Blessings of the Past, Blessings of the Future
D’var Torah for Parashat Va-yechi
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
This week’s Torah portion, Va-yechi(Genesis 47:28—50:26) brings to a close the first book of the Torah, Genesis. With this portion we reach also the end of the saga of Jacob’s life. A new eon in Israel’s history is about to begin, along with a transformation that transcends time and tradition.
Knowing that he is about to die, Jacob calls in his sons for his final blessing, promising to tell them their future. It is one of the most poetic and beautiful of all portions in the Bible—and also one of the most difficult to understand. Many of the words have multiple and esoteric meanings. The writing relies on poetic devices such as alliteration, word-play and symbolism rather than literalism and clarity. What emerges is a mysterious reckoning in which past, present and future intertwine. Rather than fortune telling, what Jacob actually does is show his sons a path—a road map if you will—into the future, giving them direction, goal and purpose. The future, Jacob seems to say, is based on our past; at the same time, however, if it is to emerge and take shape as we would wish, it will depend in no small measure on our own actions and behavior going forward.
As his twelve sons approach one by one, Jacob reminds them of things they themselves may have forgotten. There’s Reuben, the first born and therefore—at least by ancient tradition—first in line for leadership. Jacob, however, admonishes Reuben; he is hasty and impatient; he is overzealous and fails to carry through even the best of intentions. At his worst, he is immoral and unethical. He will be passed over for the position of leadership. Next come Simeon and Levi, but they too have serious hurdles to overcome: past experience proves that they rely too much on their sword and are too given to anger, excitement and violence. Even Judah, the fourth son—and here Jacob seems to tell Judah that he knows fully well how he had betrayed his brother, Joseph, and sold him to slave traders—has much of the blood-thirsty animal in him. Yet Judah, unlike his brothers, has repented for his misdeeds; he has accepted responsibility not only for past sins, but also for the future well-being of the entire family. In his blessing, Jacob portrays Judah as a lion, fierce not only in the pursuit of food, but also in defense of his pride and people. It is Judah, Jacob foretells, who will become the leader of the Israelites, and who will show them the path forward through strength, courage and faith.
Each of the brothers is recognized for specific abilities; each is empowered by Jacob’s blessing to persevere in his path; each is encouraged to retain his uniqueness and individuality while yet continuing to contribute to the welfare of the entire people.
In this respect, Jacob’s blessing transcends that of his fathers. Unlike Abraham and Isaac, who bestowed their final blessing on only one of two sons (Abraham had exiled Ishmael, and Isaac has little to offer Esau after giving Jacob the birthright and blessing of God), Jacob offers his blessing to allhis sons, forging a bond between them that even history will not be able to break.
Biblical scholars and commentators argue over the specific content and meaning of Jacob’s blessings. Yet what does emerge as clear as light from this beautiful portion is the image of Jacob’s humility, of his ultimate humanity. Of the three Patriarchs of the Jewish People, Jacob is the one most like us. Maybe that’s why in this portion he is referred to almost exclusively as Israel, the name given to him by God and the name by which we, his descendants, will be known, rather than as Jacob, the name given him at birth.
In his own story, Abraham appears almost superhuman. He walks with God, he talks with God, he even argueswith God. A man of powerful faith, Abraham’s heroism and prowess make him legendary in his own time, a figure of astonishment and admiration. Even today he is seen as the founder of three of the world’s major faiths—Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Isaac, on the other hand, is wounded; he is a damaged hero, long-suffering, malleable and acquiescent. He does not rebel; he does as he is told, fully aware that he is no more than an instrument in the hands of God and people.
But Jacob comes off as the most realistically drawn of the three. He has his strengths, to be sure, but also weaknesses. We can identify with his evolution, his transformation from youth to old age, from self-sufficiency to dependence, from doubt to faith. The journey that is Jacob’s life is one that each of us must traverse. He is not without faults, yet he learns from his mistakes. He attempts to repair any damage he may have caused. At times he succeeds, yet at other times he can’t help but pass down deep-seated habits and traits. Having taken advantage of parental preference (his mother always didlove him best), he continues this unfair practice, promising both Joseph andJudah a royal and even messianic future, thus practically guaranteeing that the rivalry between them will continue well into the future. Old habits are hard to break.
Jacob is the eternal Jew, an everyman for all seasons. At his deathbed, he is overcome by the emotion and love he feels for his family; and then, sensing his vitality slipping away, he prays to God for just a bit more time, for sustenance, for deliverance.
Jacob’s final blessing is the blessing of strength. He has learned that God is the ultimate source of courage and hope, yet he also knows that true strength must come also from within the individual, as well as from his surrounding community. In order to survive, he tells his sons, they must be strong.
From his own experience, he knows that the flip side of success is jealousy. Years earlier, he had seen hatred directed at him because of his own talents and abilities. Later, he wasn’t blind to the loathing that Josephs’ brothers felt for the son he had favored. At this point, at the close of his life, even with Joseph at the pinnacle of his career, Jacob senses the resentment that the Egyptians feel toward Joseph and his brothers. Power is fickle, he knows: here today, gone tomorrow. Jacob’s message, his living will to his family and people, is to remain strong and unified. Only so will they overcome the dangers that loom ahead. The people’s survival may depend on God’s grace. Their strength, however, will come from their unity, from their single-minded purposefulness.
It is to that end that Jacob bestows his final blessing on allhis children, even going so far as to include Joseph’s two children, born in the Diaspora and shaped by their life as young princes, carefree, culturally assimilated and spoiled by power and riches.
Israel’s endurance as a people is a promise made by God to a lonely and aged visionary, long ago on top of a bare mountain. Repeated and reinforced countless times since then, this promise still holds true. Yet history has proven to us that our survival does not depend only on God. Nor is it guaranteed by our good deeds. Righteousness carries into the future, yes, but perseverance is as much the outcome of strength and unity as it is the fulfillment of misty-eyed visions. It is up to us, as individuals and as a people, to fulfill not only our spiritual duty to God, but also our physical obligation to Life. Our continuity depends on our strength and our unity.
Jacob’s last moments represent the end of an era in our People’s life. A new stage of our history is about to begin. Israel, the man, is about to become Israel, the People. Inspired by the principles of justice and compassion, this nation will forever be guided by an image of life not only as it is, but also as it canbe. The messianic ideal envisioned by Jacob will always be there before our eyes, teaching us to see the potential implanted in every living being; to recognize the ability within each of us to fall—and then to rise again; to overcome failure—and find ourselves stronger for it, always and forever reaching for the highest ideals.
Chazak chazak v’nit-chazek: May we be strong and of good courage. May we continue to strengthen one another with the blessings of the past and the blessings of the future.
KYR, may this be God’s will.
© 2018 by Boaz D. Heilman
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