January 12, 2006 5 Tevet, 5766 - Vayechi
This is the closed parsha. When Jacob’s eyes were closed, the lights went out for the family and they began their descent into bondage.
• The seeds of the opposite are in each event.
• When Joseph was in the pits (of snakes and prison), he was also in his own pit of anger and resentment. He needed to do tchuva to get out. Similarly, the Israelites were in a pit of bondage and needed to do tchuva to get out. These are models for us to do the same.
In this parsha, Jews became doctors, a sign of assimilation. They lost everything but their names. The next parsha is Shemote, Names.
Pharaoh enslaved the tribes when they showed up for one day of work. These were useless work projects. Hitler followed the same pattern as Pharaoh, because you can’t just enslave and kill off a people all at once, you have to do it in stages. Also, the victim must consent – this is what the tribes did when they showed up for work to show the Egyptians that they were good citizens.
Levy, in a pattern of headstrong aloneness which began with the razing of Shechem refused to join in, but also failed to warn the others. Because of this they were not enslaved, but were punished by becoming the priestly class, dependent on the other tribes for their sustenance.
Lies made people feel alone and alienated. When I was little, I was not supposed to tell my grandmother that we were eating trafe. I was too young, though, to remember or understand what trafe was. I remember one time clearly (it wasn’t the only time) that she asked me what we had had for dinner, and I prattled off shrimp-” My older sister took me aside and whispered furiously at me that I wasn’t supposed to tell her things like that. I felt bad. I’m sure it affected our relationship.
Shame and guilt eliminate responsibility.
G*d thought this for the good – was translated G*d intended- [What does this mean?]
The brothers had to confront Jacob with his own lie.
Eisenhower fired General Patton for putting barbed wire around the DP camps. Eisenhower also made the Germans living near the death camps bury Jewish bodies.
We have to open channels to receive blessings. The wagons were to take Jacob’s stuff as a connection. It was also Joseph’s way of saying he had lost his connection.
After descending to Egypt, Jacob got a blessing: old age and illness. It was an opportunity for the children to nourish the parent.
AISH KODESH (p. 256) Yehuda tells the story when he speaks to Joseph before Josephe reveals his identity in a way that mobilizes help.
If we can speak from the heart 5% of the time, we can turn our life into a prayer.
What is the crux of our judgment?
• Prelude to intimacy
• That’s as good as it gets in getting ready to talk to HaShem.
Yesod: sexual organs – through the shoulders and into the mind – da’at – knowing, prepare, plan, done with intelligence. I-Thou v. having sex like a cow.
Approach means to pray. We go in and out of intimacy. We need to listen deeply to our own words. In the school, this was called “non-critical self-observation.”
What is the first step to intimacy:
• Telling the truth to yourself
• Trust I said trust—I didn’t necessarily mean trust in the other person, but trusting myself to deal with the truth and trusting that I would not be devastated by whatever occurred next.
• Willingness to take a risk
• Feeling the life force.
Devay Coot – cleaving to G*d. Joseph found the mystarium in prison, the place of light.
AISH KODESH, p. 28
Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years (this was the same number of years Joseph lived with him as a child/youth). 17 = tov, good, which is one shy of chai, life.
One of the ultimate blows against Amalak is how you say goodbye. When dying, Jacob says goodbye carefully. Beth gave a devar torah that there was a lot more to the blessings than what is recorded in the text, and that each son received what he needed. Because some of the text is very rough.
Abraham’s philosophy was small steps in a dark room – you just keep walking.
Jacob was blocked when saying goodbye to his sons – it allowed him to tell the truth instead of trying to fix his sons.
Our greatest people died in a thoughtful process.
G*d needs our good will – He can’t run the world by himself.
In his next gila, Joseph had a strong sex drive and was a perfectionist. He put his eyes out – Joseph hadn’t learned about collateral, so G*d was his collateral. Putting his eyes out was not useful, because you’re supposed to see something beautiful every day. Doing sex appropriately, not putting your eyes out.
Page 29 of Sacred Fire is prophesy – the suffering of the Jews in World War II and the Warsaw ghetto was so cosmic that our exile had to end.
As of this year, the majority of Jew live in Israel.
Yehuda: you escaped from prey – when you don’t become collateral, you become prey.