ב"ה
Vayechi: The Close of the Patriarchal Era
Genesis 47:28–50:26
The twelfth and final section of the Book of Genesis chronicles the last period in the life of Jacob and the succession of his son Joseph. Jacob lived (Vaichi, “and he lived” in Hebrew) the last 17 years of his life in Egypt. Besides devoting himself to the ongoing moral education of his descendants, Jacob organized his family into tribes in order to prepare it for its spiritual destiny, and then bequeathed to each tribe its unique spiritual characteristics. After his death, Jacob’s sons bury him in the family burial plot in Hebron. The section closes with the subsequent death of Joseph and his promise that G‑d would eventually take them back to the Promised Land.
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Daily Quote
[When Achashverosh declared that he would] "do the will of each and every one" (Esther 1:8), G-d said: "Wicked one! If two people desire to marry the same woman, can she marry both of them? If there are two sailing ships out in the ocean, and one requires a southern wind and the other requires a northern wind, could one wind move them both? Tomorrow, two people will come to you, Mordechai and Haman; could you satisfy both, but to promote the one and hang the other...? The only one who can 'do the will of each and every one' is G-d, of whom it is written (Psalms 145:16) 'You open Your Hand, and satisfy every life and will...'"
–Midrash Rabbah, Esther 2
The Parshah
