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Bereishis (48:8), “And Yisrael saw the sons of Yoseph, and he said, who are these. (48:9) And Yoseph said to his father, they are my sons that Elokim has given me here. And he said, please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”
Rashi comments that the Shechinah left Yaakov because Ephraim and Menashe would have wicked descendants, and he did not want to bless them. Kli Yakar says that Yoseph asked Yaakov to bless them in any case, just as HaShem blessed Yitzchak although Eisav would descend from Him. But how can Yaakov be compared to HaShem? Indeed, Avraham did not bless Yitzchak because Eisav would descend from him (Rashi Bereishis 25:11).
On the other hand, Yitzchak blessed Yaakov although wicked people would descend from him as well. The difference between Avraham and Yitzchak is that HaShem does not establish His Name upon the living, but He did say “the G-d of Yitzchak” after Yitzchak became blind (Rashi Bereishis 28:13). He was therefore able to bless Yaakov.
Yaakov surpassed this, as Bereishis (28:21) states, “And I will return in peace to my father’s house, and HaShem will be for me for Elokim.” And Bereishis (33:20) states, “And he set up an altar there, and he called it אל the G-d of Yisrael.” HaShem could be his G-d (without being blind) because he reached the status of אל, as Megilah (18a) explains Bereishis (33:20) that HaShem called Yaakov אל. Yaakov could therefore bless Yoseph’s sons just as HaShem could. Yaakov thus said, “please bring them אלי, and I will bless them.” He would bless them with his power of אל. After he blessed them, Bereishis (48:21) states, “And Yisrael said to Yoseph, behold I shall die….” Yaakov used his power of אל, such that he would now die.
Ta’anis (5a) states that Yaakov did not die, but is compared to his descendants. Just as they are alive, he, too, is alive. Bereishis (48:16), “…and may my name be declared upon them and the names of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak, and may they proliferate abundantly within the land.” Yaakov placed his name on Ephraim and Menashe and their descendants. He placed his אל within them. As long as they are alive, Yaakov is alive within them.
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Yaakov is alive: Dvar Torah for Vayechi
(7 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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nice vort!!! but how did it get it's own thread with the new nightly dvar torah thread??????????
Posted 1 year ago # -
It seems to me that you must be reserved for the night in order to give the nightly Dvar Torah. Other Divrei Torah must therefore be placed elsewhere.
Posted 1 year ago # -
you do not need to be reserved. we accept as many as are submitted. The purpose of the sign-up sheet is to ensure that all nights are covered.
Posted 1 year ago # -
lol!
I just discovered that thread. i always overlook the sticky ones. i'm going there right now! LOL!Posted 1 year ago # -
intellegent, while you are checking out the D'var Torah sticky thread, check out the Sefer Tehillim Daily, the Shmiras HaLoshon and the Yom Tefilla listings. :o)
Posted 1 year ago # -
One thing at a time mod. Don't pile it all on her at once, or she might explode. :)
Btw, the color background should be removed from the sticky threads, as that is why so many people overlook it.
Posted 1 year ago #
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