Parashat Vayechi

The Parsha is called ‘Vayechi’, ‘And he lived’, yet it deals with Jacob’s death. How is our life measured?
By what we leave behind after our death.

Before Jacob dies, he is determined to pass on a message to his descendents. The first part of this ‘blessing’ process is to have Joseph promise that he will be buried in Israel, alongside his ancestors. The taking-leave process continues when Joseph brings Jacob his grandsons, Ephraim and Menasseh, and Jacob ‘reverses’ the blessing, continuing the family tradition of giving regard to destiny over birth-order. Menasseh is the elder but the tribe of Ephraim is the one that will come to symbolize the Kingdom of Israel and he receives the blessing of the first-born.

As Jacob’s death becomes imminent, his family gathers around him. There are a number of striking features about the blessing that Jacob gives his sons as they are assembled around his deathbed. First, it is not, in the strictest sense, a ‘blessing’; it is a prophetic message. Although each son is mentioned individually, Jacob’s introduction makes it clear that their destiny is linked one to the other and that this is a single message to be hearkened by all. The words of the blessing are directed to and about the sons in birth-order but the message is clear that this order is a formality and not a sign of greatness. Reuben is described as ‘unstable’; Simeon and Levi are cursed for their violence. It is not until Judah is spoken of that we hear words of blessing and a positive future. Zevulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher and Naphtali are promised a role in the future of Israel and a special place in the Land of Israel. Joseph receives the longest, most loving blessing despite the years of separation, and, interestingly, the words directed to Benjamin indicate that he will be warlike, not the vulnerable youth his brothers have needed to protect. Dina, their sister is not blessed and not mentioned, although the curse on Simeon and Levi certainly alludes to her.

Jacob concludes the blessing and reiterates his desire to be buried in Israel, then he expires, knowing
that he has given his sons all that he can. They have learnt that their actions have repercussions.
They know something of their destiny and know that they are linked to each other not just through
their ancestors but in their future. We, too, are both ‘Beit Yaakov’ and ‘B’nei Yisrael’ – the Jewish
people are linked by our ancestors and also by our destiny. Our lives will be measured by what we 
bequeath future generations.