The Living Life
The story of the final portion of the book of Genesis, the portion of Vayechi, is a bittersweet one. We read about Jacob living the best years of his life in the land of Egypt, about the reunification of the children of Jacob, and about the close bond Jacob forms with Joseph’s children. Yet we also read about the passing of Jacob and Joseph. While the book of Genesis concludes with a happy ending for Jacob and his children, we feel the exile closing in on their children. Joseph, their patron and protector, dies and is placed in an ark in Egypt. The children of Israel are trapped in Egypt for the foreseeable future.
The portion of Vayechi is unique in the way it is written in the Torah scroll. All portions begin with an empty space separating the new portion from the previous one. The portion of Vayechi is the only portion which begins without a break of empty space. Looking at the scroll, one cannot easily find the beginning of the new portion.
Why is this Parsha “closed”, why is there no spacing before this Parsha?
Rashi[1] offers two explanations:
Why is this section [completely] closed? Because, as soon as our father Jacob passed away, the eyes and the heart of Israel were “closed,” (i.e., it became “dark” for them) because of the misery of the slavery, for they (the Egyptians) commenced to subjugate them. Another explanation: That he (Jacob) attempted to reveal the End [of the exile] to his sons, but it was “closed off” (concealed) from him.
Rashi believes that the closed space in the opening of this Parsha alludes to the negative aspects of the story. As soon as Jacob passes away, the Jewish people lost their unique status in Egypt and the misery of slavery was inevitable. According to Rashi’s second interpretation, the closed portion refers to spiritual darkness. Jacob attempted to reveal to his children the secret of the end of exile, yet it was concealed from him, leaving his children in darkness about the timing of their salvation.
As mentioned, the portion of Vayechi is a mix of joyous moments and sad moments. No surprise then that while Rashi explains the “closed” portion as a reference to negative elements of the story, the Midrash interprets the “closed” beginning of the portion in a positive way. The Midrash[2] explains:
Why is this portion “closed”? Because all tragedies and troubles have been “closed” to Jacob.
According to the Midrash the “closed” space in the beginning of the Parsha alludes, not to something negative, but rather it alludes to the great peace and tranquility that Jacob attained while living in Egypt. According to this interpretation, the “closed” space highlights the positive aspects of the story.
Why then does Rashi not quote the Midrash’s positive interpretation? Why does Rashi insist that the “close” is a reference to something negative, when he could just as easily have given a positive interpretation?
The name of this portion is Vayechi which comes from “Chai” the Hebrew word for life.
What is life?
In Judaism, life is synonymous with eternity. Life comes from the soul, a part of the eternal G-d. The more a person is in touch with their immortal, eternal, soul the more the person is “alive”. Hence, counterintuitively, the portion of Jacob’s death is called the portion of - “Vayechi” - of life. For the test of Jacob’s life is specifically after his passing. Jacob is truly alive only if his legacy and teachings, if his example and inspiration, live on in the next generation. Only if his impact survives the mortality of the body do we know that he is truly alive.
The test of Jacob’s life, therefore, is not in the times of tranquility and peace. Jacob and his family living a life loyal to their ideals when there are no external pressures, does not inform us about whether or not they are truly alive, it does not tell us whether or not their legacy is enduring. Only when they survive difficult and challenging times are we sure that this group is enduring, that its spirit is everlasting, that this nation is alive.
This is the lesson Rashi seeks to teach. The place of the closed gap between the portions is precisely at the opening word “Vaychi” (“and he lived”). Rashi has two possibilities in seeking to explain this anomaly. He can choose the positive explanation - “all tragedies and troubles have been “closed” to Jacob.” - but that would imply that to experience “Vayechi”, to be “alive”, one must experience a trouble-free existence. Rashi, therefore, chooses the negative explanations:
- “the eyes and the heart of Israel were “closed,” because of the misery of the slavery”, “he (Jacob) attempted to reveal the End [of the exile] to his sons, but it was “closed off” (concealed) from him” -
Rashi is teaching that it is specifically the times of oppression and darkness that allow our truest, most pure, most alive self to emerge. When we connect to G-d, the eternal source of all life, despite the challenges closing in us, then we are truly alive.
As Jacob is about to pass away in the land of Egypt, he discovers a new truth. He discovers that his children and grandchildren will continue to live his legacy and survive the Egyptian oppression. He discovers that the children of Israel are eternal.
He discovers that he is alive.[3]
[1] Rashi on Genesis 47:28.
[2] Midrash Rabbah portion 96 section 1.
[3] Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, Lekutey Sichos Vol. 15 Sicha 1.