Hebrew Torah - Parshat Vayechi - Free Video and Audio

Rav Yeshua B Gordon of Chabad.org gives a nice intro to Parsha Vayechi with Rashi Baal Ha Turim and other commentaries.

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Rashi calls this parsha a 'closed' parsha because a Torah scroll usually has three פפפ or three ססס at the end of the chapter in a physical Torah scroll, there is no such separation between Vayigash and Vayechi.

Rashi answers "Why why is this parsha closed? Because as soon as Yaakov died, the eyes and the hearts of the Children of Israel were closed from the difficulties of enslavement, because that's when the enslavement started."

However, only last week's parsha Pharaoh nearly begged the Jacob and his whole family to come live in Egypt in Goshen, surely, at least while Joseph was still alive, the Israelites were not enslaved.  All the more-so, we have a tradition that the enslavement didn't begin until the last heads of the Shvatim, Levi, Dies.

So what is Rashi saying?  He is filling in the gaps to how the Israelites become Slaves to Pharaoh.

In the previous chapter, parsha Vayigash, the Egyptians had no food, so they exchanged with Yoseph, the active ruler of Egypt, their land for food.  When they subsequently had no food and no land to farm, Yoseph leased back their land in exchange for 1/5th of all their produce.  By doing this, Yoseph turned the entire Egyptian population to a form of serfdom.  The only people who were exempt from the serfdom were priests.  Who were the priests?  Some Egyptian idol worshipers, and all the Israelites that came from the Land of Canaan to the Land of Goshen (part of Egypt) with Jacob.

In this parsha, Vayechi, Jacob dies,  and we have this strange explanation from Rashi regarding  losing sight and feeling.


In the following Parsha, Shmot, the Israelites begin to intermingle with the Egyptians.  The Torah uses the word "Yishratzu" - literally to multiply like crawling creatures, to describe their growth and success - Why would the the Torah use such a word to describe the chosen people?  To express the point of view of the Egyptians.

Oblivious to their purpose without Yaakov, the Israelites slowly begin opting to pay the 20% tax to Pharaoh and become one with Egyptians.  They move into the neighborhoods outside of Goshen and work, live and intermingle with the Egyptians.  This eventually happens with all the tribes except Levi.  The Torah describes in detail how the Egyptians feel threatened by the power of the Israelites and Pharaoh increases their taxes, originally set by Yoseph, to a point at which their lives become complete and utter servitude.

Thus, Rashi is not suggesting that the 400 year exile promised to Abraham began upon Yaakov's death, but rather, that the stage was set for servitude upon Yaakov's death because the Israelites stopped feeling and seeing their purpose as a holy and priestly nation.

On another note, many suggest this is why Yoseph told his brothers to hurry back with their father when coming to Egypt - knowing that there would be an exile, he wanted as much influence from the father and elders of bnei Israel on the rest of the family from the earliest point possible.  The longer the influence upon the nation, the better off they would be in the long run.
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What can we learn from this and how can we connect it to prayer so we can act accordingly?

First we know that Bnei Yisrael mamash, the original children of Israel and their court, were exceptionally high level of people.  If they can be influenced by their neighbors and surroundings, how much more can our generation.  Therefore, the main principles we can pull from this Rashi are also found directly in Ethics of our Fathers/Pirkeh Avot -As the wise Nittai of Arbel is quoted in the first chapter "...Distance yourself from a bad neighbor; do not associate with a wicked person..."

Specifically, Rabbi Edi Bar Avin at the end of the first perek in Kiddushin sources King David when he says, distance yourself from one who is not involved in Mikra (Torah) Mishna (Oral Torah) or the in path of righteousness.  As king david says, "in the presence of naysayers he (the righteous person) does not sit."

One should put oneself among the best influences possible, to help bring one's spiritual level up.  We can pray that we can merit the level of Levi's tribe which was not influenced.  By focusing on this prayer daily, we will strengthen the attribute of recognizing poor company very quickly with, and one will find oneself quickly out of poor company. 

Such a prayer can be inserted at the end of the Amida.

Comments insights and alternate versions on Torah are welcome.