Vayechi: funeral arrangements

The parsha is about the death and burial of Jacob/Israel. It opens with:

וַיְחִ֤י יַעֲקֹב֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם שְׁבַ֥ע עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יְמֵֽי־יַעֲקֹב֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃ 

Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt, so that the span of Jacob’s life came to one hundred and forty-seven years.

33 verses in the Torah begin with declaring a lifespan.  Generally, the next that sentence ,or the the one following, says that the person died.  In this chapter, Vayechi, for both Jacob and Joseph, the lifespan is followed by additional events, the birth of some great- grandchildren for Joseph and the rest of the parsha for Jacob.   This parsha makes the end of life as a time for the  accomplishing  projects related to legacy. The Talmud says: (Taanith 5b) 

 הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לֹא מֵת.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: Our patriarch Jacob did not die.

As long as his influence on events prevails, Jacob lives.  By keeping his family, in all of its diversity, unified, he continues, as evidenced by their name: the Children of Israel

There are (at least) two mysterious words  in Vayech: asaf, and mitah.  Asaf  means to gather . It also has an  flavor of completion and contains the phoneme sof, the end.   When Jacob gathers his sons  to tell them what will occur at the end of days the verse uses that word:

וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃ 

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come. ( the end of days).

  Here, the gathering means something shared with the gathering in  that is the harvest, another common use of the word, Jacob was reaping his investment in the family and replanting most of it

When the blessing is completed, the word is used again.. twice in the context of Jacob's death: 

וַיְכַ֤ל יַעֲקֹב֙ לְצַוֺּ֣ת אֶת־בָּנָ֔יו וַיֶּאֱסֹ֥ף רַגְלָ֖יו אֶל־הַמִּטָּ֑ה וַיִּגְוַ֖ע וַיֵּאָ֥סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃ 

When Jacob finished his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet into (vayesof) the bed and, breathing his last, he was gathered( vayeoseif)  to his people.

 Jacob gathered his feet into the bed. That bed had made an appearance at the beginning of the parsha. 

 וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הַמִּטָּֽה׃

Then Israel bowed at the head of the bed.

When Joseph swore that Jacob would be buried in Canaan,  Jacob bowed in that bed. That bed was the symbol of his offspring. Jacob bowed to his legacy, to the living who can act to carry out theses deathbed wishes.  Rahi quotes Megillah 16b :  תַּעֲלָא בְּעִידָּנֵיהּ סְגִיד לֵיהּ,  when the fox has his time, bow to him.”   There is a time when majesty honors power.  When this oath is fulfilled, Jacob will no longer have the power to act in the present.  This is the bed unto which Jacob's feet are gathered. All of his children accompany Jacob to his burial, and all of them claim his legacy. 

Now we have a departure from the previous stories of birthright. Up until now, there was always a single heir, a unique successor: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Now, we have 12 who share the endowment.  The story has transitioned from a struggle to be chosen to a narrative of leadership. Joseph, whom we would have predicted to have become the next in line, assumes the role of provider. 

Consider the modern Josephs. Joseph Biden's political agenda appears to be as provider. He wants to provide sustenance to families.  He takes a line from the parsha: 

אָנֹכִ֛י אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶֽת־טַפְּכֶ֑ם

I will sustain you and your children.

The memory of another Joseph casts a very dark shadow on the idea that central government will provide.  Joseph Stalin, parodied the biblical character by gathering the grain from the ends of his empire, from Ukraine and Belarus to feed the people in Moscow, the capital.  He left so little for the producers that they died from starvation.  

Jacob and Joseph are gathered to their people along with Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael.  There need not be a single winner.