Vayechi: Prophecy
Vayechi: Prophecy
Vayechi deals with prophecy.
Gd had revealed to Jacob's grandfather, Abraham that generations of his offspring would be slaves in Egypt and they would be redeemed, returned to the Promised Land. Jacob and his offspring knew this was the grand plan. They did not know how it would come to pass.
Each of the children of Israel led life in some compromise between reaction to the situation and ancestral rules. They were shepherds, like their father. When their position in history was threatened by the favored brother, they tried to eliminate Joseph from the scene. They reacted to the situation.
They knew that eventually the descendants of Abraham would be slaves in Egypt and they knew that after a long period of suffering their, even more distant, descendants would be redeemed and brought into the Promised Land. But the vision was vague, they did not know their role in the process, they did not know that they would volunteer to be slaves to Joseph...and Joseph, the slave of Pharaoh, automatically transferred their indenture to Pharaoh ( Ma shekanah eved, kana Rabbo)
The last will of Jacob and the last will of Joseph refelect the prophecy, these last wishes clearly demonstrate both a knowledge of the prophecy and faith in its eventual fulfillment. They reinforce the prophecy, add to it.
Jacob asks to be buried in the family crypt, to join Abraham and Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca and Leah. He adds his remains to the significance of the place. Joseph's last will included the secret code, Pakod yifkod, that would be the password for the redeemer, Moshe. It reflects faith that the redemption part of the prophecy would be fulfilled.
This week my son and daughter-in-law sent a photo of them at the graves of my parents in Israel. My parents did not know their role in the prophecy.
Gd had revealed to Jacob's grandfather, Abraham that generations of his offspring would be slaves in Egypt and they would be redeemed, returned to the Promised Land. Jacob and his offspring knew this was the grand plan. They did not know how it would come to pass.
Each of the children of Israel led life in some compromise between reaction to the situation and ancestral rules. They were shepherds, like their father. When their position in history was threatened by the favored brother, they tried to eliminate Joseph from the scene. They reacted to the situation.
They knew that eventually the descendants of Abraham would be slaves in Egypt and they knew that after a long period of suffering their, even more distant, descendants would be redeemed and brought into the Promised Land. But the vision was vague, they did not know their role in the process, they did not know that they would volunteer to be slaves to Joseph...and Joseph, the slave of Pharaoh, automatically transferred their indenture to Pharaoh ( Ma shekanah eved, kana Rabbo)
The last will of Jacob and the last will of Joseph refelect the prophecy, these last wishes clearly demonstrate both a knowledge of the prophecy and faith in its eventual fulfillment. They reinforce the prophecy, add to it.
Jacob asks to be buried in the family crypt, to join Abraham and Isaac, Sarah and Rebecca and Leah. He adds his remains to the significance of the place. Joseph's last will included the secret code, Pakod yifkod, that would be the password for the redeemer, Moshe. It reflects faith that the redemption part of the prophecy would be fulfilled.
This week my son and daughter-in-law sent a photo of them at the graves of my parents in Israel. My parents did not know their role in the prophecy.
posted by Sheldon Goldberg at 8:40 AM
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