Vayechi 5631 Second Ma'amar

“הקבצו ושמעו בני יעקב ושמעו אל ישראל אביכם/Gather and hear, children of Ya’akov, and listen to your father Yisrael.” Since the pasuk uses the word אל/to instead of the shorter conjunctive form ל/to, the Midrash says that Ya’akov Avinu is comparing himself to God which is also spelled, א-ל. Ya’akov Avinu is telling his children, “Just like God creates worlds, so too, your father creates worlds.” What does this mean and why is Ya’akov telling this to his children?

The physical world exists because of the spiritual life force within it. This spiritual life force emanates from God through a spiritual hierarchy until it reaches the physical world. Ya’akov Avinu was part of this spiritual hierarchy. Ya’akov Avinu was the vehicle through which the spiritual life force that was responsible for the continuing existence of Egypt and the Egyptians descended. This is why the parsha starts with the words “ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים/Ya’akov lived in the land of Egypt …” instead of the more usual “וישב יעקב .../Ya’akov dwelt.” ויחי/He lived suggests that he also gave life to the land of Egypt. Ya’akov compared himself to God as a creator of worlds in the sense that he gave life to Egypt.

Why, though, did God use Ya’akov as the mechanism for giving life and existence to Egypt? A Zohar in parshas VaYeishev gives us a clue. The Zohar says that the redemption from Egypt could only have happened because the brothers treated Yosef like a slave. What is the connection between the redemption and the way that Yosef’s brothers treated him? Since the relationship between the brothers and Yosef was one of masters to a slave – they sold him – and Yosef ruled over the Egyptians, it follows that the brothers were also rulers over the Egyptians. The fact that we were slaves to the Egyptians for a period of time was a temporary anomaly which was corrected with our redemption from Egypt. If the brothers had not sold Yosef, had not treated him as a slave, and we had subsequently gone to Egypt, we would not have been redeemed from Egypt, according to the Zohar. This Zohar is teaching us that for redemption to occur, the seeds of redemption must be planted before the exile.

This concept explains our Midrash as well. God used Ya’akov as the vehicle for imparting life to Egypt in order to subordinate Egypt to Ya’akov. This was another seed of the redemption which God planted before the exile. It made the redemption possible.

Vayechi 5631 First Ma'amar

“ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים .../Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt ...” The Sfas Emes addresses two difficulties. Firstly, ויחי/He lived, is a strange choice of words. Usually when the Torah relates that someone lived in a specific place, it uses the word וישב/He dwelt. The Chidushei HaRim suggests that, ויהי/He was, would have been more appropriate than ויחי/He lived.

Secondly, in a sefer Torah, there is always a blank space between two parshas. VaYechi is the only parsha in the entire Torah which begins directly following the last word of the previous parsha with no break whatsoever. This is referred to as a closed parsha. Why is this?

Ya’akov Avinu is associated with the attribute of אמת/truth. The prophet Micha tells us, “תתן אמת ליעקב/Give truth to Ya’akov.” On the level of truth, God is revealed. On the level of truth exile does not exist since exile means that God hides Himself. Egyptian society was pagan and immoral. It was very difficult to see God in Egypt. By using the word ויחי/He lived, the Torah is telling us that even in decadent Egypt, Ya’akov “lived.” Living means to attach to the Source of all life. Chazal tell us that wicked people are considered dead even during their lives. This is because they have separated from God, the Source of life. Ya’akov “lived” even in Egypt. On the level of אמת/truth, it did not matter that he was in Egypt. God gives life to the immoral Egyptians, too. For Ya’akov, He was revealed even in Egypt. This is why the parsha starts with, “ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים .../Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt ...” instead of the more usual וישב יעקב/Yaakov dwelt.

But why is the parsha closed? Chazal tell us that Ya’akov wanted to reveal the end of days to his children. The end of days is a time when all exile comes to an end and God is revealed. The exile is a temporary screen behind which God hides Himself. Behind the screen of the exile and giving life to it (and to everything else) is the eternal Source of life. Ya’akov wanted to convey to his children that God is there even in Egypt. He wanted it to be clear to them, as it was clear to him, that God is everywhere, even in the exile. He wanted them to see the Godliness in Egypt just as he saw it. If Ya’akov had explained this to his children, though, they would have reached Ya’akov’s level of emes. God would have been revealed to them and there would have been no exile. Chazal in fact tell us that the bondage in Egypt only began after Ya’akov passed on. In God’s plan, the exile was necessary. So, although Ya’akov “lived,” the parsha was closed. He was not permitted to pass it on to his children.

However, Chazal tell us that Ya’akov was permitted to teach them that even if they could not see Godliness in the immoral and corrupt Egyptian civilization, they could believe that He was there. Belief that God was there when the reality of their surroundings was the immoral and pagan Egyptian culture required a lot of hard work. But, through אמונה/belief, they would be able to see the אמת/truth, that God is in the exile as well.

Believing that God is the source of all power in the world enables us to see Him in the world. The stronger our belief, the more God is revealed. Working to reach this high level of אמונה/belief enables us to find Godly enlightenment even where God is concealed.