Table Talk for Shabbat Vayechi, December 17-18th, 2010

This is taken from the URJ's Family Shabbat Table Talk from 1998--enjoy!

Va-y'chi, 5759

Parashat Va-y'chi

The Torah: A Modern Commentary
W. Gunther Plaut, ed.
CYCLE ONE

SUMMARY
The name of this week's portion is Va-y'chi. In English it means "and he lived" and refers to Jacob having lived in Egypt for 17 years.
 
Old and ill, Jacob senses that he is about to die and makes Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, the place of his birth. Before he dies, Jacob wants to bless his children, a common practice among the patriarchs. Jacob embraces two generations in this ritual by "adopting" Joseph's two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim, so they too can receive a blessing.
After finishing with his grandsons, Jacob calls his twelve sons to his bedside. He blesses each of his progeny by describing their character and predicting their futures. Jacob repeats what he has told Joseph and instructs his sons to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah in Canaan, the gravesite of his parents and grandparents. After his death, Jacob's body is prepared for burial. A formal funeral procession accompanies the body from Egypt to Canaan, where Jacob is laid to rest.
 
Joseph and his brothers return to Egypt. The brothers are concerned that now that their father is dead, Joseph will finally seek revenge for what his brothers did to him years before when they threw him in a pit to die. The brothers send Joseph a message informing him that their father's final instructions were for Joseph to forgive his brothers. Joseph assures his siblings that they have nothing to fear. Although they may have intended to harm him years before, it was by God's will that their actions for good.
 
This portion and the book of Genesis end with Joseph's death at the age of 110. Joseph is blessed to live to see his own great-grandchildren.
 
COMMENTARY
The special blessings that parents give their children on Shabbat are based on this Torah portion. The text tells us that Jacob placed his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Menasheh and said "By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying 'God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh'" (Genesis 48:20). This tradition is maintained today in Jewish homes when, after kindling Shabbat candles, one or both parents place their hands on the child's head and say:

For a boy: "May God inspire you to live in the tradition of Ephraim and Menasheh, who carried forward the life of our people."
For a girl: "May God inspire you to live in the tradition of Sarah, Rebecca, Leah , and Rachel, who carried forward the life of our people."

It is evident that Joseph's brothers made up Jacob's final instructions about forgiving them for having left Joseph in a pit. Rabbi Simeon ben Gamliel taught; "Great is peace, for even our ancestors resorted to fabrication in order to make peace between Joseph and themselves" (Genesis Rabbah 10:8). Rabbi Ila said: "A person may tell a white lie for the sake of peace" (Talmud Yebamot).
 
TABLE TALK

1. Bless the children at the Shabbat table using the blessings suggested in the commentary section. Talk about how the ritual felt and answer the following questions.
   • For parents: By blessing your children, how are you linking yourselves and them to Jewish tradition?
   • For children: Why do you think it is a blessing to be like Ephraim, Menasheh, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah?
2. Read the commentary section. What reasons do the rabbis give for supporting the brothers' fictional account of their father's last words? Do you agree or disagree with their arguments?
3. Have you ever lied for the sake of peace? What was the lie and why did you say it? Did the lie work? Why or why not?
4. Although he had lived comfortably in Egypt for many years, Jacob was adamant about his desire to be buried in Canaan. Why might this request have been so important to him? In what ways was his decision to be buried at the Cave of Machpelah a blessing for his family? In what ways might Jacob's decision have affected his family's future?
5. Both Jacob and Joseph die in this parasha yet the portion is given the title "and he lived." As Jews, we honor and remember Jacob and Joseph, and all those who have died, by chronicling and recalling their deeds and accomplishments. In this way, those who have died continue to live. Share special memories of friends and family members who have died. Recall the special blessings they transmitted to you and describe how their lives influence yours.

DID YOU KNOW...that at the completion of the public reading of each book of Torah, the congregation rises and says aloud "Chazak, chazak, v'nit-chazek!" meaning "Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened (to continue the reading of the Torah)."