Friday, January 9, 2009

Vayehi (and he lived) Genesis 47:28-50:26

And Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt with the whole mishpucha (family-70 souls in all). Why not say that Jacob sojourned in Egypt? After all, when he meets Pharaoh in last week's parsha, he says the years of his sojourn on earth have been few and hard. Jacob was a sojourner. His father Isaac was a sojourner. His grandfather Abraham was a sojourner. They were wanderers on the earth. They had no permanent resting place even though Canaan had been promised on oath to them and their descendants. A sojourner lives day to day. Look up the etymology of sojourn. It comes from the French for 'day.' A sojourner worries about how he will live each day. What will he eat? What will he wear? Where will he sleep? Who will give him a job? Can he expect to be protected by the laws of the land?

In Egypt, all these concerns were taken care of. Jacob and his family settled in Goshen, the best part of the land of Egypt. They had plenty of land for their flocks and herds. They didn't have to worry about the famine since Joseph, as VP (Vice Pharaoh), had stored up the grain from the seven years of plenty. Jacob and his family were living in Goshen at the good graces of Pharaoh, who was certainly pleased with Joseph and trusted him. So why wouldn't he take care of Joseph's father and brothers? What to eat, what to wear, where to sleep, will they be afforded the protection of the laws of the land? It's all taken care of. Jacob doesn't have to be a sojourner. He can settle in the land. He can live as he wished-with all his sons and daughter. His heart, which had broken and died within him at the sight of Joseph's ornamented tunic torn and bloodstained, has been revived at the news that Joseph is alive. And not only alive but doing very well indeed, thank you very much.

The whole mishpucha is back together. The brothers can tend their sheep as before without interference from the Egyptians-who find shepherds detestable. They're in very good country. No worries about food or water. It's the good life.

There's a nice symmetry with the number 17. Jacob lived seventeen years with Joseph in the land of Canaan. This was before Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Now, at the end of his life, Jacob gets to live another 17 years with his beloved son. The first seventeen years were marked by conflict. The last seventeen years, I would imagine, are much more peaceful.

hazak, hazak, v'nit'hazek (be strong, be strong and let us be strengthened)

2 comments:

Anna said...

Oh, I like it! Thanks for sharing =D

Lilly

leo509 said...

Thanks! I'm glad to share.

I should mention that the stuff about sojourners comes courtesy of Professor Peter Pitzele who came to shul last week and shared Shabbat with us. Very good stuff. He led Torah study and after morning services and lunch, put on a radio play.