Parshas vayechi פרשת ויחי by shevy cunin
This parsha is talking about when yaakov is about to pass away, and he is telling them stuff to all of his sons before he passes away. Yaakov is in mitzrayim right now for 17 years so far, and is about to pass away. Yaakov blesses all the shevatim to be certain things-Yehuda- kings, Levi- kohanim,Yisachar- scholars,Zevulun- sea travelers,Shimon- teachers in torah,Gad- soldiers,Dan- judges,Asher- olive growers,Naftali- swiftness of a deer,Benyamin- ferociousness of a wolf,and Yosef- beauty.
Also, yaakov was going to bless yosef’s two sons, menashe and efraim, and they were included like the 12 shevatim. Normally, you put your hands on top of the heads that you are blessing. He put them on top, and then switched them, like their hands were like crisscross. Firstly, menashe is older than efrayim. Yaakov firstly put his right hand on manasheh’s head, and the left hand on ephraim’s head. Then he switched his hands. This meant that in the years to come, efrayim is going to be a better and those type of stuff.
The chachamim said that Yaakov didn’t die because his sons followed in his ways. It says that if a father’s sons follow in their ways, then it is considered that they did not die.Yaakov dies in mitzrayim at age 110.
It is written in perek ,פרק מ’ז פסוק כ’טBefore he passes away, he instructs that his bones would be taken out of mitzrayim, and be buried in eretz yisrael. Why does he ask for this?When the jews go out of mitzrayim about 210 years later, then they would be able to take the coffin into eretz yisrael after they get out. He wanted to be buried in a holy place, and not a place full of impurity and badness.
The lesson is that we have to try our best and to keep away from bad stuff, ( no lashon hara and stuff) and we need to try our best to help out others when in need.
Shabbat Shalom