פרשת ויחי

Dvar Torah

Our Focus

וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וַיְהִי יְמֵי־יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה:

 (בראשית מז:כח) 

This week’s Parsha starts off by telling us that “Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt” (47:28).  Rashi points out in wonderment that between most Parshiot there is a space, but between the Parshiot of Vayigash and Vayichei there is no space.  Rashi explains that the reason for this is that once Yaakov passed away, the eyes and hearts of the Jewish people were closed because of the suffering of the enlargement.  

The question is asked by many commentaries; “The enlargement did not start until after Yosef and all of his brothers died”.  Furthermore, at this point in the Parsha, Yaakov was still alive so why does Rashi tell us that their eyes and hearts were already closed?

The answer is that when Yaakov and his children moved down to Egypt they came to the nicest part of the country, they were liked by the king and overall very comfortable.  Because the children of Yaakov felt at home, they did not focus on the dream of returning to Israel, therefore, Rashi is pointing out that their minds and hearts were closed because they felt like they had nothing to strive for.  

 The lesson we learn from this is that even though we live in comfort, we still need to remember our dream of Eretz Yisrael (Israel).  Let us remember this when we stand every day and Daven facing east towards our home, to be totally rebuilt soon, Israel.

  

Shabbat Shalom, stay warm and have an AMAZING winter break!

Parsha Questions

1) Why in a ספר תורה is there no break in the lines or the words between פרשת ויגש and ויחי?

(רש"י בראשית מז:כח)

2) How many years did יעקב live in מצרים? How old was יעקב when he was נפטר? (בראשית מז:כח)

3) Why did he ask יוסף to ensure his burial in ארץ ישראל, instead of the other sons?

(רש"י בראשית מז:כט)

4) Why did יעקב ask יוסף do to “חסד ואמת” with him? (רש"י בראשית מז:כט)

5) Why did יעקב not want to be buried in מצרים? (רש"י בראשית מז:כט)

6) Where did יעקב want to be buried? (בראשית מז:ל)

7) Explain: “מנשה and אפרים are to me like ראובן and שמעון”. (רש"י בראשית מח:ה)

8) Why did יעקב choose now to mention the death and burial of רחל to יוסף? (רש"י בראשית מח:ז)

9) Why did יוסף assume his father made a mistake when giving מנשה and אפרים their blessings?

(בראשית מח:יז)

10) Which great leader comes from מנשה and which from אפרים? (רש"י בראשית מח:יט)

11) What ברכה did יעקב give to מנשה and אפרים? (רש"י בראשית מח:כ)

12) For how many days did מצרים mourn the loss of יעקב? (בראשית נ:ג)

13) Why was an area in כנען called אבל מצרים? (בראשית נ:י-יא and see רש"י יא)

14) Which two sons of יעקב did not carry his coffin? Why not? (רש"י בראשית נ:יג)

15) After the burial of יעקב who was afraid of whom and why? (בראשית נ:טו and see רש"י)

16) What was done to show that there was no reason to fear? (בראשית נ:יט-כא)

17) Whom did יוסף “blame” for ending up in מצרים? Explain what he meant. (בראשית נ:יט-כא)

18) How many generations did יוסף see in his lifetime? Whom? To Whom? (בראשית נ:כג-כד)

19) Who made his brothers swear that their children would bury him in ארץ ישראל when

they left מצרים? (בראשית נ: כג-כד)

Virtual Classroom Check-in!

Questions about what we are learning online!

You can find the answers to these questions by clicking here.

1) What are the three main parts of the Amidah

2) How many times do we refer to Hashem as our Father in the Amidah?

3) Name three reasons that the 10^th of Tevet is a fast day.

Torah Math

After learning that Yosef would fulfill Yaakov final request to be buried in Me’Arat Hamachpela, Yaakov bowed. Rashi explains that he was bowing to Hashem to thank him for the news that he would indeed be buried with his fathers in Eretz Yisrael.

If we look at the numeric value of the words we can actually see this! The Torah tells us וישתחו יעקב אל ראש המיטה. This means that Yaakov bowed. These words have the same value as the words מודים על בשֹורה טובה, that mean “A thanks upon hearing good news”!!!

WOW!!!! SO KOOL!!!!!!

 TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s question:  The ONLY Mitzvah that can ONLY be fulfilled when sitting down is standing for a parent or elder.

Question of the week: What is the only part of Davening that is skipped when Davening with a Minyan???

Kollel Quiz 

#1 Who Am I?

1. First of four damages.

2. I am not sure.

3. I respected the eleventh.

4. Don’t pair me with a donkey.

#2 Who Am I?

1. Yaakov in Mitzrayim.

2. Yosef before his sale.

3. I equal poor.

4. A year before Chuppa.

Submit this answer by clicking here

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

 DUE TO THE ONGOING HUNGER IT WAS HARD TO FIND ANYTHING TO MAKE THIS WEEK.

  

Gingerbread  Mummy Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Mix:

1/4 cup softened margarine

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Molasses

1/3 cup Water

3 1/4 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Ginger

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Cloves

1/2 tsp. Salt

Glaze and decorations

1 tbsp. margarine

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

3 tbsp. Soy-Milk

Powdered Sugar

Instructions

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and water. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Knead very well until forms a ball.

Roll out on lightly floured board. Cut into Gingerbread men shapes using Gingerbread man cutter. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow cooling. Makes about 2 dozen mummies.

Glaze:

Mix all ingredients adding enough powdered sugar to make a smooth drizzling consistency. Place in pastry/decorating bag, or in a small plastic bag. Using tip, or cut a very small hole in the tip of the plastic bag, drizzle back and forth over cooled Gingerbread men to create your mummy.

Eyes can be created with decorations or a tube of decorator gel.

פרשת ויגש

Dvar Torah

Giving back happiness

(בראשית מו:כט) וַיֶּאְסֹר יוֹסֵף מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וַיַּעַל לִקְרַאת־יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִיו גּשְׁנָה וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו וַיִּפֹּל עַל־צַוָּארָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל־צַוָּארָיו עוֹד:

Finally, the great reunion of Yaakov with his dearest son, Yosef is about to take place.  The Torah tells us, that Yosef, at the time of meeting his father after 22 long years away from his cries.  Rashi (46:29) points out that the Pasuk only tells us that only Yosef was crying, and it tells us nothing about Yaakov’s emotions.  Rashi explains, that at the time of this great reunion Yaakov was reciting Kriyat Shema and therefore could not cry on his son’s shoulder.  The question is, Yaakov knew he would be meeting his son, could he not have recited the Shema earlier?  

The Shema is a way for us to declare Hashem as our King.  In Shema we say, “and you should love Hashem your G-D with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your money (possessions).”

In truth, Yaakov could have recited the Shema at any other time but when a person does a Mitzvah they should do it to their fullest ability.  Part of doing Mitzvot fully is doing them happily with all our heart.  For the last 22 years of Yaakov’s life, his joy was cut down since he had not seen his beloved son.  At this great moment of reuniting with Yosef, his heart became filled with the greatest joy he had ever felt.   He then grasped that happiness to fulfill the Mitzvah of declaring Hashem's mastery over the world. "And you should love Hashem your G-D with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your money (possessions)” to an even greater level than imaginable.   

From here we can learn, how important it is for us to give it our all when doing a Mitzvah. 

Shabbat Shalom, stay warm and have an AMAZING winter break!

Parsha Questions

1) What manner was יהודה going to be speaking to יוסף in? (רש"י מד:יח)

2) What was יהודה‘s speech to יוסף about? (מד:יח-לד)

3) What did יוסף hear that made him unable to hold back anymore? (רש"י מד:לב)

4) Why did יוסף ask all the מצרים to leave before he revealed himself? (רש"י מה:א)

5)  What was יוסף’s first question after he made himself known? (מה:ג)

6) How did his brothers react? Why? (מה:ג ועוד עיין רש"י)

7) How did יוסף prove to his brothers that he was really יוסף? (רש"י מה:ד)

8) Why did יוסף and בנימין cry on each other’s shoulders? (רש"י מה:יד)

9) What was the proof that finally convinced יעקב that יוסף was alive? (רש"י מה:כז)

10) Who was sent ahead of the family to “settle into” ארץ מצרים? (בראשית מו:כח)

11) Explain להורת לפניו. (רש"י בראשית מו:כח)

12) When יעקב and יוסף finally met, who was unable to speak? Why? (רש"י בראשית מו:כט)

*13) Explain who was unable to speak and why according to the רמב"ן (בראשית מו:כט). How does he prove his point?

14) How did יוסף instruct his brothers to answer פרעה when asked “מה מעשיכם”? Why?

      ( בראשית מו:לא-לד)

15) How old was יעקב when he came to מצרים? (מז:ח-ט)

16) What did יעקב do when he met פרעה? (מז:י)

17) What was this blessing? (רש"י מז:י)

Extra Credit: Why did יוסף make his family (יעקב, בנימין, and his ten brothers) go through all of this aggravation? (עין מלב"ם בראשית )

Classroom Check-in!

Questions about what we are learning in class

1) If one has an unplastered roof, how can they use that room as a Sukkah? (3-way Machloket)

Torah Math

When יהודה is telling צפנת פענח that if בנימין does not return home יעקב would die, he uses the words ונפשו קשורה בנפשו (his soul is attached to his soul). What was it that made this father and son attached? The word קשורה equals 611, the same as the wordתורה.  They were connected by the תורה that they had studied together!

  

So AWESOME how these secrets are all over the Torah!

 TORAH TRIVIA!

Super Stumper Question:

This a question to ask others and discuss the answers.

Answer to last week’s Question:

Last week’s question: What was Mrs. Poteefar’s name???

Answer to last week’s question: Mrs. Poteefar’s name (besides Mrs.) was Zulaicha.

Question of the week: What is the ONLY Mitzvah that can ONLY be done when sitting down?

 Answer….

Kollel Quiz 

#1 Who Am I?

1. I am not Avraham’s father.

2. My father is not “a share”.

3. My music got me long life.

4. I was the first news reporter.

#2 Who Am I?

1. I am for the order.

2. The old like the old.

3. I am for Kiddush.

4. I am for the lots day.

Submit this answer by clicking here

 FOOD Section!

Can you guess what this recipe connects to this week’s Parsha?

 Healthy Trail Mix

1 cup combination diced dried fruit, such as prunes, apricots, pears, and apples

 1/2 cup raisins and/or dried cherries or cranberries

 1 1/2 cups unsalted sunflower seeds

 1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (or honey-roasted peanuts, chopped walnuts or unsalted almonds)