיךָ; וַיִּתְחַזֵּק, יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֵּשֶׁב, עַל-הַמִּטָּה.

Namely, we should redraw the pasuk division lines in our pasuk. (47:21) Yisrael's **laying prostrate** in bed has nothing to do with Yosef's oath. It happened later, and this is indicated that he is weak and sick. And (48:1) Yosef is informed of his father's illness and comes. And (48:2) Yisrael hears that Yosef has come and strengthens himself, and is able to sit up in bed.

4) I forget if it was Ibn Caspi or Shadal, that the whole purpose of the Torah mentioning the rape of Dinah was so that we would understand the reference in Vaychi in Yaakov's message to Shimon and Levi.

5) There is a hidden criticism of Yehuda for the incident with Tamar, just as Shimon and Levi are criticized, and just as what was done to Yosef was criticized.

לֹא-יָסוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה, וּמְחֹקֵק מִבֵּין רַגְלָיו, עַד כִּי-יָבֹא שִׁילֹה, וְלוֹ יִקְּהַת עַמִּים.

Recall what Yehuda gave as tokens to Tamar as the wages of prostitution. Staff, cord, and engraved seal (signet). They shall not leave Yehuda. Except for that which is between his legs. Why? Because he said "until Shelah shall come," that is, kept postponing Shelah's levirate marriage to Tamar. The word Shiloh is spelled (has a ksiv) with a heh at the end, such that it reads Shelah.

Saadia Gaon on שִׂכֵּל אֶת יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר

In parashat Vayechi, Yaakov crosses his hands when blessing Ephraim and Menasheh. Thus, the pasuk and Rashi:

But Israel stretched out his right hand and placed [it] on Ephraim's head, although he was the younger, and his left hand [he placed] on Manasseh's head. He guided his hands deliberately, for Manasseh was the firstborn.		יד. וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה שִׂכֵּל אֶת יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר:
He guided his hands deliberately: Heb. שִׂכֵּל. As the Targum renders: אַחְכִּמִינוּן, he put wisdom into them. Deliberately and with wisdom, he guided his hands for that purpose, and with knowledge, for he knew [full well] that Manasseh was the firstborn, but he nevertheless did not place his right hand upon him.		שכל את ידיו: כתרגומו אחכמינון, בהשכל וחכמה השכיל את ידיו (לכך, ומדעת), כי יודע היה כי מנשה הבכור, ואף על פי כן לא שת ימינו עליו:

It turns out that Saadia Gaon translates sikkel similarly, as sechel, and thus chochma:

Targum Onkelos then translates כִּי as arum, 'because'. I don't speak enough Arabic or Judeo-Arabic to see this, but according to Torah Shleima, Saadia Gaon translates כִּי here as 'despite':

בתרגום
 רס״ג ז״ל, נתן שכל לידיו לעשות כן אף
 כי מנשה היה הבכור:

Similarly Ibn Ezra, on both points:

[מח, יד]
שכל את ידיו -כאלו ידיו השכילו, מה שהוא רוצה לעשות.

כי מנשה הבכור -אע"פ שמנשה הוא הבכור. 
וכן: כי עם קשה עורף ורבים כן.

This reflects one approach to sikel. The competing approach, or Rashbam and Ralbag, is to recognize the sin / samech switchoff, and to find the parallel in סכל, meaning to cross or make not straight. For instance, סַכֶּל-נָא in II Shmuel 15:31:

לא  וְדָוִד הִגִּיד לֵאמֹר, אֲחִיתֹפֶל בַּקֹּשְׁרִים עִם-אַבְשָׁלוֹם; וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד, סַכֶּל-נָא אֶת-עֲצַת אֲחִיתֹפֶל יְהוָה.

31 And one told David, saying: 'Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.' And David said: 'O LORD, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.'

which is to be taken as 'divert', rather than 'make foolish', And similarly in Yeshaya 44:25:

כה  מֵפֵר אֹתוֹת בַּדִּים, וְקֹסְמִים יְהוֹלֵל; מֵשִׁיב חֲכָמִים אָחוֹר, וְדַעְתָּם יְסַכֵּל.

25 That frustrateth the tokens of the imposters, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

taken again as 'divert'. Consider the parallels in this pasuk, of mashiv achor.

Shadal (after listing the positions of Rashi et al and Rashbam et al) adopts as correct the position of his student R' Yitzchak Pardo, that he positioned his hands in a manner that those who saw would think that they had no knowledge, for after all, Menasheh was the Bechor. he notes that Abarbanel says similarly, though not precisely the same, using the term in a way contemporary philosophers used it, though that is not valid Biblical Hebrew.

posts so far for parshas Vayechi

2013
1. How could Yaakov see? Weren't his eyes dim from old age? Maybe his seeing wasn't literally seeing. Also, what purpose is there in noting that his eyes were dim?

2. Some quick ideas on Vayechi.

3. YUTorah on Vayechi, 2013 edition.

Dec 2012

1. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.

2. Why is Vayechi setuma? Ibn Caspi suggests that a parsha break is required here for reasons of reading length, rather than on logical grounds.

January 2012

1. Vaychi sources, even further expanded.

2. Three reasons for Yaakov to avoid being buried in Egypt --  R' Yonasan Eibeshitz explains why each is necessary. These three reasons are:

in the end, its dust would become lice

that the dead of chul laAretz only live via the pain of underground rolling

so that the Egyptians should not make him a deity.

3. YUTorah on parashat Vayechi.

4. Chasam Sofer on מִטֶּרֶף בְּנִי עָלִיתָ -- Parsing it as referring to tarof toraf yosef, he interprets it in a consistent, positive, manner. That Yehuda has moved out from under the chashad of offing Yosef.

5. What nekitas chefetz was there, if Yaakov was nolad mahul? So asks Rav Chaim Kanievsky, further exploring the path set by Mizrachi. By Avraham, it was nekitas chefetz on the milah, and Avraham's very first mitzvah. Not so for Yaakov, on two counts. Rav Kanievsky's answer, and then I explore further.


2010

1. Vaychi sources -- further expanded.
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2. Is חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת a hendiadys? I don't know. But I think that this is what Rashi, following the midrash, is suggesting as a matter of peshat.
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3. Does Rashi predict moshiach in 2011? No. He cites Rav Saadia Gaon who predicts it in 1405, or rather, 1399. Of course, if you want to kvetch it, you can make Rashi or any sources say anything you want it to. But this shows only your own creativity and ability to distort Jewish sources. Also, a nice tie-in to this week's parasha, Vaychi.
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4. Darshening El Yisrael as Eil Yisrael --  Is this a revocalization for the sake of derash, or does it reflect their actual vocalization?
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5. Reuven and Bilhah --  In Midrash Rabba, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi takes a peshat-approach to the incident.
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6. Parsha questions -- From Junior's school parsha sheet, questions on the parsha for Shabbos table discussion. Coupled with my answers.
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7. The incident with Reuven and Bilhah, in light of Divrei Hayamim and the Code of Hammurabi --  The Torah's recording of the incident in Vayishlach is terse, and Chazal interpret it in two ways. And the seeming reference to the incident in Yaakov's blessing in Vaychi is cryptic. But Divrei Hayamim expands upon it. Plus, there is a fascinating parallel in the Code of Hamurabbi that sheds excellent light on the matter.
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8. A blessing for Yosef, or for his sons?  Rumors of a popular variant have been greatly exaggerated. And in fact, contextcan support a blessing for Yosef alone. Update: I am wrong about the Peshita on this post. I was misled by a mislabeled Targum.
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9. Salvation -- nothing to sneeze at! Why the sudden interjection in Yaakov's blessings?

Dec 2009

1. Vaychi sources -- more than 100 meforshim on the parsha and haftora.
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2. For how long does Binyamin consume his prey? A Chizkuni on Vaychi, where he parses apasuk apparently against its trup, past the etnachta, as baboker yochal ad la'erev. With the same justification he offered in last week's parsha.. 
3. The trup on va`ani -- A variant trup has revii on Bereishit 48:22 instead of gershayim. What would be the difference, in terms of the parse of the pasuk?
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4. Ibn Caspi on the "calling" of Yehuda -- Once again, Ibn Caspi interprets the trup, which informs us of meaning. This time the revii on Yehuda of Yehuda ata yoducha achecha. Also, a clarification of what Ibn Caspi means when referring to the gaaya -- namely, a zakef gadol, which is a disjunctive accent..
5. The yetiv on ad ki yavo Shilo -- According to Rabbenu Bachya's rebbe, the trup on ad ki yavo Shilo led Onkelos to renderad as forever, such that it is "forever once mashiach comes", rather than "until mashiach comes". This is a good response to Christians. But Shadal doesn't find it compelling.
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6. The possible double entendre of Lo Yasur Shevet Miyhuda -- namely, until Shelah comes.

Jan 2009

• Vayechi sources -- online sources, of a Mikraos Gedolos, and a plethora of meforshim, useful for preparing the sedra.
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• Rashbam vs. Zohar on deviating from parsha divided by Moshe, where Rashbam clames the communities changed the place of parsha division. A look at Aruch Hashulchan on the matter, based on Zohar.
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• Parallels between Vaychi and its haftarah -- maybe broadly thematic, and one point in language, but otherwise, the connection (and post) seems quite weak.
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• Yaakov wanted to reveal the ketz -- a Daat Zekeinim centered look at the midrash, and what it means. I disagree.
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• Yaakov's maggid -- and he told to Yaakov. But who was he?

December 2007

• The Missing Parsha Break
• and how it aids in stressing the parallelism to the previous verse, at the end of Vayigash.
• HaMelech HaGoel Oti
• and different approaches to dealing with the theological difficulties of asking an angel to bless.
• Mind The Gap: Is Vayechi Unique In Not Being Introduced With A Gap?
• Or is this true as well for parshat Vayeitzei, within Ben Naftali manuscripts?
• Was Gad, Son of Yaakov, Named After The deity?
• Or does it mean "with luck," or "luck has come?" Or does it mean that a troop has come, as it means in Yaakov's blessing in parshat Vayechi? Also, a Karaite promotes the krei reading as the correct pronunciation of the ketiv.
• How big a gap between Vayigash and Vaychi? (pt i, ii, iii).
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• Minchas Eluzer's Teshuvah on the gap (pt i, ii, iii, iv)
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• My own thoughts on the gap issue
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• From 2008, about Vayeitzei being setuma.
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• Shadal mentions how Rashbam follows the trup in explaining Miteref Beni Alita, in the course of his discussion of the age of trup in his Vikuach al Chochmat haKabbalah.

2007

• An Open Canon Vs. Changing The Truth
• Did Yaakov really command the brothers to tell Yosef to forgive his brothers their transgression. This hooks into the question of whether Yaakov ever found out about the sale of Yosef. Now, the brothers relate this command to Yosef, but we never see Yaakov command this. And a gemara in Yevamot, 65b, states that this was a changing of the truth for the sake of peace, as a precedent for doing the same. It is also a closed-canon approach. An open canon approach would allow otherwise unknown event to occur. And an example from Yona where something happens without being previously mentioned.
• The Trup On "Asher Kana Avraham"
• and why on such similar words across pesukim, the trup shifts over. A Wickes-based explanation, featuring trup charts and Prepositional Phrases.

2006

• The Count of Pesukim in Sefer Bereishit
• Understanding the extended gematria in a masoretic note. Plus, ד appears to stand for shem haShem here!
• Yaakov Avinu Didn't Die
• We consider the famous midrash, and discussion in Taanit that Yaakov Avinu did not die. Was Rav Yitzchak going for a spit-take? What are the implications of this statement? How exactly is this deduced midrashically from the pasuk in Yirmiya, and how does that pasuk work on a peshat level, from the perspective of poetic parallelism?

Dec 2004

• Can Mashiach Return From the Dead?
• A source that he clearly cannot.

2004

• Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
• To Eliezer's oath to Avraham. An oath to a dying man, a theme of staying rooted in Eretz Yisrael. Also, where they differ.
• Why Did Yaakov Bow? And Did Yaakov Bow?
• I recommend this one. In it, I suggest that vayishtachu does not mean "bowed" but rather "lied prostrate," because he was weak and sick. This is in contrast to later, when the pasuk relates that he became strengthened and sat on the head of the bed.
• Further Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
• A striking similarity between the presentation of Ephraim and Menashe to Yaakov, and the earlier meeting of Esav and Yaakov.
• A Final Maaseh Avot Siman LaBanim
• In which Yaakov seemingly recreates his theft of Yitzchak's blessing when he blesses Ephraim and Menashe.

How could Yaakov see? Weren't his eyes dim from old age?

In Bereishit perek 48, Yaakov encounters Yosef and his sons.

ח  וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף; וַיֹּאמֶר, מִי-אֵלֶּה.	8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said: 'Who are these?'
ט  וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף, אֶל-אָבִיו, בָּנַי הֵם, אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן-לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה; וַיֹּאמַר, קָחֶם-נָא אֵלַי וַאֲבָרְכֵם.	9 And Joseph said unto his father: 'They are my sons, whom God hath given me here.' And he said: 'Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.'
י  וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן, לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת; וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֹתָם אֵלָיו, וַיִּשַּׁק לָהֶם וַיְחַבֵּק לָהֶם.	10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
יא  וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף, רְאֹה פָנֶיךָ לֹא פִלָּלְתִּי; וְהִנֵּה הֶרְאָה אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים, גַּם אֶת-זַרְעֶךָ.	11 And Israel said unto Joseph: 'I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, God hath let me see thy seed also.'

In pasuk 8, וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל.
In pasuk 10, וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן, לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת.
In pasuk11, רְאֹה פָנֶיךָ לֹא פִלָּלְתִּי; וְהִנֵּה הֶרְאָה אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים, גַּם אֶת-זַרְעֶךָ.

A silly question: I thought Yaakov couldn't see (pasuk 8)? So how did he see Yosef's sons (pasuk 8)? And how did he see in Yosef's face and Yosef's sons (pasuk 11)?

One possible answer is that "see" doesn't mean literally seeing. In parshat Balak

ב  וַיַּרְא בָּלָק, בֶּן-צִפּוֹר, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָאֱמֹרִי.

2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

need we claim that he literally saw with his eyes? If he had reports from scouts what Israel had done, wouldn't that be sufficient to say that he "saw"?

This is what Ibn Janach says, more or less:

 וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל -- that is, it was known to him and he sensed their coming, even though he did not [literally] see them, as was written וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן, לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת. (Sefer Hashorashim, 462)

Of course, there are degrees of blindness, such that he could possibly have recognized people he knew but in day-to-day life be functionally blind.

I was also thinking about the role of this interjection, of וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן, לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת. Why is it necessary for the Torah to stress this, and right here? Here are a few answers, but I don't think they are all simultaneously true. That is, if it comes for reason X, then we should know that it is not coming for reason Y.

a) To explain why they should approach Yaakov. (But they should approach anyway, so that he could rest his hands upon them as he blesses them.)
b) To draw the parallel to Yitzchak's accidental blessing of Yaakov. Yitzchak confused his firstborn and second born, in part because of his blindness. Indeed, Yitzchak also asked Yaakov to draw near to him, and Yaakov only was able to deceive his father because of the fur.
c) To explain Yosef's mistaken impression later (in pasuk 18) that Yaakov had mistaken the older for the younger. וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אָבִיו, לֹא-כֵן אָבִי:  כִּי-זֶה הַבְּכֹר

YUTorah on parashat Vaychi

Download the YUTorah Parsha Reader for Vayechi 5774  Audio Shiurim on Vayechi Rabbi Hanan Balk: Should All Jews Be Buried In Israel? Rabbi Avi Billet: When did Eisav die? Rabbi Asher Brander: Did Yaakov ever find out about the mechira? Rabbi Chaim Brovender: Malkhut Yehuda Rabbi Avishai David: Yosef's Broken Relationship with his Brothers Rabbi Dovid Ebner: Yaacov's Genuine Brachot Rabbi Ally Ehrman: Menashe And The Trait Of Forgetfulness Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn: The Spark of Jacob Rabbi Chaim Eisenstein: Yaakov and Yosef's Machloket Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum: Yosef and the Brothers after Yaacov's Death Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman: Chesed v Emes - Burying the Dead Rabbi Joel Finkelstein: Israel is Ours Rabbi David Fohrman: Who is Joseph's Real Father? Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg: Mesorah Rabbi Efrem Goldberg: Strange Way of Showing Love Mrs. Yael Goldfischer: Yosef and Yehuda: A Clash of Personalities Rabbi Yehuda Goldschmidt: The Gates of Tears are Not Closed! Dr. Naomi Grunhaus: Ephraim and Menashe: One Shevet or Two? Rabbi Yaacov Haber: Finding Your Tachlis Rabbi Shalom Hammer: The Meaning of life Rabbi Daniel Hartstein: Burial In Eretz Yisroel: A Vertical View Rabbi Jesse Horn: Yosef's challenge of remaining Jewish in a secular world Rabbi Eric Ifrah: Moshiach! Rabbi Shimon Isaacson: Being a Part of the Mesorah Community Rabbi Ari Kahn: Revelation and Confusion Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky: Yaakov, Yisroel, and the essence of the person Rabbi Eliakim Koenigsberg: Time to Think Rabbi Binyamin Kwalwasser: True Aquisition is Painful Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz: Biebermania Hits Egypt Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz: Calculating the Geulah Rabbi Eliezer Lerner: Only a Jew Knows the Value of a Jew Rabbi Ben Leybovich: Playing with all your pieces Rabbi Moshe N. Reichman: Yissocher and Zevulun Rabbi Michael Rosensweig: The National Lesson to Learn from Shimon, Levi, and Shechem Mrs Ilana Saks: A Sign of Things to Come Rabbi Hershel Schachter: Each Child is Different Rabbi Shay Schachter: Nothing But The Truth Rabbi Avi Schneider: Practice Makes Perfect Rabbi Avraham Shulman: Ona'as Devarim - Harmful Speech Rabbi Baruch Simon: Acting Like a Fish Mrs. Shira Smiles: Wondrous Whispers Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik: Why is Vayechi a Parsha Stuma? Rabbi Reuven Spolter: Seeing What's Real Rabbi Moshe Stav: האספו ואגידה לכם Rabbi Moshe Taragin: A Good Donkey Rabbi Michael Taubes: Saying Tehillim for the Sick Rabbi Moshe D. Tendler: Rachel's Legacy and Yaakov's Blessings Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner: Yosef wrestles with Yaakov Rabbi Ira Wallach: Blessing or Rebuke Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg: In Accordance with the Struggle is the Reward Rabbi Mordechai Willig: The Eternal Torah Rabbi Andi Yudin: Loving Torah Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler: Forgiving Articles on Vayechi Rabbi Ozer Glickman: Family as Formative Experience Rabbi Shmuel Goldin: Menashe and Ephraim: Tying up Loose Ends Rabbi Meir Goldwicht: Staying Connected to Israel Rabbi Avraham Gordimer: The Funeral Procession of Yaakov Avinu Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb: Blessing our Children Rabbi Maury Grebenau: Motivation & Values Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg: שכל את ידיו Rabbi David Horwitz: The Reconciliation between Joseph and His Brothers Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl: Sanctity Versus Impurity Rabbi Eli Baruch Shulman: Fish and Ayin Harah Rabbi Shmuel Silber: Decisions & Direction Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Woolf: הבכיר שבאבות: לדמותו של יעקב אבינו Parsha Sheets on Vayechi HALB: D'Varim HaYotzim Min HaLev YU-Torah miTzion Toronto Beit Midrash: Toronto Torah YULA Boys High School: Likutei Ohr YU High School for Boys: Shema Koleinu Shiurim on the Haftorah of Vayechi Rabbi Philip Moskowitz: Dovid Hamelech - Pious Rabbi or Cunning Military Operative? Rabbi Avraham Rivlin: למען תשכיל את כל אשר תעשה Rabbi Zvi Romm: Dovid's Charge to Shlomo Rabbi Ari Zahtz: Why Did David Ask Shlomo To Avenge Him? Rabbi Jeremy Wieder: Laining for Parshat Vayechi See all shiurim on YUTorah for Parshat Vayechi

New This Week Teves: Help I've Fallen and I Can Get Up Rabbi Mordechai Burg Coffee and Tea: Keurig, Teavana  and Other  Kashrut Concern Rabbi Dovid Cohen Nehama Leibowitz's  Lasting Impact on Bible Scholarship Rabbi Mordechai Cohen The Take Away  from Chanukah:  Increasing Our  Excitment for  Avodas Hashem Rabbi Yitzchok Cohen When Kosher Food's Not  Kosher: Bishul Akum Rabbi Menachem Genack The eighth of  Teves: the beginning of  the darkness Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg What's In a Jewish Name? Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff Being Proactive in  Avodas Hashem Rabbi Yisroel Kaminetsky Zeicher Leyetzias  Mitzrayim - The Tefilla and Kiddush of Shabbos Rabbi Michael Rosensweig The Dead Sea Scrolls and the  Hasmonean Dynasty Dr. Lawrence Schiffman Clapping, Dancing and Tapping the Table on Shabbat Rabbi Michael Siev Whats so Special About Dec 4th Rabbi Michael Taubes Asarah B'Tevet: The Tragedy of  Constriction Rabbi Ari Waxman The Ways of True  Tzaddikim: To Empathize With All Jews Rabbi Moshe Weinberger History of The Talmud:  Raban Gamliel and R. Yehoshua Rabbi Elie Weissman

Some quick ideas on parshat Vayechi

I've probably made some of these points in the past.

1) וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַל-רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה in 47:31, which is the second half of a pasuk, is immediately followed by (next pasuk) וַיְהִי, אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, וַיֹּאמֶר לְיוֹסֵף, הִנֵּה אָבִיךָ חֹלֶה. Say this does not mean bowing to Yosef, but that it is a sign of weakness and sickness. Yaakov gathers strength when Yosef visits him. Thus, immediately after (next pasuk) וַיַּגֵּד לְיַעֲקֹב--וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה בִּנְךָ יוֹסֵף בָּא אֵלֶיךָ; וַיִּתְחַזֵּק, יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֵּשֶׁב, עַל-הַמִּטָּה. See how he gathers strength and is able to sit upon the bed.

And this all works together, despite the shift in Yaakov's name from Yisrael to Yaakov. Take that, Documentary Hypothesis!

2) וַיַּגֵּד לְיַעֲקֹב in Bereishit 48:2 prompts questions by meforshim as to who did the telling. HaMaggid, the one who told. The alternative is that this is the kal passive, a very rare form that some Biblical scholars think is not rare at all, just not often recognized. Instead of niphal, the pattern is that of kal. In the passive voice, it is "and it was related to Yaakov", not "and he related to Yaakov."

3) שִׂים-נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי -- in 47:29. The famous fun fact is that one swore on one's testicles, and the penalty for perjury was losing them. Thus "testimony". It turns out that this is untrue:

The Mavens' Word of the Day

There is no evidence anywhere that a Roman or a Greek had to put his hand on his testicles in order to validate his testimony when swearing in court.

This etymology has appeared in a number of places, in print and on the Internet, but it isn't true.

4) In 50:15:
 וַיִּרְאוּ אֲחֵי-יוֹסֵף, כִּי-מֵת אֲבִיהֶם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף; וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב, לָנוּ, אֵת כָּל-הָרָעָה, אֲשֶׁר גָּמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ.

Maybe the brothers understood HaOd Avi Chai as a threat. Is father still alive? Then you are lucky.

Compare with Esav's plan for doing away with Yaakov after Yitzchak's death.

5) In 50:19, we saw this statement before:

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף, אַל-תִּירָאוּ:  כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים, אָנִי.

We saw Yaakov say this to Rachel, when she complained that he was withholding sons from her.

What is the connecting line between the two instances? I would argue absolutely nothing. And this is an important lesson for those who would deduce deep "peshat" from repetition / concentration of words and phrases. Some words are simply necessary because of the story to be conveyed and the relatively small vocabulary of Hebrew. And even with no authorial intent, there will be some uneven distribution of vocabulary by mere chance. And the same for idiomatic expressions like the above. So don't start making your own gezeira shava and calling it peshat.

6) They embalmed Yaakov in 50:2:

ב  וַיְצַו יוֹסֵף אֶת-עֲבָדָיו אֶת-הָרֹפְאִים, לַחֲנֹט אֶת-אָבִיו; וַיַּחַנְטוּ הָרֹפְאִים, אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Since Yaakov Avinu lo mais, this was a pretty mean thing for Yosef to do to Yaakov. I would imagine that the process was somewhat unpleasant.