#andheshalllive #abraham #isaac #jacob #breisheet #vayechi #wordshavewings #thememoryroom #lessonsforliving #honesty #cooperation #covenant #ideasthatbind
The book of Genesis concludes with Parshat Va'yechi. While the bulk of this Parsha focuses on the death and burial of Jacob as well as the memorable final blessings for Jacob's progeny, the first word of the parsha is V'Yechi, which translates as "and he lived."
What does it mean "And he lived?"
Perhaps it means that while Jacob spent his last years near all of his children his life was different and lived more heartily. For now though, I would like to focus on the act of living and what we can learn about living our lives from the book of Genesis.
In Genesis our foundational story is recorded. We become familiar with the idea of covenant and promises. The book is full of stories about the earth, God, our foremothers and forefathers, extended family and tribesmen, countrymen, foreigners and leaders. We learn from them, both from their simple acts of goodness, but also from their mistakes. As we transition into the Exodus narrative and our story as a nation unfolds, let's pause and reflect upon the wisdom gained from Genesis.
AND YOU SHALL LIVE
And you shall live
And you shall grow
And you shall prosper
And multiply as the stars in the sky
And you shall choose love over hate
Creation over destruction
Rainbows over floods
Light over darkness
Kindness over cruelty
You shall balance
work and rest
Pride and humility
Self reliance and assistance
And zealously guard over the earth
And you shall choose truth over lies
And peace over war
And agreement over discord
And communication over silence
And honesty over insincerity
And cooperation over division
And you shall guard your words
And choose them with care
And respect God
Embrace change
And expect the unexpected
And you shall choose civility over violence
And humbleness over arrogance
And gratitude over selfishness
And hospitality over aloofness
And you shall know the power of community
And the power that is prayer
And there is room for belief, even when there is doubt
And that our word is the glue that binds
And you shall choose compassion over cruelty
And patience over intolerance
And hard work over idleness
And preparedness over procrastination
And you shall know that all of us dream
And some dreams come true
And some dreams are woven into the fabric of history
And others are forgotten
And you shall know that there is no place like home
And family is our foundation
And land is more than the ground under our feet
And the power to return exists
And change can happen at any moment
But covenant lasts forever
And the power of love triumphs over death
Genesis 47:28. (Translation from Sefaria)
וַיְחִ֤י יַעֲקֹב֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם שְׁבַ֥ע עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יְמֵֽי־יַעֲקֹב֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃
Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt, so that the span of Jacob’s life came to one hundred and forty-seven years.
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