Genesis, 47:28-50:26

Portion Summary

In the portion, VaYechi (Jacob Lived), Jacob and his sons join Joseph in Egypt. When the time of Jacob’s death draws near, he calls on Joseph and makes him swear to bury him in the land of Israel and not in Egypt. Joseph asks him to bless his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, before he dies. Jacob blesses them and says that they will be as his sons, Reuben and Simeon. Subsequently, Jacob blesses the rest of his sons and orders them to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah in the land of Israel.

Following Jacob’s death, Joseph receives special permission from Pharaoh to go and bury his father in the land of Israel. Jacob goes to Canaan with his brothers and all the elders of Egypt, arrives at the Cave of Machpelah, buries Jacob there, and then returns to Egypt.

Along the way, his brothers fear that he will take vengeance against them for selling him into slavery, but Joseph soothes their fears. He promises them that he will always remain their brother and not their enemy.

Jacob’s blessing comes true and Menashe and Ephraim have many children. Toward the end of the portion, Joseph is about to die. He summons his brothers and tells them that the Creator will bring them and his sons out of Egypt, and orders them to take his bones and bury them in the land of Israel.

Commentary

The Torah teaches us how to develop our souls. Initially, we have only the point in the heart. It appears when we begin to ask about the reason for, and the meaning of, life. Through this question, we begin to see that life is not meant only to live here in this world for seventy or so years. Rather, this life was given as an opportunity for us to develop the soul.

The soul develops from the evil inclination, opposite which stands the “light that reforms.” In other words, if we correct the evil inclination using the light that reforms, we will thus develop the soul. This is how the evil inclination becomes the good inclination.

This correction does not relate merely to having good human relations. Rather, through the light we also begin to experience the spiritual world, Godliness, as it is written, “You will see your world in your life.”¹

The portion deals with the three primary forces: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which are Hesed, Gevura, and Tifferet. These forces exist in the soul of each of us, or in the general soul called “Adam.” Abraham and Isaac are two opposite lines—right and left, Hesed and Gevura—while the Jacob quality in us, the senior patriarch, includes Abraham and Isaac within it, and is the middle line, called Tifferet. Using the quality of Jacob, meaning the two forces that exist in it, we are directed for the first time toward the proper manner to correct the soul.

“Jacob’s sons” are the qualities that emerge from the quality of Jacob, the middle quality that uses all of Nature’s forces to develop the soul within us, the Godly, higher part of us. The structure of the Sefirot ends with the quality of Joseph—the foundation that collects within us all the preceding qualities: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, and Hod.

The righteous Joseph is called Yesod (foundation) because he is “righteous, the foundation of the world” (Proverbs, 10:25). The world is the structure that operates in relation to Malchut and the whole of Israel, toward all of our desires.

Our desires are Egypt, the ego within us. If we properly position this upper structure, which contains Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, Hod, and Yesod, we can act properly toward the Egypt in us, toward the Pharaoh, the evil inclination, our ego.

The portion describes the beginning of the reciprocal work with our Godly part, which includes the patriarchs up to and including Joseph. The reciprocal work includes all the qualities of Israel, which descend to the ego and operate in it. In this way, the Torah teaches us how to work with ourselves, how to find within us all the sublime qualities of the nine upper Sefirot, which end in Yesod—Joseph—bestowing upon Malchut, the tenth Sefira—Pharaoh.

Jacob is the upper part in the qualities of the Creator—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—which are the upper triangle: Hesed, Gevura, Tifferet. The qualities of Netzah, Hod, and Yesod, however, are the lower triangle. These are the qualities of the house of Jacob and Jacob’s sons, including Joseph. When these qualities operate properly within Egypt, Egypt is granted abundance and everyone is happy and developing.

Jacob’s passing marks the conclusion of the task of the upper part of the structure of the soul, which was carried out through Joseph in Egypt. Jacob is the middle line. When that quality goes down to Egypt, through Joseph, and tends to the Egyptians, Egypt is enriched and everyone, including Pharaoh, is content.

As this takes place, forces of bestowal enter Egypt and gradually develop in the egoistic will to receive, and the force of bestowal understands that it can gain from it, for example, by trading with others or by being considerate toward others. It is similar to today’s international commerce, which is driven by the incentive that we can benefit through each other. This is a development of the qualities of bestowal, which still work with the qualities of reception.

In this way, the quality of Jacob goes down to Malchut, Egypt, to the general will to receive. This quality is like a Trojan horse entering our ego. The will to receive provides the ego with everything for its own delight. The ego enjoys the quality of bestowal working in it for its own benefit, and the sensation that everything is working smoothly. But this continues until we reach today when we are at a state where we feel that something has ended.

A similar thing happened in Egypt: Jacob passed away and the elders of Egypt, with Pharaoh’s blessing, led him to the land of Canaan, to the Cave of Machpelah, where he was buried by his sons. The name, Cave of Machpelah, signifies Hachpalah (doubling), since there are two worlds in that cave—Bina and Malchut—joined together.

After awhile, when the sons of Jacob returned to Egypt, the narrative repeated itself with Joseph. But unlike Jacob, Joseph remained in Egypt and only after some time were his bones brought up from there.

Thus, the bone, the foundation instilled in Egypt—the qualities of bestowal that work with the egoistic will to receive—eventually brings us to a state of despair, to the seven years of famine. After all these problems, we realize that we must part from the ego. This is when the process of exiting from the ego begins.

Two forces emerge from the quality of Joseph: Ephraim and Menashe. They receive Jacob’s blessing, emerge from the upper triangle into the lower one, and operate in Egypt. Prior to his demise, Joseph tells the people around him that in time they will all come out of Egypt, and that the reason they had entered it was to take from it all that could be corrected, except for the stony heart.

Everything can be brought out of Egypt except for the Yesod of the last evil, which we cannot correct until the end of correction. This is why it is written that they will come out with great substance (Genesis, 15:14).

Joseph passed away so we could achieve the recognition of evil. When we develop egoistically, we grow detached from anything good that the combination of the qualities of bestowal and the qualities of reception might yield. We reach a state of despair, dryness, and finally a state of “And the children of Israel sighed because of the work” (Exodus, 2:23). This is when our exodus begins.

Questions and Answers

The portion contains a repetitive element—the blessing before death. Joseph asks Jacob to bless his sons, then Joseph blesses his own sons. The conclusion of a degree means death. What is the meaning of the blessing of the sons and grandsons?

A degree that has ended becomes the next degree, which follows in its stead. The new degree is much thicker, with greater desire and greater achievements. The patriarchs were great—they excelled in their purity. We are the last ones, however, and are now doing the biggest work.

Each degree blesses the next degree, giving it all of its Reshimot (recollections), all of its powers, and supports it from within, from below. This is called “the burying of the bones” of the degree. Within the soul are Moach (marrow), Atzamot (bones), Gidim (tendons), Bassar (flesh), and Or (skin), which are five discernments. We bury the Atzamot of the degree, and this is how the next degree is built and continues.

The blessing is actually the light of Hassadim that the lower degree transmits to the upper one. In other words, it is Ohr Hozer (Reflected Light), Masach (screen), and Ohr Hozer. All the qualities of bestowal that we obtained in the previous degree move with us to the next. In fact, there is nothing more to take from state to state, but only the force of bestowal that has been obtained, the force of love, of relinquishing.

But this does not help with the new Aviut (thickness, will to receive), since the children have a much bigger Aviut. So how does the blessing of the father, who is on a smaller level of Aviut, help with the new desire?

This depends on the sons. There is much more in the father than there is in the sons, but the father cannot actualize this Aviut. Therefore, he gives what he has to his sons, and if they know how to work with it they will use what they received in order to advance.

The sons do not have more than the Aviut they received from their fathers. However, precisely because of their greater Aviut—their bigger will to receive, their egos—they can actualize a potential force of bestowal out of that blessing according to who they are.

How does one know that one is about to die, such as with Jacob and Joseph?

When a degree ends. In corporeality, the spiritual state affects the corporeal one. But in spirituality, there is a process in a degree called TANTA (Taamim, Nekudot, Tagin, Otiot). The expansion of the light and its departure are gradual. First there is the Bitush (battering) of inner and outer in the Partzuf of the soul, inside the soul.

In that state, one feels that one has stopped working due to one’s inability to continue correcting oneself. To proceed with the correction, one must start anew, begin a new period, re-enter the egoistic will to receive, but more deeply and with greater force.

We all consist of four Behinot (discernments) of Ohr Yashar (Direct Light), or from the name HaVaYaH (Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey). Everything in reality divides into five discernments: root, then the four Behinot HaVaYaH. This is why we have to keep starting anew, why there is life and death—a process of expansion and departure of light, since we cannot make the correction all at once, in “one day,” but require many actions (days) to achieve the general correction.

Is it we who perform the correction or is it the light that makes the change in us?

The light makes the correction in us, but it happens according to our request and demand. This is called “work” on our part. We haven’t the strength, but we do have the power to decide and recognize, and to want it to happen.

From The Zohar: Behold, Your Father Is Ill

It is written, “Joseph was told, ‘Behold, your father,’” belonging to the next world, ZA in Mochin of upper Bina, who is called “the next world,” wanting to do good to His sons so they will come out from their exile. And if, in Your truthfulness, you will not want, meaning you will not find them worthy of it, then the Name with four, “HaVaYaH is one” (“The Lord is one”) will correct you and Divinity will return to her place. This is so because if the sons are not worthy of redemption of their own, ZA will correct them for elevating them to the next world, which is Bina, and by that, the unification of One HaVaYaH will be established.

Zohar for All, VaYechi (Jacob Lived), item 37

All we need to do from the Cave of Machpelah—the connection between Bina and Malchut—is doubling. We must elevate everything that is inside the Malchut, sanctify it in Bina, i.e. the blessing, then combine the elements in such a way that Bina and Malchut are as one. This is the meaning of connecting heaven and earth. Through these acts we perform between Bina and Malchut, we correct ourselves. Finally, when all those actions are done, all the evil in us will be corrected into good.

This portion contains many entrances and exits from Egypt to Israel. Joseph entered Egypt; the brothers departed it and then returned; Joseph went to bury Jacob in Israel, then returned to Egypt. Is this how the qualities of the upper one connect to the lower one?

Of course. Each and every moment, we are performing minuscule corrections between the nine Sefirot, the qualities of the Creator, and the tenth Sefira, Malchut, the quality of the creature, man, the ego. Even the most ordinary person still undergoes corrections through the passing states. This is why there is “time” in our world. However, these corrections occur without our awareness.

Because of the despair and frustration over what is happening in the world, beginning from this generation onward, we will gradually realize that we must make changes. In this world, these changes manifest in how we relate to one another. We must implement love of others, correct ourselves and the relations between us, and serve as an example for the world, be a light for the nations.² If we treat others well, we will thus activate the force of Bina, the force of Joseph, or even the force of Jacob and the patriarchs toward Malchut, meaning toward the rest of the world.

But the will to receive does not change, so does it always remain our “engine”?

The will to receive does not change, only how we use it changes. It always remains our engine. Using the will to receive, we can do as much good as we do harm, depending on how we use it.

But the will to receive is always motivated by the thought that a reward awaits at the end, while in the desire to bestow it is the opposite.

Bestowal is the reward. Previously, we thought we could achieve anything, that we could conquer space and make great achievements in every realm. Today, we see that we have “everything,” but it is all empty. From the point of inverting our use of the desire, we find a way to progress favorably. We simply switch the way we use our egos from the evil inclination to the good inclination using the light that reforms.

In other words, all we need is to change our values?

Correct, we only need to change our values. Then, when we all connect as one, with one heart, loving our neighbors as ourselves, we will discover the spiritual life.

It seems that there is such a process in the world today. There is calm, then a blow, then some try to revert to how it was while others are groping in the dark, wondering about the future. Is this the connection that is appearing today?

Yes, because we cannot contain all the changes at once. It happens so we can understand, grow accustomed to how it was, and then advance. Our current thinking and way of life compared to what we were like a thousand years ago are radically different. We cannot grasp how people lived then. It is not like traveling to a different part of the world; they were completely different people. This is why the process of development takes thousands of years. Although today we are developing much faster, it is still impossible to act quickly.

It is the same in mechanics; if we want to transmit large of amounts of data, we need high frequencies, many pulses. This is why it is clear that the crisis will not end at once, but will stretch on, wear us out, and return. But with each return, we will understand it more deeply.

Usually, the blows do not come as a single blow that is experienced over a long time. If it did, we would get used to it. The will to receive gets used to everything, even to constant pressure. It begins to protect itself and stops feeling the blows. Only because there are intermissions can we contemplate and understand the reason, and the next time around relate to reality in a completely different way. Each time, our recognition of our own evil deepens, and when it comes we understand it better, connect it with the cause, as well as with the possible consequence, or the desirable one, and this gives us free choice.