A Mission Statement

Vayyechi

Genesis 47:28 - 50:26
Précis: As the Book of Genesis comes to a close, Jacob lived (*yayyechi*)


in the land of Egypt for 17 years and dies after giving a final, poetic,


individualized ethical testament to each of his sons. In a great funeral


procession, Joseph, his brothers, Pharaoh and his court bring Jacob’s body


to Machpela to be buried. At the end of the parasha, which is also the end


of the Book of Genesis, Joseph, too, dies, after exacting a promise from


his brothers and children to (eventually) bring his remains to the family


plot as well.


Gen. 48:3-4 *“Jacob said to Joseph, ‘God appeared to me at Luz in the land


of Canaan, and there he blessed me; and He said to me, ‘I am going to make


you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a congregation of


peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your


descendants after you.’”*






Rabbi Marc Israel, in his omer “Torah Thought” (5/10/11) cited


the comments of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch on this verse:






*“These words give this nation in general the characteristic


mission that, in spite of being united into one completely similar group by


their all having the one common spiritual and moral mission and outlook on


life, they are nevertheless to consist of a diversity of tribes... The


Jewish people will be a nation of farmers, a nation of businessmen, a


nation of soldiers and a nation of science. Thereby, as a model nation, to


establish the truth that the one great personal and national task which God


revealed in His Torah is not dependent on any particular kind of talent or


character trait, but that the whole of humanity in all its shades of


diversity can equally find its calling in one common spiritual and moral


mission and outlook in life…” *






In his commentary on these verses, Rabbi Hirsch articulated a


mission statement for the Jewish People. We must unite (1) to declare to


all of humanity that all can participate in the ethical principles of our


faith, and (2) regardless of our internal differences and divisions, to


establish in Israel a “model nation” as an example of a society to which


all can aspire. Our recommitment to Rabbi Hirsch’s vision is a most


appropriate one for the Jewish People*. Ken y’hi ratzon: so may it be*.