Yosef was blessed by his father Yaakov that he become (“vayidgu”) plentiful [1] – like fish (dugim) who the evil eye does not rule over fish [2]. Why does ..
Written by Rabbi Daniel Leeman
“Yisachar chamor gorem (Yisachar is a bony ox)” 49:14. Like a donkey, Yisachar bent his shoulder to bear the yoke of Torah. Seeing as the word “gorem” ..
Written by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Whilst sitting on the underground on a recent trip to England, I was privileged to witness a tragic comedy. Sitting across the aisle was an unlikely pair; a corporate ..
Written by Rabbi Dovid Sipper
The sedra is called Vayechi; and he lived. Yet this is the sedra in which Yaakov dies. What’s going on? (and The Torah is not sarcastic) Chazal tell us that ..
Written by D Fine
At the end of VaYechi we read that the exile in Egypt will end when “Pakod Yifkod”, “God will surely redeem” (Bereishit 50:24). These would ..
Written by H Jackson
This Torah portion is unlike any other – “closed” – meaning, without a space separating it from the previous paragraph; and in the commentaries – because ..
Written by Rabbi Shimshon Silkin
At the close of the book of Bereishis (Genesis) Yaakov, approaching death, gathers together his family to bless them before he dies. His blessing to Yosef and his sons, ..
Written by Rabbi A Savage
There is a Torah concept that the name of something is an exact expression of its essence. The Hebrew word for a ‘thing’ (d’var) also comes to mean a ‘word’. ..
Written by Moshe Kormornick
The crux of our sedra involves Yaakov’s rather cryptic and deep/prophetic blessings to the tribes before his death. Yosef and his brothers then go and bury Yaakov ..
Written by daniel fine