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*.
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