PARACHAT VAYEHI /22 DECEMBRE 2018/ 14 TEVET 5779
PETIHAT HAHEKHAL :
CE CHABBAT : HAZAN DAVID AZERAD
CHABBAT PROCHAIN LE 29 DÉCEMBRE: : OURI MAMROUD
Nous souhaitons de bonnes vacances à nos snowbirds qui nous quittent vers le soleil du sud
Parachat Vayéhi en bref :
Jacob vit les 17 dernières années de sa vie en Égypte. Avant sa mort, il demande à Joseph de faire le serment qu’il l’enterrera en Terre Sainte. Il bénit les deux fils de Joseph, Manasseh et Ephraïm, les élevant au statut de ses propres fils comme fondateurs de tribus au sein du peuple d’Israël.
Le patriarche souhaite révéler la fin des temps à ses enfants, mais il en est empêché. Jacob bénit alors ses fils, attribuant à chacun le rôle de sa tribu : Judah produira des chefs, des législateurs et des rois ; les prêtres viendront de Lévi, les savants d’Issakhar, les navigateurs de Zévouloun, les maîtres d’école de Chimone, les soldats de Gad, les juges de Dan, les producteurs d’olives d’Acher, etc. Ruben est blâmé pour avoir « troublé le mariage de son père », Chimone et Lévi pour le massacre de Chekhem et le complot contre Joseph. Naphtali se voit attribuer la rapidité d’une gazelle, Benjamin la férocité d’un Loup et la beauté et la fertilité sont promises à Joseph.
Un long convoi funéraire composé des descendants de Jacob, des ministres de Pharaon, des nobles de l’Égypte et de la cavalerie égyptienne accompagne Jacob dans son dernier voyage vers la Terre Sainte, où il est enterré dans la grotte de Makhpela à Hébron
MÉNACHÉ ET EFRAYIM
The most famous parental blessing is found in this week’s Torah portion: “May G‑d bless you to be like Ephraim and Menashe.” Jacob proclaims that this blessing be the paradigm for all future generations: “With your names shall all of Israel be blessed.”
One cannot help but wonder why Jacob chooses a blessing for posterity that is connected to the names of his grandchildren, not his children. Furthermore, why not bless Jewish children to be like himself or his righteous parents and grandparents?
Jacob, the great prophet and patriarch of the Jewish people, saw all the future generations, including ours. He envisioned a challenging time like ours, when role models like himself would be scarce, and the forces of assimilation and secularism would be rampant.
Addressing the challenges of our generation, Jacob encourages parents, “You must bless your children to be like my own grandchildren, Ephraim and Menashe, who unlike their parents and grandparents before them, grew up in the land of Egypt, exposed to a very foreign culture. Despite this and despite never seeing their Jewish family until much later in their life, they still managed to grow up faithful to their family’s values and lifestyle!”
Because of the similarities between his grandchildren and the children of our generation, he encourages the parents of our generation to bless their children to follow the example of Ephraim and Menashe, as opposed to the other famous biblical heroes. Jacob is affirming that regardless of the colossal challenges facing them, our children can successfully achieve a beautiful connection to their families and traditions.
BY AVRAHAM PLOTKIN
VAYEHI QUIZ
Vayehi Quiz 1)Q. Literally, the words of Ya’akov to Reuven, Shimon, and Levi are rebuke rather than blessing. Why then does the verse say that Ya’akov blessed everyone (49:28)? A. Often, a person does not realize his shortcomings, and therefore there is no striving for change or transformation. Ya’akov made his children aware of their flaws and encouraged corrections. Ya’akov’s admonishment was indeed a great blessing. 2)Q. How did Yehuda react when Ya’akov was about to bless him? A. Rashi says that he started backing away, for he was afraid that Ya’akov would admonish him (for what happened with Tamar) just as Ya’akov had admonished his three older brothers - Reuven, Shimon, and Levi. 3)Q. a)Which tribe is compared to a lion? b)Which member of the tribe of Dan took vengeance against the Philistines? c)Which tribe had numerous olive trees in its territory? d)Which tribe is compared to a deer? e)Which members of Binyamin “will divide the spoils in the evening (49:27)”? A. a)Yehuda. b)Samson. c)Asher. d)Naftali. e)Mordechai and Esther will split the spoils of Haman. 4)Q. Why did the Egyptians mourn the death of Ya’akov?
- He had brought blessing to Egypt, causing the famine to end five years early. Some Midrashim even state that the famine returned after the death of Ya’akov. 5)Q. Why was the mourning place of Ya’akov called Goren Ha’atad (threshing floor of thorns)? The Midrash teaches that all the kings of Canaan and all the princes of Yishmael came with Esav to prevent the burial (Esav denied selling the plot to Ya’akov). When they saw Yosef’s crown hanging on the coffin, they all put their crowns on the coffin, and it looked like a field surrounded by thorns. All together there were 36 crowns hanging on the coffin; There was the crown of Yosef, the 12 sons of Yishmael, and the 23 princes from Esav’s descendants. The exact location is unknown for sure but is likely in modern day Gaza. It is interesting that the Torah states “And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house; only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. This is in contrast to the Exodus when Pharaoh offers to let only the men leave Egypt (to return 3 days later) and Moshe insists on the women, children and flocks as well. This may be a hint that once Ya’akov died already the Egyptians had made visa restrictions on the Israelites leaving the land. 6)Q. What is the Mashiah’s name? A. In the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) there are two opinions. The first opinion is based on the blessing Ya’akov gives to Yehuda, “until Shilo comes” (49:10) that the name of the Mashiah is Shilo. The second opinion says that his name is Yinon (we pray for the coming of Yinon in the Rosh Hashana prayers, at the end of the “Oked V’Hane’ekad” Piyut, “Yinon V’Eliah Ani Sholeah”). This opinion is based on a Passuk in Tehillim (Psalm 72). 8)Q. What customs do we learn from this week’s parasha regarding visiting the ill, and mourning their death?
PROVERBES JUIFS :
Seul celui qui sait jouir de sa fortune est riche.
Chauffe-toi au feu des savants, mais n'en approche pas trop : il pourrait te consumer
La maison d'un homme c'est sa femme.
Les doigts ne se ressemblent pas tous
Dans une cassette une seule pièce fait beaucoup de bruit.
Ne jette pas de pierre dans la source où tu as bu
Souvenez-vous du Créateur aux jours de la jeunesse
Un homme qui se tait est un homme prudent.
Un nouvel ami est un vin nouveau, quand il vieillira tu le goûteras avec délices
Entre mille hommes ne choisis qu'un seul conseiller.
LE SOURIRE DU CHABBAT
Un type passe au tribunal pour chèque sans provision. Pour se défendre, il précise :
– Mais je n’ai acheté que de l’apéritif sans alcool, un fromage sans matière grasse et du chocolat sans sucre, avec ce chèque sans provision !
Le juge répond :
– Bon, alors ce sera un mois sans sursis ! »
Le professeur de chimie inscrit la formule HN03 sur le tableau. Il interroge ensuite un élève :
– Que signifie cette formule ?
– Heu, je l’ai sur le bout de la langue, monsieur !
– Crachez-la tout de suite, c’est de l’acide nitrique !
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Un prof dit a ses élèves:
– Les hommes intelligents sont toujours dans le doute. Seuls les imbéciles sont constamment affirmatifs.
– Vous en etes certain?, demande une élève.
– Absolument certain!
L’inspecteur du Ministère de l’Education demande à un candidat de l’iufm :
« Pouvez-vous me donner 3 raisons qui vous motivent à devenir instituteur ? »
Le candidat répond : décembre, juillet et août.
Un journaliste demande à un champion de tennis :
– Vous préférez l’herbe ou le synthétique ?
– Je ne sais pas, je n’ai jamais fumé de synthétique…
CHABBAT CHALOM
MAGHEN ABRAHAM
David Hasson
