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'''And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years…''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0147.htm#28|Gen 47:28}}<br>
 
'''And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years…''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0147.htm#28|Gen 47:28}}<br>
 
'''And the time drew near that Israel must die…''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0147.htm#28|Gen 47:28}}
 
'''And the time drew near that Israel must die…''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt0147.htm#28|Gen 47:28}}
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Sometimes he is called by his prior name, "Jacob", and sometimes by the name which God gave him, "Israel".  From the time his son Joseph disappeared, until he was informed he was still alive, he was called "Jacob".  And in our parasha, he's called "Israel" most of the time.  In order to understand the difference between these names, one must look at the first usage of the name Israel: when he battled an angel of God - that is, in a prophetic vision.
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All the years he was separated from his son, he was in mourning. Our Sages said: '''Prophecy does not reside in one who is sad, or lazy, but rather in one who is happy.''' {{hcite|i/1107.htm#8|Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah 7:8}}.  And there is no greater sorrow than thinking one of one's children is dead.
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Our Sages also said: '''One may not cry over the dead more than three days, nor eulogize them more than seven days.''' {{hcite|i/e413.htm#10|Laws of Mourning 13:10}}.  To tell us there is a limit to mourning, and one should not keep the pain inside indefinitely - rather, one should mourn as our Sages direct, and continue with life and not ignore one's obligations to the living nor to oneself.  Likewise did King David of blessed memory say to his son Solomon in this week's haftarah: '''I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man''' {{hcite|p/pt/pt09a02.htm#2|מלכים א ב:ב}}.
  
 
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Revision as of 10:15, 21 December 2007

Vayechi 5768 - ויחי תשס"ח
English text below
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עברית

וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה…  (בראשית מז:כח)

וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, לָמוּת…  (בראשית מז:כט)

פעמים נקרא בשמו הקודם "יעקב" ופעמים בשמו שנתנו האל, "ישראל". מאז נעלם בנו יוסף ועד שנודע לו שעודנו חי, נקרא "יעקב". ובפרשתנו נקרא לרוב "ישראל". כדי להבין את ההבדל בין שמות אלו, יש להתבונן בשימוש הראשון בשם ישראל: בהיאבקו עם מלאך ה' - כלומר, בחזון נבואתי.

כל השנים שנותק מבנו, היה אבל. וחכמינו אמרו: שאין הנבואה שורה לא מתוך עצבות ולא מתוך עצלות, אלא מתוך שמחה  (הל' יסודי התורה ז:ח). ואין עצבות גדולה מלחשוב שמת אחד מבניך.

חז"ל גם אמרו: אין בוכין על המת יתר משלושה ימים, ואין מספידין יתר על שבעה.  (הל' אבל יג:י) לומר שיש גבול לאבלות ואין לשמור על הצער בפנים בלי-סוף - אלא יתאבל אדם כמו שציוו חכמים וימשיך בקיום העולם ולא יתעלם מחובותיו לבני משפחתו הנותרים ולעצמו. וכן ציווה דוד המלך ע"ה בהפטרה של השבוע, לבנו שלמה: אָנֹכִי הֹלֵךְ, בְּדֶרֶךְ כָּל-הָאָרֶץ; וְחָזַקְתָּ, וְהָיִיתָ לְאִישׁ.  (מלכים א ב:ב)

English

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years…  (Gen 47:28)
And the time drew near that Israel must die…  (Gen 47:28)

Sometimes he is called by his prior name, "Jacob", and sometimes by the name which God gave him, "Israel". From the time his son Joseph disappeared, until he was informed he was still alive, he was called "Jacob". And in our parasha, he's called "Israel" most of the time. In order to understand the difference between these names, one must look at the first usage of the name Israel: when he battled an angel of God - that is, in a prophetic vision.

All the years he was separated from his son, he was in mourning. Our Sages said: Prophecy does not reside in one who is sad, or lazy, but rather in one who is happy.  (Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah 7:8). And there is no greater sorrow than thinking one of one's children is dead.

Our Sages also said: One may not cry over the dead more than three days, nor eulogize them more than seven days.  (Laws of Mourning 13:10). To tell us there is a limit to mourning, and one should not keep the pain inside indefinitely - rather, one should mourn as our Sages direct, and continue with life and not ignore one's obligations to the living nor to oneself. Likewise did King David of blessed memory say to his son Solomon in this week's haftarah: I go the way of all the earth; be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man  (מלכים א ב:ב).



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