Vayechi
Parshat Vayechi
The book of Genesis now comes to a close. The story of the patriarchs ends as it began - - outside the Land of Israel. God told Abraham to go to Israel and inherit it, but now Jacob and his children are living in Egypt. God promises that the children of Israel will return to the Land of Israel someday.
First Aliyah Genesis chapter 47:28-48:9 pp. 293-296
Jacob is 147 and is about to die. He brings Joseph to him and explains God’s promise to him He first has Joseph swear that he will be buried in Israel, then tells Joseph to bring his two sons, Ephraim and Menasheh, so that he can bless them.
Second Aliyah 48:10-16 pp. 296-297
Jacob blesses Ephraim and Menasheh.
Third Aliyah 48:17-22 pp. 297-298
Part of the blessing is that in the future Israel will bless their children: “May God make you as Ephraim and Menasheh.”
Fourth Aliyah - 49:1-18 pp. 298-303
Jacob gathers his sons together and blesses them. It is through this blessing that Shimon and Levi are punished for their actions in Shechem. (They slaughtered all the inhabitants - see chapter 34.)
Fifth Aliyah - 49:19-26 pp. 303-305
The continuation of the blessing.
Sixth Aliyah - 49:27-50:20 pp. 305-309
Jacob dies. Joseph has the Egyptian physicians embalm Jacob. Joseph asks permission to leave Egypt to bury his father. Pharaoh sends an entourage to escort Joseph and his brothers. After Jacob is buried, the brothers are afraid that Joseph will enact revenge against them. They talk to him and Joseph says that even though they intended evil, God turned it into good for all of them.
Seventh Aliyah - 50:21-26 pp. 309-311
Joseph dies at age 110 but before he dies, he has his relatives swear that he will be buried in Israel. At the end of the reading, we rise and say,
Chazak, chazak, ve-nitchazek—be strong, be strong, and let us strengthen one another—as we conclude the book of Genesis and look forward to beginning the book of Exodus next week.
Maftir - 50:23-26 pp. 310-311
Haftorah - I Kings 2:1-12 pp. 313-314
The Torah reading includes the blessing of Jacob’s sons. The Haftorah describes King David blessing his son Solomon before he dies. David admonishes Solomon to be strong and “show yourself a man.”
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