Several Seasons With Their Treasons Wrap The Babe In Scarlet Colors, (Robert Hunter , Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh - "St. Stephen"}

There were two troubling and incredibly sad images that saw on news services in North America and in Israel. Both involved children.  At the funeral of a baby killed in a terrorist attack in the town of Ofra, the baby’s father carried three days old prematurely born baby wrapped in a shroud with his arms out holding the child as if it was the ultimate offering. The father walked so carefully, so gently.  The second image was also that of a dead child. No, this child was not the victim of a terrorist attack, nor was the child Jewish. The seven-year-old Guatemalan girl, along with her father tried to cross the border, presented themselves to authorities and began 90-mile bus journey to a processing center rather than being processed at the facility where they originally crossed. During that bus ride, the 7-year-old girl grew feverish, began coughing, went into cardiac arrest was revived. She was transported via emergency helicopter to an emergency room in El Paso (about 160 miles away), she eventually died in the hospital. She experienced more trauma and eventually died at the hospital. Since the forms were only in English and the father didn't understand English, he couldn't fill out the forms and there was no one who could speak Spanish at the time he and his daughter arrived.

                This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYechi. This week’s Parshah, Vayechi is the conclusion of the book of Bereishit (Genesis). Because this is the last Parshah of the Sefer B’reishit, we read of the passing of the mantle of power from one generation to the next. Yaakov is 147 years old and it is time for him to bless his children and his grandchildren. To each of his twelve sons, he offers a blessing. To Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he not only offers a blessing but he reserves the blessing of the firstborn to the younger brother, Ephraim.  This is fitting. Yaakov also received the blessing reserved for the firstborn. He also leaves Yosef with one last mission. Yaakov tells Yosef of the covenant that God made with Avraham, Yitzchak and himself. He also made Yosef swear an oath that he would bring him out of Egypt and bury him with his father and grandfather. Yosef accepts this oath. He and his brothers leave Egypt and bury their father. Because the famine remains pervasive throughout the land, they return to Egypt. Now the brothers fear Yosef’s wrath. Although he has not expressed any anger towards them, the brothers believe now that their father is dead; Yosef’s anger will not be contained. First, they sent servants to Yosef in order to plead on their behalf. Then, the brothers plead to Yosef and prostrate themselves before Yosef. Yosef re-assures them that he has no anger and he assures them that he will care for them as long as he is alive. The Parsha concludes with Yosef’s death.

                The first verse of Parsha begins with the word VaYechi – And he lived. The word refers to Yaakov having lived another 17 years in Egypt before he died at 147. The last verse of the Parsha begins with the word V’Yamat- And he died. This word refers to Joseph having died at the age of 110. In between, a father offers final words to his sons and a blessing two grandsons he never met until his arrival in Egypt: Ephraim and Menashe.  The Torah has reported deaths before. In Chayei Sarah, we learned of Sarah’s death and Avraham’s preparations for the funeral. We were told about Avraham’s death, Rachel’s death,  as well as the death of two of Judah’s sons.  Regarding the death of Yaakov, we learn how a dying person put their “things in order”; how a dying individual makes his peace with any mistakes or misgivings he has as well as accepts with dignity and grace the inevitability of death. There is something reassuringly uneventful. The Parsha begins with life and ends with death. The same may be said of  Sefer Breishit – The Book of Genesis. It began with the story of creation, that is to say, the story of life and it concludes with the death of the leaders of a family. Just like life did not end after the death of Adam, Chava and their son born after the murder of their son Abel by their other son, Cain. Yosef offers the re-assurance of life and death, and exile and redemption in his final words: Pakod Yifkod Elohim Etchem- God will indeed remember you (Gen. 50:25). In the Sefer HaMizrachi (a commentary on Rashi's biblical commentary by Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi 1450-1525) explains that the phrase Pakod Yifkod - He will surely remember is a code for the enslaved descendants of Yosef and his brothers. Even in his final moments, Yosef provides a prophecy, clarity about the future. Moses will use the code when he says Pakad Pakadati  "I surely remembered" when speaking for God.
              Each of these incredibly sad images and news stories shook us up as parents. My wife stood on numerous corners with me while pregnant waiting to cross the street. Yet this young couple was at the wrong place at wrong time. We as parents always want a better life for our kids than we had (and we both have had good lives). Yet a parent must now live with the guilt of his child dying as he tried to give her the opportunity for a better life.  As we saw these images, I asked my wife if she had heard any good news? Anyone pregnant, any births and upcoming happy occasions for children of friends of ours? After all the tragic and sad on the news, we were all looking for something re-affirm our faith in children having normal happy childhoods and growing up and living long healthy lives. Then we found out that a friend's 98-year-old grandparent passed away. We all understood that the death of that grandparent reminded us to keep faith in the sacred order of life. Children are born, they grow up, they get married, they work, have kids of their own, they grow old, become grandparents, maybe great-grandparents and then they die. Yaakov and Yosef both reminded us of this sacred order of life as well.
Peace,
Rav Yitz