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Spirituality
Torah Portion
The Spirit Of Jacob Lives,
Bringing Us Closer To God
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his claim to be figurative, a
Midrash, rather than literal. The
portion's title Vayechi "and he lived,"
indicates that despite his physical
death, Jacob continues to live on to
protect his children in this world.
Ramban, in his closing remarks
he song "Am Yisrael Chai!
on Genesis, explains that the souls of
Ode Avinu Chai" is
the righteous are bound up in the
known and beloved by
bond of life, constantly hovering
Jewish people of all ages
over their children to protect them
across the world. "The people of
from harm. Thus Jacob, who is the
Israel lives! Our father remains
true father of our nation, remains
alive!" Nice message, but what pre-
constantly concerned with the fate
cisely does it mean?
of his children, eternally
Growing up, I assumed
alive and vigilant in our
that "our father" referred to
defense.
God. We often address God
As is often the case, this
as a compassionate, loving
Midrash conflicts with a
father. But when I consid-
surface level of the text,
ered this more carefully, it
but taps into a very deep
was hard to imagine a
undercurrent. The portion
Jewish prayer or even a
is dominated by Jacob's
song that would so much as
visions of the destiny of
suggest that God is mortal.
his children and grand-
"God remains alive?" What
children. His final testa-
RABBI
DANIEL
about tomorrow?
ment is a prophecy that
NEVINS
Thus we must search
reveals his profound con-
Special to the
elsewhere for the identity of
cern with the fate of his
Jewish News
"our father." Based on the
people.
first clause, it appears. that
Surely Jacob was unhap-
"our father" refers back to Israel,
py to end his life in Egypt, the land
that is, Jacob. But is Jacob still alive?
of idolatry and imminent enslave-
Our Torah portion describes in great
ment. Yet even in such circum-
detail the death of Jacob, as well as
stances, Jacob anticipated the great
his embalmment and burial. Could
destiny of his descendants with lines
it be that Jacob is still alive?
such as, "the scepter shall never
Rabbi Yohanan is, in fact, quoted
depart from Judah."
in the Talmud (Ta'anit" 5b) saying,
Today we read the Torah, anxious
"Jacob our father did not die." He is
about our own precarious situation.
immediately challenged by the
The people of Israel are internally
Torah's description of Jacob's death,
divided and externally besieged. Let
embalmment and burial, but Rabbi
us never despair. Rather, let us sing
Yohanan cites Jeremiah 30:10, "Do
with confidence and joy that we, the
not fear, my servant Jacob, and do
people of Israel are very much alive;
not be alarmed; for I shall save you
our father Jacob — the angel
from afar, and your seed from the
wrestler who anticipated our own
land of their captivity."
spiritual and physical struggles —
In our portion, Rashi further
remains our advocate, guiding us
explains that the verse describing
through history and ever closer to
Jacob's death (Genesis 39:33) leaves
God. Am Yisrael Chai! Ode Avinu
out a crucial word. " Vayigvah
Chai!
vayei'asef el amav he grew faint and
was gathered to his people."
Normally the word vayamot (and he
died) would belong in that sentence.
Strangely, the verse does not quite
manage to say that Jacob died.
Other biblical figures from Enoch
to Pinchas and Elijah are described
in rabbinic literature as eluding
Jewish gravestones often include
death. But Jacob's narrative ends
the prayer "May his-her soul be
with his burial in Hebron! It seems
bound up in the bond of life."
that even Rabbi Yohanan meant for
What does this mean? Do our
deceased relatives follow the
events
of our world? Can they
Daniel Nevins is a spiritual leader at
affect
our
material existence?
Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Shabbat Vayechi:
Genesis 47•28-50:26•
I Kings 2:1-12.
' •
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