Parshat Vayechi
In many ways, Parshat Vayechi symbolizes the end of an era. It is the final parsha in Sefer Bereishit, the end of Yaacov Avinu’s life, and the beginning of a new phase of Jewish History, as we transition into the period of Egyptian exile. As such, it is an opportunity for us to learn from how the Torah, and specifically Yaacov, communicates these events to us.
The Torah tells us that Yaacov understood that the end of his life was approaching, as the verse states, “The time was approaching for Israel to die” (Bereishit 47:29). Undoubtedly, Yaacov had an agenda for certain things that needed to be in place before he would leave this world. The first thing he chose to do was to call upon his beloved son, Yosef, to help him ensure that he would be buried in Maarat Hamachpelah, together with his parents, Yitzchak and Rivka, and grandparents, Avraham and Sarah. After this was taken care of, the Torah moves into the story of Yaacov giving the blessings to his two grandchildren from Yosef, Ephraim and Menashe. It is a moving scene, as Yaacov first tells Yosef about the oath of Jewish continuity that Hashem had promised to Him, and then turns to Ephraim and Menashe to pass on his departing message and blessing. We catch a glimpse of the emotions of love and pride that must have been welling up within Yaacov at that moment when he says, “And now, your two sons… shall be mine; Ephraim and Menashe shall be mine like Reuven and Shimon” (48:5). At first, this verse seems puzzling. Why would Yaacov refer to Ephraim and Menashe as his own children? Their father Yosef was standing right there! However, I believe that if we think a little about how grandparents look at their grandchildren, we can begin to understand. Yaacov was obviously not making a factual claim that he was the father of Ephraim and Menashe. He was stating that in certain ways, he feels like their father. All his dreams and aspirations, love for Hashem and His Torah, and yearning for the future establishment of the Jewish People in Eretz Yisrael, were being channeled into the blessings that he was about to give to his children and grandchildren! We can certainly understand how, from this view, Yaacov saw Ephraim and Menashe as the continuation of their family’s legacy.
I believe that one of the central themes of this parsha is the importance of our mesorah, our Jewish heritage. As one of my rabbeim taught me, each person comes into this world with a story to write. There are only two rules to how it must be written. One is that our story must in some way connect to the chapters that have been written by those before us – our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, whose lives were all rich in their own ways, and who laid the groundwork for us to come into existence. The second rule is that the story we write must have continuity after we leave, so that the generations that come after us can carry the torch even further. As long as these two conditions are met, the rest of our personal chapter is up to us to create. Perhaps it was exactly these two ends that Yaacov Avinu had in mind. His life was full and quite accomplished, but he felt it most necessary before leaving olam hazeh to make sure that his link was securely fastened into the chain of Jewish continuity. In the context of his past and future, his present had that much more significance.
It is crucial for each of us to realize where we fit in the chain of our mesorah. Many before us have given their lives so that we would be able to pursue religious fulfillment. Many others, especially our parents, continue to live their lives for this purpose, so that they can give us this most precious gift. We did not come from nowhere. At the same time, we are writing a chapter that will not be the last. Those who come after us will look at what we have left them and will hopefully pick up the pen and proceed to author their own stories right where we left off. The Torah is clearly conveying to us the centrality of this theme, and how it must shape the way we view our place in this world.
May it be Hashem’s will that we all become prolific authors of our own stories, and that whatever we choose write, it should connect the richness of our past with the brightness of our future.