Bible Studies

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Parshat Vayechi

“And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.” Genesis 47:27 (JPS)
“And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years.” Genesis 47:28 (JPS)
“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,” Genesis 37:2a (KJV)
Is it any accident that Jacob lived in Egypt the same amount of time that Joseph lived in Canaan? Is it any accident that when Joseph left it was a picture of death, and that Jacob left in death? Is it any accident that both were carried out without their consent? Though it may not have been against their wills, it certainly wasn’t by their own choice.
“But when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place.' And he said: 'I will do as thou hast said.'” Genesis 47:30 (JPS)
Jacob could not ensure that Joseph would carry this out, and neither could Joseph gain anything by carrying it out. This is why Jacob said, “deal kindly and truly with me”. The word “kindly” is chesed, meaning “to love” or “to be gracious.” The word “truly” is, ‘emet, which comes from the root ‘aman, meaning, “to prop,” “sustain,” or “support.” He asked him to love him, and to be truthful, or supporting, because Joseph had no material reason to obey Jacob’s request.
Because Jacob requested to be buried in the Holy Land, doesn’t that suggest that it is, after all, important where one is buried? Often it is thought that it doesn’t matter, but it seems like Jacob thought differently. If the person’s soul goes directly to Heaven, and their body follows their soul in the day of the resurrection, then why would it matter? But if the body does not go directly to Heaven, but somewhere else, on the day of the resurrection, then it would matter.
“Jacob said unto Joseph: ‘God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me: Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.’” Genesis 48:3-5 (JPS)
Jacob seems to use his blessing as a reason for adopting Ephraim and Manasseh. “Ephraim” comes from the root-word parah meaning “fruit” or “fruitfulness.” Being in the plural, Ephraim means something like “doubly fruitful.” Manasseh comes from the root-word nashah, which means “to forget” or “to cause to forget.” Haven’t Ephraim and Manasseh been forgotten? Haven’t they forgotten Father? Reuben comes from the words ra’ah (behold) and ben (son). Fruitfulness as Behold, a son. Simeon comes from the root-word shama‘ (hear, listen, obey). Forgetfulness as hearing. Reuben was the first born, and Simeon was the second-born of Jacob. Jacob takes these two just as his first and second born. It is not so much that he took them over Reuben and Simeon as that he added them to Reuben and Simeon, he made them like Reuben and Simeon, so that Jacob had two firstborns, and two second-borns.
Some have suggested that Jacob put Ephraim and Manasseh in the places of Reuben and Simeon, but Torah does not allow this. “If a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated; then it shall be, in the day that he causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the hated, who is the first-born.” Deuteronomy 21:15-16 (JPS)
Aside from that, the wording in Genesis 48 makes it clear that Jacob took them alongside of Reuben and Simeon, as equals with them, not replacing them.
But the problem remains; how was Jacob’s blessing the reason for his claiming Ephraim and Manasseh as his own? “And God said unto him: 'I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins’” Genesis 35:11 (JPS)
Father commanded Jacob to multiply, but at this point all of Jacob’s children except for Benjamin have been born. Father said He would make him a nation and a company of nations. Ephraim’s name is in the plural, he is a company of nations, and Manasseh became one of the twelve nations.
“Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it--he went up to my couch.” Genesis 49:3-4 (JPS)
The third time the word “excellency” is used it is the word yatar, meaning “to be redundant,” “to abound,” or “to exceed.” Jacob told Reuben that he had lost the blessing of the firstborn as descendants go. He would not be a great people. He would not abound. However, he was still the first in dignity and in power.
“Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship. Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 49:5-7
Jacob never condemns what they did. He never condemns them for killing the men of Shechem. He only condemns how they did it. He only condemns their anger. This speaks of the attitude of judgment. Justice must be done, but not in an attitude of anger or malice or hatred. Simeon’s territory was in the middle of the territory of Judah, and Levi wasn’t given a territory. They did their duty as the kinsman redeemers, and in the role of the Priesthood given to Levi that role is played out again.
“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thy enemies: thy father's children shall bow down before thee.” Genesis 49:8 (Webster)
Who did all of Israel praise? “Those who fear HASHEM, praise Him! All of you, seed of Jacob, glorify Him! Be in awe of Him, all you seed of Israel.” Psalm 22:24 (Schottenstein) This is because Judah is, of course, the ancestor of Messiah, Who is God in the flesh.
“Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.” Genesis 49:9-10 (JPS)
The word normally translated “until” in this passage is the word kiy. Kiy literally means “when” or “so that” or “at the time when.” There is also a word not translated here in most versions. It is the word ‘ad, meaning “again.” So this could be translated “The scepter will not depart from Judah and a lawgiver from between his feet again when/once Shiloh comes.”
Shiloh is the word shiyloh, meaning “the one who brings shalah.” Shalah means “rest,” “quiet,” or “ease.” This is clearly referring to Messiah.
“Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washeth his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes; eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.” Genesis 49:11-12 (JPS)
The word “foal” is the word ‘ayir, whose root-word is ‘ur, which means “to rouse oneself.” It is interesting that, just verses before, Jacob asked who would rouse Judah? Is his arousal bound? And to what? The vine. The Hebrew word used here for “vine” is gephen. It’s Aramaic equivalent is g’pen. In John 15:5 a form of this word appears. “I am the Vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, this man will produce plentiful fruit because without me you are not able to do anything.” (Younan)
The word for “ass” is ’atown, which comes from a root-word meaning “patience,” or “to continue.” The word “choice vine” is soreq, which only appears two other times in Scripture. “He dug it up, Gathered out its stones, Planted it with the choicest vine, Built a tower in its midst, And also cut out a winepress therein. He looked for it to yield grapes, But it yielded wild grapes.” Isaiah 5:2 (HNV) and again in Jeremiah 2:21, both times referring to Israel. Is Judah’s patience tied up in Israel?
“Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon.” Genesis 49:13 (JPS)
“Zebulun” means “exalted” and come from the root zaval, meaning “to exalt,” “honor,” or “dwell exaltedly”. It only appears once in Scripture, in Genesis 30:20. “shore” is the word choph, which comes from a root meaning “covering.” “Sea” is the word yam which comes from a root meaning “roaring.” The word “dwell” is shakan, which is the root-work of miyshkan, or “tabernacle.” It is literally “tabernacle.” Exaltation tabernacles at the covering of the roaring or praising.
The word “ships” is ’oniyot which comes from the root-word ’anah meaning “to approach,” “to meet,” or “to seek occasion.” Exaltation is a covering for those who approach, or seek occasion.
If Zebulun is blessed as a sea haven, it is as much as blessing him with riches, because the traders coming through must have provisions and must pay for a place to dock.
“Issachar is a strong-boned donkey; he rests between the boundaries. He saw tranquility that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant, yet he bent his shoulder to bear and he became an indentured laborer.” Genesis 49:15-16 (Stone)
The word “boundaries” is the word mishpatim which only appears one other place in Scripture. “The leaders of Issachar were with Deborah, and so was [the rest of] Issachar with Barak; into the valley he was sent on his feet. But in the indecision of Reuben there was great deceit. Why did you remain sitting at the borders to hear the bleatings of the flocks? The indecision of Reuben demands great investigation.” Judges 5:15-16 (Stone)
In this case it appears to be referring to Reuben. However, it is just possible that Issachar, too, stayed on the sidelines of the battle. Though this is not certain, it is possible.
Issachar rests between the fields, or plains, sees that the land is good, and becomes an indentured servant. It is interesting that Issachar rests, because he is Jacob’s seventh son. The seventh is the day of rest. On the seventh day Father said that His creation was good. The seventh day becomes the day of servitude to Father. As it says, Isaiah 58:13, “If you restrain your foot because it is the Sabbath; refrain from accomplishing your own needs on My holy day; if you proclaim the Sabbath ‘a delight,’ and the holy [day] of HASHEM ‘honored,’ and you honor it by not engaging in your own affairs, from seeking your own needs or discussing the forbidden—then you will delight in HASHEM, and I will mount you astride the heights of the world; I will provide you the heritage of your forefather Jacob, for the mouth of HASHEM has spoken.” (Stone)
The blessing on Issachar is a clear picture of the Sabbath, and the blessing on Issachar is the blessing of rest, the blessing of the Sabbath. Even Issachar’s name, yisaskar, speaks of the Sabbath. It comes from two roots; nasa‘, meaning “to lift” or “to be lifted,” and sakar, which means “to hire” or “to be hired.” The normal translation is “lifting up of wages/reward.” But it can also mean “lifting up of work.”
“Dan will vindicate his people as one tribe of Israel. Dan will be a snake on a road, a snake that lies in wait on a path, that bites heels of a horse and makes fall his rider backward. For Your salvation have I waited, YHWH.” Genesis 49:16-18
“Snake” is a word that comes from nachash which means to practice divination. Is this what Yeshua was referring to when He told His disciples “Behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” (Younan)? Was He telling them to be as knowledgeable about the future as diviners? Was He telling them to know prophecy? This word also refers to enchantment. Is this not what HaSatan was? He was a serpent and an enchanter, or deceiver. This implies Dan’s rebellion, that they would take on the very nature of the Enemy. What was the Enemy’s original fault? Wanting to leave his God-given place. What was the sin of Dan?
sh’phyiphon is the word translated “a snake that lies in wait.” It comes from shuph meaning, “bruise” or “crush.” This word appears twice in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (KJV)
“Horse” comes from the Hebrew sus, which comes from the word meaning, “skip for joy.” The word “fall” is the Hebrew word naphal, which translates “fall,” “be cast down,” or “fail.” Dan strikes the rejoicing of others, causing them to fall backward. This is what the wrong kind of judgment does. It is important for everyone to remember.
“Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.” Genesis 49:19 (KJV)
Gad’s blessing is a reminder that even though the Enemy seems to win, Israel overcomes at the last.
“From Asher—his bread will have richness, and he will provide kingly delicacies.” Genesis 49:20
The word Asher is literally a just blessing, or a blessing that comes out of righteousness. The root-word is ashar, which means “straight” or “upright.” The blessing of righteousness is fat bread, and kingly delicacies.
“Naphtali is a hind let loose who delivers beautiful sayings.” Genesis 49:21 (Stone)
Naphtali means “wrestling” and comes from patal, or “to twist/ to wrestle.” “Hind” is the word ‘ayalah, whose root is a word meaning “to twist” or “to be strong.” The word “sayings” is emer from the root amar which can be a command or a prophetic saying. The root of 'ayalah is used only in reference to human strength, and only twice; once in II Kings 24:15, and once in Psalm 73:4. When human strength is released, or sent away, as the Hebrew shalach implies, it delivers beautiful sayings. Wrestling is human strength sent out, which gives beautiful sayings.
Genesis 49:22 is, apparently, a difficult verse. The KJV translates it, “Joseph Is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall,” The Stone Edition has it, “A charming son is Joseph, a charming son to the eye; each of the daughters climbed heights to gaze.” The Lamsa Bible, translating from the Peshitta Aramaic Tanakh says, “Joseph is a disciplined son, an educated son; a fruitful bough by a spring, whose branches run over the wall.” Sir Lancelot Brenton’s version of the Septuagint translates it, “Joseph is a son increased; my dearly loved son is increased; my youngest son, turn to me.”
A literal translation of the Hebrew would be something like, “Son fruit Yoseph son fruit on—eye/spring/fountain daughters go on top of—wall.” The whole verse rests on the meaning of one word: ’ayin. But 'ayin can mean “eye,” “seeing,” “perception,” “thinking,” “to guide,” “face,” “surface,” “appearance,” or “fountain.” Perhaps a slightly more interpretive translation will help narrow it down. “A son of fruitfulness is Yoseph, a son of fruitfulness on—'ayin, daughters walk/go on top of a wall.”
If the daughters belonged to Joseph this would be much simpler, but they do not. The Robert Young Literal Translation is probably the most accurate translation, “Joseph is a fruitful son; A fruitful son by a fountain, Daughters step over the wall,” but this still leaves the question of what is the right translation of 'ayin? Deuteronomy 33:28 “And Israel dwelleth in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of corn and wine; yea, his heavens drop down dew.” (JPS) The word “fountain” is this same word. Is that this is calling Joseph the fountain of Jacob?
There is one more option for the translation of this verse. It could be translated, “A son of fruitfulness is Yoseph, a son of fruitfulness over the fountain of daughters who walk/go on/at Shur.” The word generally translated “wall” is the word shur which means “travel” or “journey.” In Genesis 16:7 it says, “An angel of HASHEM found her by the spring of water in the desert, at the spring on the road to Shur.” (Stone) The word “spring” is 'ayin, and the word “Shur” is this word that most versions translate “wall” in Genesis 49:22. This is where Father blessed Hagar with this blessing, “I will greatly increase your offspring and they will not be counted for abundance.” Is Jacob saying that Jacob is blessed to multiply above even Esau, above Hagar?
“Benjamin is a predatory wolf; in the morning he will devour prey and in the evening he will distribute spoils.” Genesis 49:27 (Stone)
“Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased.” Jeremiah 5:6 (KJV) It is interesting that the wolf that is attacking Jerusalem has the same duty as Benjamin. At evening he divides spoils.
“Her officers within her are like wolves who tear prey—to shed blood, to destroy souls, for the sake of unjust gain.” Ezekiel 22:27 (Stone)
The word “tear” in Ezekiel is the same word translated “predatory” in Genesis. This is the fulfillment of what Jacob spoke over Benjamin, it would seem.
“Then he instructed them; and he said to them, ‘I shall be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite.’” Genesis 49:29 (Stone)
Why does Jacob repeat his request to be buried in Canaan now, when he already asked Joseph to do the same thing in the previous chapter? Maybe it is so the brothers would know that it was Jacob’s wish to be buried in Canaan. Maybe it was so they would hold one another accountable.
“Joseph ordered his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; so the physicians embalmed Israel.” Genesis 50:2 (Stone)
Normally, a Hebrew would not be embalmed after death. But Joseph and his brothers were going to carry his body several days’ journey from Egypt to the cave at Machpelah. If his body wasn’t embalmed it would have started to decay, it would have stunk, and been falling apart by the time they reached the tomb.

Khazaq! Khazaq! V’nitkhazeq!

Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!

The readings: Parshat Vayechi, Genesis 47:28-50:26. Haftarat Vayechi, I Kings 2:1-12. Tehillim Vayechi, Psalm 41. B’rit Chadesha Vayechi, John 15:1-11, Revelation 19:11-21.

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