Yaakov blessed Efraim and Menashe, Yosef’s sons, with the bracha of HaMalach HaGoel (Breisheet 48:16):The Angel who redeemed me from all evil, should bless the lads, and let my name be called on them, together with the name of my fathers, Avraham and...
As we read through Yaakov’s blessings to his children, Gad’s bracha stands out as a tongue twister (Breisheet 49:19):Gad gdud yegudenu vehu yagud akev.Gad will recruit a regiment and it will retreat on its heel.According to Rashi the words...
Parshat Vayechi, Breisheet 50:7-9 lists everyone who went up to C’naan for Yaakov’s funeral:Yosef went up to bury his father; and with him went up all of Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of this house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. And...
In Parshat Vayechi (Breisheet 47:29) we read the words: “The days of Yisrael’s death drew near, and he called for his son Yosef…”This verse sound very similar to the opening verse of the Haftara (Melachim 2:1) “David’s days drew...
Marc Chagall spent two years preparing the stained glass windows which depict each of Yaakov’s twelve sons. He gave the windows as a gift to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem in 1962. At the installation he declared: “This is my gift to the Jewish people,...
In Parshat Vayigash we learn that seventy souls moved down to Egypt (Goshen) as immigrants. They acquired property, were fruitful and increased greatly.It seems like B’nai Yisrael (Yaakov’s children) did very well in Egypt. They adjusted to their new...
In Parshat Vayechi, right before Yaakov passes away he blesses each of his children.The blessing for Naftali is found in Breisheet 49:21 “Naftali is a gazelle-like messenger (ayala shlucha), he delivers pleasant sayings.”According to Ramban, it was a...
Sponsored by Mel Halickman in memory of his late mother, Chaya Sara, on the occasion of her yahrzeitAfter Yaakov passed away, Yosef went to the Land of Cnaan in order to give him a proper burial. He was joined by Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his house,...
In Parshat Vayechi, (Breisheet 48:10) we read: “Now the eyes of Yisrael were dim from old age, so that he could not see.” Yaakov was 147 years old so it is not surprising that he could hardly see. When are some of the other times in the Tanach...
In Parsha Vayechi, Yaakov bestows Brachot (blessings) upon his children right before he passes away. Some of the Brachot that Yaakov bestows upon his sons don’t exactly sound like blessings. Let’s take Shimon and Levi for example. Yaakov...
In Parshat Vayechi (Breisheet 49:20), Yaakov gives Asher the following bracha: “From Asher will come rich food. He will provide delicacies for the king.” According to Rashi: Food that will come from Asher’s territory will be rich, for...
In Parshat Vayechi, at the end of Yaakov’s bracha to Yehuda he says (Breisheet 49:11-12) “He loads his young donkey with grapes of a vine (gefen iro), and his she-donkey’s foal with a vine branch. He washes his clothes in wine (kibes bayayin...
Dedicated by Robert, Debbie, Samantha, Brandon and Alex Hollander in Memory of Sam Aharonoff, a loving husband and father of four who recently lost a courageous battle with pancreatic cancerIn Parshat Vayechi, Breisheet 49:1, Yaakov called his sons over and...
The blessing that is given to Jewishchildren before they go to sleep each night as well as the blessing of the children at the Shabbat table are both found in Parshat Vayechi.The first blessing is (Breisheet 48:16) "HaMalach HaGoel oti mikol ra yivarech et haniarim...
SPONSORED BY SHARONA, JOSH, DOV AND MOSHE HALICKMAN IN HONOR OF THE BIRTH OF OUR NEW BABY YEHUDA MACCABIShortly before Yaakov passes away, he blesses each of his children. The blessing for his son, Yehuda (Breisheet 49:9) states: "Yehuda is a young lion. You have...
Yosef’s brothers made him suffer (he was thrown into the pit, sold into slavery, thrown into prison etc.) yet through all of these hardships the Torah does not describe him crying. However, we do see Yosef cry several times when he is reunited with his...