Parshas Vayechi brings us to the end of
Sefer Bereishis and the end of the era of the Avos. From this point on, Bnei
Yisrael begin the transition from a family to a nation. It also signals the
beginning of Galus Mitzrayim and the labor forced upon Bnei Yisrael for
over 200 years. It all begins with Yaakov’s passing.
When Yaakov realizes that he will soon
pass away, he wants to be sure that he will be buried in Eretz Yisrael in Me’aras
Hamachpela together with his ancestors. His fear was that since his coming to
Mitzrayim brought good fortune to the Egyptians (he gave Paroh a brachah that
the Nile River should overflow, ending the famine), they will want to bury him
there in order to keep that fortune coming. Yosef being viceroy of Mitzrayim would
have the authority to bury Yaakov in Eretz Yisrael so Yaakov made him swear to
do so. When Yosef takes the oath to fulfill Yaakov’s wishes, the pasuk says, “וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל
עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה” “And Yisrael bowed on the head of
the bed” (Bereishis 47:31).
While Yosef was a king, it is
still strange that his father would bow down to him. Rashi gives several explanations
why Yaakov did so. The first one he gives is a famous statement from the
gemarah in Megillah (16b), “During the fox’s time, bow down to him”.
Meaning, that even though Yaakov had no obligation to bow down to his son,
since Yosef would be the one to determine whether this last request would be
carried out, he showed him an advanced level of respect. Rashi gives two more
explanations what the pasuk is teaching us when it says Yaakov bowed “on the
head of the bed”. The first explanation Rashi gives is that Yaakov was
bowing down to the Shechinah which rests at the head of every sick person.
The Sifsei Chachamim asks that this
explanation is the exact opposite of what Rashi explained previously! Earlier
in the pasuk, Rashi explained that Yaakov was bowing down to Yosef, and then only
to acknowledge the kindness Yosef was doing for him. Now, Rashi explains that
Yaakov is bowing down in recognition of Hashem’s presence! Which one is it? The
Sifsei Chachamim explains that Rashi read the pasuk and saw that is said that
Yaakov bowed and that he did so at the head of the bed. He learned from this
that if Yaakov was only bowing down to Hashem, the pasuk could have said
explicitly that he bowed down to Hashem! The fact the pasuk only tells me this
through a hint that Yaakov bowed at the head of the bed, shows me that he bowed
to someone else as well, in this case, Yosef.
I’d like to offer an alternative answer.
Rashi brings a third explanation why Yaakov bowed, that when Yaakov bowed at “the
head of the bed”, he was bowing that his bed was “complete”, meaning that all
his children were tzaddikim. The biggest challenge to this happening was Yosef
since he had lived almost forty years in the spiritual wasteland of Mitzrayim,
including twenty-two as the viceroy, yet he still was able to
remain a tzaddik. Therefore, in Yosef’s presence, Yaakov felt it most fitting
to acknowledge this great accomplishment. I believe this explanation ties
together the previous two. Yosef was Yaakov’s biggest obstacle to achieving this
status of having a complete bed. Seeing him now at this time, Yaakov was bowing
to Hashem because of Yosef. Because Yosef was standing in front of him
alive and was a tzaddik as well, Yaakov bowed to Hashem and Yosef at the same
time.
At the beginning of the Parshah, the
Ramban discusses the many similarities between Galus Mitzrayim and the current
Galus we face nowadays. Yaakov went down to Mitzrayim to escape the famine
while always planning to return to Eretz Yisrael. Mitzrayim was only a viable
option because of the esteem the Egyptians had for Yosef. However, as we know, Yaakov
did not return to Eretz Yisrael before his death and the rest of his family did
not leave for many years. However, eventually Hashem did take us out in a story
well-known to all.
In the times of the second Beis
Hamikdash, the Jewish People had made a treaty with the Romans and came to them
when they needed help in Jerusalem. Eventually the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem
which led to famine and eventually the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and
our expulsion from Eretz Yisrael. However, just as the Galus Mitzrayim ended
and in such a fashion that every nation recognized Hashem as the ruler of the
world, so too will this current galus end and everyone will recognize Hashem as
the true ruler of the world.
May it come speedily in our days.
Chazak
Chazak V’Nischazek!
Shabbat Shalom!
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