From:          "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
To:            yhe-intparsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject:       INTPARSHA -12: Parashat Vayechi


                     YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
        ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
*********************************************************

              INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA
                             
                    by Rav Michael Hattin
                             
                      PARASHAT VAYECHI


     With  the  reading  of Parashat Vayechi,  the   Book  of
Bereishit  draws  to  a close.  Finally  reunited  with   his
beloved  and sorely missed son, Yaacov lives out  the  final
seventeen  years of his life in the land of Egypt.   Yosef's
immediate  and  extended families, the  proverbial  'seventy
souls,' are settled in the region of Goshen, and thus begins
to unfold the story of our ancestors' sojourn in the land of
Egypt.  Yosef himself, respected in Pharaoh's court, beloved
in  the countryside, is reconciled with his brothers, as the
suspenseful   and   tense  circle   of    their   tempestuous
relationship is finally closed.

     As  Yaacov  nears death, he summons his son  Yosef   and
recounts  the promise that God had extended to him regarding
the  two  cardinal  elements of  progeny  and  land.    These
linchpins of nationhood that had been vouchsafed to  Avraham
and  Yitzchak in turn, are now transmitted to Yosef  and  to
his  two  sons,  Menashe and Ephraim.  In a confirmation  of
Yosef's  special  status  and  an  acknowledgement  of    his
assuming the authoritative leadership of the clan,  the  two
sons  are  formally inducted into the ranks of the  sons  of
Yaacov.   Hence forward, the tribes of Israel  will  include
Menashe and Ephraim among their number.

     Yaacov,  his sight failing, instructs his son to  bring
Menashe and Ephraim close to him so that he can bless  them.
Yosef  draws  near and places Menashe the firstborn  on  his
left  and  Ephraim  the younger on his  right.  Since  Yosef
stands  facing  his  father Yaacov,  this  arrangement  will
ensure  that Menashe will be within reach of Yaacov's  right
hand and Ephraim his left, so that the firstborn will be the
recipient  of  a  blessing  bestowed  by  Yaacov's   hand  of
strength.   Yaacov, however, much to Yosef's  consternation,
reverses  his  hands so that his right hand rests  upon  the
head of Ephraim the younger son.  "Yosef saw that his father
was  going  to place his right hand on Ephraim  and  it  was
improper  in  his  eyes.   He  grasped  Yaacov's   hand   and
attempted to remove it from the head of Ephraim, to place it
instead  upon  the head of Menashe.  Yosef said:  'not  like
this,  my father, for Menashe is the firstborn.  Place  your
right hand upon his head.'  Yaacov refused and said: 'I know
my  son,  I know.  He too will become a great multitude  and
will  increase.   But his younger brother  will  be  greater
still,  and his descendents more numerous.'  Yaacov  blessed
them  on  that day saying: 'by your name, Israel will  bless
its children saying: 'may Hashem make you as Ephraim and  as
Menashe' and Yaacov mentioned Ephraim before Menashe."

     What  is the significance of this incident, and why  is
it  that  Yaacov  insists  on  breaking  with  accepted   and
widespread convention by placing his right hand on the  head
of  the younger son?  Even more disconcerting, why does  his
formula become the paradigm in Jewish tradition for blessing
one's  children,  until this very day?  Has  Yaacov  of  all
people failed to internalize the lesson of diffusing sibling
rivalry by avoiding overt acts or expressions of favoritism?
And why, we might ask, does this exchange constitute one  of
the closing events of the Book of Bereishit?

     Essentially  and  in  outline,  Yaacov's    act   is   a
confirmation of the fact that Menashe the firstborn will  be
eclipsed  by his younger brother Ephraim.  Yaacov's blessing
should not be misconstrued as the cause of that reality, but
rather  as an admission of its inevitability.  Ephraim  will
be  greater, and Yaacov feels obliged to reflect that  truth
by  his  deed.   Once we are cognizant of the event's  basic
thrust, however, it becomes clear that in fact its theme  is
one  that   permeates every chapter of this  Book.   In   our
case, the motif involves the younger sibling surpassing  the
older  one  in  achievement, and consequently  usurping  his
role.   In the more extreme expressions of this same  motif,
the  firstborn  is  consciously rejected from  assuming  the
mantle of leadership and a younger sibling is designated  in
his place.

     We  may begin our survey by considering the very  first
'siblings'  in  the  world, Kayin and  Hevel.   It   will  be
recalled  that Kayin was the first born of Adam  and  Chava,
and Hevel was his younger brother.  "After a period of time,
Kayin brought an offering to God from his crops.  Hevel also
brought  an  offering consisting of the  firstlings  of  his
sheep and their fat, and God favored Hevel and his offering.
God  did not favor Kayin or his offering..." (Bereishit 4:1-
5).

     Similarly,  although  Yefet is in all  probability   the
first  born  of  Noach (see the listing  of  genealogies  in
Bereishit Chapter 10), it is Shem his younger sibling who is
chosen  to be the servant of God:  "Noach said: 'Blessed  be
Hashem the God of Shem.  Canaan shall be his slave.  May God
extend the borders of Yefet and dwell in the tents of  Shem.
Canaan shall be their slave.'" (Bereishit  9:25-26).

     Returning  to  more familiar territory,  we   find  that
Avraham's  firstborn  Yishmael  is  not  designated  as   the
progenitor  of the future nation (much to Avraham's  initial
misgivings, see Bereishit 17:15-21), but rather Yitzchak his
younger  half-brother is selected.  Of Yitzchak's two  sons,
it  is  Yaacov the younger to whom God extends the blessings
and  responsibilities of the covenant, and not to  Esav  his
older  brother.   Among  Yaacov's own children,  Reuven  the
firstborn is rejected by his father from functioning as  the
leader  of  the family, and this responsibility  is  instead
transferred to Yehuda and Yosef.  Yehuda's own firstborn  Er
is   deemed  'wicked  in  the  eyes  of  God'   and  perishes
prematurely, as does Onan his younger brother, leaving  only
Shela the youngest sibling to remain.   Of Yehuda's children
by  Tamar, it is Peretz, the technical second of the  twins,
whose  descendents  achieve  prominence.   Finally,  in   our
Parasha,  Yosef's firstborn Menashe is  cast aside in  favor
of Ephraim.

     Upon closer examination, we find that elsewhere in  the
Torah  a  similar  trend  is at work.   Considering   Moshe's
lineage,  we  find that his ancestor Levi  (Son  of  Yaacov)
begat  three sons, namely Gershon, Kehat and Merari.  It  is
the family of Kehat that is selected for the unique role  of
carrying  the  most holy elements of the Tabernacle.   Moshe
himself has two older siblings, Miriam and Aharon.  Although
both  achieve great renown in their own right, it  is  Moshe
who  becomes preeminent.  Of Aharon's four sons,  Nadav  the
firstborn and Avihu his second perish for offering  'strange
fire.'  It is Elazar the third born son who then assumes the
leadership of the priestly class.

     What might be the significance of this pattern? Why  do
all  the  firstborn children in the Torah seem to meet  with
rejection  and  reversal, as their younger siblings  preempt
them?   What  profound  facet of  human  existence  and   our
corresponding  relationship to  God  is  indicated  by  this
recurring idea?

     In  order  to  address the issue, let us   consider  the
firstborn as an abstract concept.  As an idea, the firstborn
represents the beginning, the primary expression of  his/her
parents'  creative propensities.  The birth of  a  firstborn
child  is  apt  to be preceded by great ebullience,  fervent
expectations, and glorious visions of future greatness.   To
a   more  pronounced  degree  than  subsequent  births,   the
firstborn  tends  to  embody  all  of  the  enthusiasm    and
exuberance  of  first-time parenthood.   The  child's  every
developmental  advance,  incremental  as  it  might  be,   is
eagerly anticipated and lovingly charted for posterity.   It
is  quite natural that the birth and growth of the firstborn
should  consequently be invested with  a  higher  degree  of
expectation   and   anticipation  than  his/her    succeeding
siblings.

     If,  however,  we ask ourselves what the firstborn   has
done  to  merit  such attention and love, we  will  be  hard
pressed  to provide an answer.  The truth of the  matter  is
that  the  firstborn has done absolutely nothing to  deserve
the  singular  honors  bestowed upon  him/her.   Through   an
'accident'  of  birth, one child is born  first  and  others
follow.   That  initial child is born  into  the  comforting
embrace  of parental afand the protective warmth of   tender
devotion,  but  in reality has accrued no previous  personal
merits    that  could  justify  the  preferential   treatment
received.   In short, the firstborn as a paradigm represents
all of life's advantages that are accorded to the individual
through  no  efforts or labors of his/her own.  These  might
include   blue-blooded  ancestors,  wealthy  forebears,    or
politically  connected parents.   The so-called  'rights  of
the  firstborn'  might   more  accurately  be   described  as
'undeserved largess.'

     The theme of the younger sibling, on the other hand, is
the  antithesis of this notion.  The younger sibling is  not
fortunate  enough to have been born first and so must  labor
diligently  to  achieve those advantages.  As  a  conceptual
model,   the   younger  child  represents  all    of   life's
accomplishments that are the product of personal effort  and
sacrifice, rather than privilege and entitlement.

     Through  the  recurring motif of  the   firstborn  being
rejected  in  favor  of  a younger  sibling,  the   Torah  is
indicating  that  insofar  as  spiritual  achievements    are
concerned,  the  most significant determinant  factors  have
precious  little to do with pedigree or silver  spoons,  and
everything  to do with effort and sacrifice.  A human  being
may not be born with the advantages of affluence, power,  or
pedigree. Nevertheless, he/she is capable of devotion to the
service  of  God  with  even  greater  ardor  than   one   in
possession  of  those opportunities.  What is  important  to
bear  in  mind  is that we are understanding the  notion  of
'firstborn'  not  so  much  in its  literal  sense  at   all.
Rather,  it  is a generic term that describes all  of  those
aspects of our lives that confer benefit, without being  the
direct product of our own  exertions.

     Perhaps  the most glaring illustration of this  concept
is  preserved  in  a  Mishna at the conclusion  of  Tractate
Horayot, which the Rambam (12th century, Egypt) incorporates
into  his  discussion  of the laws of Torah  study.    "Three
crowns were conferred upon Israel - the crown of Torah,  the
crown  of  Priesthood and the crown of Royalty.  Aharon  and
his  descendents merited the crown of Priesthood...David and
his descendents merited the crown of Royalty...but the crown
of  Torah  is  set aside, waiting and ready  for  each  Jew.
Whoever  desires, may come and take it...the crown of  Torah
is greater than the other two.  Our Sages have declared that
even  a  mamzer who is a Torah sage takes precedence over  a
high  priest  who is an ignoramus..." (Laws of Torah  Study,
Chapter 3:1-3).

     In  this passage, priesthood and royalty are contrasted
with Torah.  The former two are of course paragons of unfair
advantage, since one is either born into their ranks or  one
is  not.   The  non-cohen Israelite can never serve  in  the
Temple,  and the non-descendent of David can never be  king.
The  lineage  of  the High Priest or the King  is  therefore
emblematic of the most illustrious class benefits  conferred
by  heredity  that one could imagine.  Study  of  Torah,  in
contrast,  is the paradigmatic pursuit in which  success  is
predicated  upon  personal  labor,  individual  effort,  and
nothing else:  "Whoever desires, may come and take it."

     In  the striking formulation of our Sages "a mamzer who
is  a Torah sage takes precedence over a high priest who  is
an  ignoramus."  Here, the mamzer who is the offspring of an
incestuous or adulterous relationship, represents the lowest
imaginable   lineage.   So  much  so,  that  a    mamzer   is
halakhically disqualified from marrying anyone  else  but  a
fellow  mamzer.   Nevertheless,  such  an  individual,   when
devoted  to  Torah  study to become a scholar,  is  held  in
greater esteem than a high priest who is an ignoramus.  This
high  priest may be in possession of the most exalted stemma
in  ancient Israel, but that is an accident of birth  rather
than a result of conscious and conscientious effort.  If the
high  priest  remains an ignoramus, then his high  birth  is
worth precious little.

     Significantly, of all of the personalities mentioned in
the  Book  of  Bereishit, only one  seems  to  have   been  a
firstborn achiever: Avraham.  "These are the descendents  of
Terach:  Terach  begat Avram, Nachor and  Haran,  and  Haran
begat   Lot"   (Bereishit  11:27).   If  the   advantage   of
'firstbornhood'  represents  potential,  than  only  Avraham
succeeded  in realizing that potential.  The other firstborn
protagonists were not sufficiently devoted to the service of
God  to  deserve the uniqueness of their status.  They  were
therefore  demoted,  because  greater  opportunity   carries
enhanced responsibility and more pronounced consequences.

     In  more general terms, we may describe the entire book
of  Bereishit as the story of individuals struggling to find
God,  to  establish a relationship with Him and  to  achieve
perfect   trust.   The   concluding   Parasha    emphatically
introduces  a corollary theme that threads its  way  through
all  of  the  Book's narratives. To undertake this  endeavor
which  is  life's  greatest journey,  and  to  even   achieve
spiritual 'renown,' is not predicated on any special or rare
preconditions, except one:  that a person be devoted  to the
search, and committed to the quest.

Shabbat Shalom


YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH
ALON SHEVUT, GUSH ETZION 90433

Copyright (c) 1999 Yeshivat Har Etzion
All Rights Reserved

***********************************************************************


Torah/Commentary:  Parashat Vayehi -- (Genesis 47:28-50:26)

Commentary on the Weekly Torah Reading for 16 Tevet, 5760 (December
25, 1999)


by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin


Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel


EFRAT, ISRAEL,  Yom Revii (Fourth Day - "Wednesay"), 13 Tevet, 5760
(December 22, 1999),  What does the onset of the Third
Christian Millennium mean to us as Jews?

As we approach the Third Christian Millennium, January 1st, 2000, we
can divide the world into four groups: 

1.  Those whose heartbeats will rapidly increase as the ball comes
down in Times Square and will start assessing any damages wrought by
the Y2K computer bug.

2.  Those whose eyes will be turned to heaven waiting for the second
descent of the founder of Christianity, the Second Coming.

3.  Those in the third world whose lives haven't yet been touched by
the 20th century, let alone the 21st.

4.  And those who will be keeping the Sabbath on that day, for whom
news of the effects of Y2K will have to wait til after havdalah.  If,
perchance, the electricity supply does stop, there will be halachic
guidelines as to what to do with the food being kept warm on an
electric stove or a Shabbat elevator stopping between floors.  Y2K or
not, the Sabbath must go on.

For this fourth group, indeed, for the entire Jewish world community,
the year 2,000 is not the millennium because for us it is not the year
2,000. It is rather the middle of the year 5760, after the creation of
the world. It is only the "millennium" for the Christian world, whose
count begins with the birth of the founder of Christianity, whom they
consider to be the Messiah.

Judiaism certainly believes in the concept of the Messiah, or
(literally) anointed ruler of Israel during the long awaited period of
peace and tranquility for the world.  As Thomas Cahill points out in
his best selling book "Gifts of the Jews", it was the people of Israel
who bequeathed to the world the idea of the progress of history, the
ideal of the ultimate perfection of humanity and human society, the
goal of a messianic age of peace.

The first biblical reference to the Messiah appears in this week's
portion of Vayehi, when Jacob blesses each of his twelve sons.  The
major issue for each of the patriarchs is which child will receive the
gift of the birthright, who will carry the mantle of the Abrahamic
blessing for all the families of the earth, the ultimate ingathering
of the nations when a universal acceptance of ethical monotheism will
usher the world into a period of tranquility.

Jacob gives the ultimate prize to Judah:

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the Judicial interpreter
from between his feet, until Shiloh shall come and unto him shall be
the ingathering of nations".  [Genesis 49:10]

The meanings of the first parts of the verse and the last part of the
verse are relatively clear:  the scepter is a symbol of kingship, the
Judicial interpreter refers to the Princes of the Sanhedrin (great
court), the two merging together the powerful image of a
Philosopher-King, Scholar-Sovereign.

The Hebrew "Yikhat amim" probably means a gathering of nations as in
the word kehillah; (congregation) or Kohelet (a collection).

The difficulty of this verse is found right in the middle of the
blessing where we come up against an etymological mystery:  the word
Shilo, which appears only this once in the Bible (except when it is
the name of a city in Israel which housed the Sanctuary, precursor to
the Holy Temple during the period of the Judges.

The second century C.E. Aramaic Bible translation,  Targum Onkelos,
renders the word as 'meshicha', the messiah -- anointed King - leader
of Israel during the period of world peace.

Similarly the Babylonian Talmud, in Tractate Sanhedrin 98b, states
that Shilo is a proper noun, the name of the Messiah!

Rashi, our preeminent commentator, also speaks of the word 'shiloh'
with regard to its messianic implications, quoting first from the
Targum Onkelos, and then adding that the etymology is derived either
from the Hebrew pronoun of possession (until the coming of the one to
whom [the kingdom] is his shelo) or a contraction of "the gift (or
prize) is his," shai lo.

The Baal Haturim discovers a striking gematriya (arithmetical
equivalency) between the phrase 'yavo (13) shilo (345)' (shilo comes)
and the word 'meshiach' (messiah, which is 358).

The S'forms takes Shilo as being synonymous with shalom or peace, and
writes that it refers to the ultimate peace. 

All these comments make it clear that our Sages understood the initial
reference to the emergence of a messianic line in Judaism to be found
in the blessing to Judah, who is the progenitor of Boaz, Yishai and
David, model and ancestor of the long-awaited Messiah.

An evermore interesting nuance appears in the commentary of the Ibn
Ezra, where he explains 'shilo' in terms of the word 'shilyitah',
which mean womb (see Deuteronomy 28:57).

In making the connection, the Ibn Ezra is insisting that the ultimate
messiah-ruler will be naturally born to woman, the product of a
naturally male-fertilized ovum, a fetus formed by mother and father.
In so interpreting, he is clearly denying the Christological notion of
a messiah born by immaculate conception without male sexual
fertilization.

Just as the messiah must be a natural child of a mother and father, so
will he bring about the millennium of peace in natural and normative
ways -- at least according to 12th century Maimonides, probably the
greatest Jewish theologian-halakhist of all time.  Maimonides uses as
his proof-text the historical occurrence of Bar Kochba, a courageous,
devout Israeli warrior whom Rabbi Akiva and the majority of second
century C.E. Talmudic sages considered to be the Messiah.  Bar Kochba
was a very human being who used politics and warfare as legitimate
means to effectuate Jewish sovereignty and to exercise world
leadership.

"Do not think that the king messiah must perform signs and miracles,
and create new things in the world, or resurrect the dead," insists
Maimonides.

The natural way of things will continue even into the Messianic age,
during which time the Holy Temple will have been built, Israel's
enemies will have been vanquished, and the Israelites, as well as, the
entire world will live in peace, harmony and tranquility under G-d.

"Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and humanity will not
have war anymore.  There will be no evil or destruction throughout thy
holy mountain.  The knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the
waters fill the seas".  [Isaiah 2:11]

Even more significantly, Maimonides logically concludes that anyone
who dies before having fulfilled the messianic goals of redemption and
salvation cannot possibly have been the real messiah.  Hence, once Bar
Kochba was "Killed, he could not have possibly have been the Messiah",
insists Maimonides.

If that is the case, although the founder of Christianity may well
have been a G-d-fearing and even charismatic rabbinical figure, once
he was crucified by the Romans he forfeited all claims to the
messiah-ship. Normative Judaism knows of no first and second coming.
[Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, 11, 12, esp. 11, 13]

Thus the new millennium has no real significance in Jewish theology.

We must continue to prepare ourselves in repentance and good deeds,
especially in the realm of inter-personal relationships in order for
the Messiah to come, but he will arrive only when we are adequately
deservant of receiving him.

A bookseller in Meah Shearim once told me (in 1975) that the Messiah
was in Jerusalem.  Despite my rationalistic bent, I found myself
praying at the Western Wall, searching devout faces in the hope of
identifying the savior.  At last in despair I returned to my
bookseller, in frustration and perplexity. 

"But you told me the Messiah was in Jerusalem!"  I accusingly said.

"Rav Riskin, you have it all wrong", he replied.  "You think that we
are waiting for the Messiah.  In reality, the Messiah is waiting for
us!"

Shabbat Shalom from Efrat,


Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

******************************************************************


Commentary from Eddie Chumney:
      
           This is just a reminder to our members that Orthodox
Jewish commentaries are sent to our members because there are times
when we can glean insights to the understanding of various texts
which can help us in our studies and understandings of our rich Hebraic
heritage in Messiah. The Orthodox Jewish weekly Torah commentaries
also allow us to be educated and understand what traditional modern
Orthodox Judaism really does believe.

          This does not always mean that what is written and said
in the Orthodox Jewish Torah commentaries will agree with what
believers in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah believe.  You
can't have pure gold without doing away with the impurities and
sometimes in order to "eat the meat", you have to "spit out the
bones". We have the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) within us to give us
spiritual discernment. It is the Holy Spirit within us with the
knowledge of the WRITTEN Word of God that will allow us to glean
"nuggets" of truth and insights of the text that the Rabbi's
have preserved for us to study, learn and understand.

             The purpose of the newsgroup is to provide you with
INFORMATION that can help you in your studies not to always dictate
what you believe or to persuade you that what you read on the
newsgroup you will or should always agree with.

               The Hebraic concept or principle in this is that it is
said that "Rabbi so and so teaches such" BUT "Rabbi so and so teaches
such and such". It is viewed that by presenting the different views
and various opinions of the text that your OVERALL studies will be
enriched because you have had an opportunity to examine different
views of the text and be able to better discern and interpret for
yourself with the help of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) what the
text is really saying and why. By being able to compare and contrast
different views and the reasons of each view, it is believed that your
OVERALL knowledge of God's Word will eventually increase in time.
This then is a Hebraic principle of learning, studying and
understanding God's Word which is a part of our heritage.

              This is the one of the many purposes of having the
Hebraic Heritage newsgroup.

               May God continue to bless you in your studies.

               Eddie Chumney
               Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l