Torah Trivia for Parshah 12. Vayechi
1.) How many years does Yaakov live in Egypt and at what age does he pass away?
Answer: Yaakov lives in Egypt for 17 years, and he passes away at the age of 147; Bereshit 47:28.
2.) Upon his deathbed, what does Israel command Yosef to do?
Answer: Israel commands Yosef to bury him with his fathers (Bereshit 47:29 – 31); it is described, later within this Parshah, that Israel specifies this as burial location as the Cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in Canaan, that Avraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite, and the location where Avraham, Sarah, Yitzak, Rivkah, and Leah are buried (Bereshit 49:29 – 33; similarly: Bereshit 23:1 – 20)
3.) When providing his initial blessing, whom does Yaakov bless first?
Answer: Within his blessing, Yaakov blesses Ephraim, the younger brother, before Mannaseh, the older brother; however, it is written that Yaakov actually gives Yosef the blessing; Bereshit 48:15 – 16.
4.) Within his concluding blessings, which of his sons does Israel bless first, and what is the blessing that Israel provides?
Answer: Israel blesses Reuven first and diminishes Reuven’s rank from being first-born, because of Reuven’s previous transgression with Bilhah (Bereshit 35:21 – 22); Bereshit 49:3 – 4.
5.) What is the blessing that Israel provides to Shimon and Levi?
Answer: Israel actually curses Shimon and Levi for the violence that both commit after Dinah’s rape (Bereshit 34), and Israel condemns the descendants of Shimon and Levi to be scattered across the tribes of Israel; Bereshit 49:5 – 7.
6.) Who does Israel bless next, proclaiming Israel’s sons will bow to him?
Answer: Israel provides this next blessing to Yudah; Bereshit 49:8 – 12.
7.) To whom does Israel provide the respective blessings of: a.) being a harbor for ships and having an expansive border, and b.) being a strong donkey and working like a slave?
Answer: Israel provides the blessing of a.) being a harbour and having an extensive border, to Zebulun (Bereshit 49:13); and the blessing of b.) being a strong donkey and a slave, to Issachar (Bereshit 49:14 – 15).
8.) From the proceeding list of animal references, human references, and additional items, which ones match to the respective blessings that Israel respectively provides to Dan, Gad, Asher, and Naphtali: a.) judge, b.) snake, c.) path, d.) horse, e.) rider, f.) raiders, g.) rich bread/food, h.) royalty, i.) deer, j.) children?
Answer: Israel provides Dan with the blessing of being a.) a judge of his people, and compares Dan to b.) a snake, on a c.) path, biting the heel of a d.) horse, making the e.) rider, fall (Bereshit 49:16 – 17);
Israel provides Gad with the blessing of being attacked by f.) raiders, yet subsequently defeating this raiders (Bereshit 49:19);
Israel provides Asher with the blessing of producing g.) rich bread/food, and delicacies for h.) royalty (Bereshit 49:20); and,
Israel provides Naphtali with the blessing of being a free-running i.) deer, with beautiful j.) children (Bereshit 49:21).
9.) Out of the proceeding general elements, which element is excluded from the blessings that Israel provides to Yosef: a.) being a fruitful vine near a fountain, b.) being attacked by enemies, c.) remaining strong and steadfast, d.) receiving blessings from Elohim, e.) receiving blessings from his fathers, f.) being a leader of his brothers, g.) being enslaved again?
Answer: Israel provides Yosef with the blessing of a.) being a fruitful vine near a fountain (Bereshit 49:22); b.) being attacked by enemies (Bereshit 49:23); c.) remaining strong and steadfast (Bereshit 49:24); d.) receiving blessings from Elohim (Bereshit 49:25); receiving blessings from his fathers (Bereshit 49:26); and f.) being a leader of his brothers (Bereshit 49:26); Israel abstains from providing Yosef with the blessing (or curse) of g.) being enslaved again.
10.) What animal does Israel describe when blessing Benyamin?
Answer: Israel blesses Benyamin by comparing him to a hungry wolf; Bereshit 49:27.
11.) How long does it take for the morticians to embalm Israel, how long does Egypt mourn the passing of Israel, and what additional observances do Yosef and his brothers maintain amidst Israel’s funeral?
Answer: The physicians spend 40 days embalming Israel (Bereshit 50:3), and Egypt mourns the passing of Israel for 70 days (Bereshit 50:3); and after arriving in Goren Ha’atad, Yosef observes a 7-day mourning period for Israel (Bereshit 50:10); and Israel’s sons then bury him within the Cave of Machpelah (Bereshit 50:13).
12.) After Israel passes, on how many and during what occasions, is it described within this Parshah of Vayechi, that Yosef cries?
Answer: Within this Parshah of Vayechi, there is the specific description of Yosef weeping on 2 separate occasions: Yosef weeps over Israel when he first passes (Bereshit 50:1); during the funeral observance in Goren Ha’atad, there is the description of Yosef participating with the rest of the sons of Israel in solemn lamentations, although there is an absence (within available English translations) of this specifically including weeping (Bereshit 50:10 – 14); and when Yosef’s brothers specifically solicit forgiveness from Yosef, he weeps (Bereshit 50:15 – 17).
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Discussion Questions:
At the time that Israel passes away, who is his favourite son, Yosef or Yudah, how might this be evidenced within the respective blessings that Israel provides to Yosef and Yudah, and what are some additional arguments regarding this favouritism? Is there a distinction between whom Israel favours and whom Adonai favours?
Within this Parshah, Israel proclaims that Yosef’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, are to be as Israel’s own sons, like Reuven and Shimon. What does this actually mean? It seems like both an honour (for Yosef’s sons to be elevated) and an insult (to remove Yosef from being the father of his own sons). What implications does this have on the status of Yosef: it seems as though it elevates his status by honouring his sons, and yet simultaneously diminishes his status by suggesting that his status is insufficient in providing appropriate honour to his sons. How does this compare with the command for a brother to raise up sons with his deceased brother’s wife?
Within his blessings, Israel actually curses Shimon and Levi. So how is it that Moshe is born within the lineage of Levi and Levi’s descendant, Aaron, and his sons, are elevated to the rank of Priests amongst the Tribes of Israel?
There is the description that Israel lives in Egypt for 17 years, presumably 12 years beyond the scope of the famine. Aside from the communication that Adonai provides to Israel, why does Israel remain in Egypt; are there extenuating material and/or health circumstances that compel Israel to stay in Egypt? And upon burying Israel in the land of Canaan, why do Yosef and his brothers abstain from remaining within the land of Canaan, instead of returning to Egypt?
Amidst the redemptive transformation of Yaakov into Israel, and upon Israel resettling within the land of Avraham and Yitzak, why is Israel compelled to relocate and eventually pass away in the foreign land of Egypt? Does this have some form of moral or Karmic implication regarding Yaakov’s/Israel’s previous transgressions, even amidst his redemptive transformation? Is this the result of the transgressions that his sons commit upon returning to the settled land of Avraham and Yitzak? Or is it simply part of the process of conferring Eretz Israel to the children of Israel? Or is it all of the above? What esoteric lessons exist within Israel’s favouritism towards Yosef, within Yosef’s abduction and enslavement within Egypt, within the actions of Israel’s sons, within the famine, within Israel’s migration to Egypt, within the enslavement of the children of Israel to Egypt, within the emergence of Moshe and the exodus from Egypt, and the return of the children of Israel to Eretz Israel, and additionally? Is it all actually necessary; is it all actually inevitable; is it all actually an intrinsic and continual experience of life? Is anyone still awake and actually read this? J
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