Vayechi: Chapter 28

"And the days drew near for Israel to die," part three

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya explains to Rabbi Yosi that when the Holy One wishes to take back a man's spirit, the days that man has lived are enumerated before Him. If this man is righteous, all the days will draw near Him without reproach. The wicked, however, cannot draw near Him since they are consumed by darkness. The name "Israel" is more complete than, and superior to, the name Jacob, we are told. This is why we find Israel rather than Jacob written in the title quotation.

Relevance

A rare opportunity is afforded to the readers of this mystical passage. Through the spiritual power embedded into the name Israel, we receive the Light of the great Patriarch, which helps merit closeness to The Creator in this world and the next, by removing the darkness created by our misdeeds and selfish actions. Moreover, we are inspired to seek higher levels of spirituality, so that we, too, can elevate from the realm of "Jacob" to "Israel" over the course of our lives.

Death Death and the Afterlife Egypt Israel Jacob Seventeen Year

245. "And the days drew near for Israel to die" (Beresheet 47:29). We learned that Rabbi Chiya said, It is written, "And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years." In his life, it is written Jacob and in his death, it says Israel. YET THE NAME ISRAEL IS MORE ELEVATED THAN THE NAME JACOB. Rabbi Yosi said, Surely IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID HERE ISRAEL, for it does not say, 'The day drew near,' but "the days." THIS IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, for a man does not die in several days; within one hour, one moment, he dies and passes away from the world.

245. וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת. תָּאנָא, א"ר חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, הָתָם בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב, וְהָכָא בְּמִיתָתֵיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת. א"ר יוֹסֵי, הָכֵי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּהָא לָא כְתִיב וַיִּקְרַב יוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת, אֶלָּא יְמֵי, וְכִי בְּכַמָּה יוֹמֵי מִית ב"נ, וְהָא בְּשַׁעְתָא חָדָא, בְּרִגְעָא חָדָא, מִית וְנָפֵיק מֵעַלְמָא.

Breath

246. HE ANSWERS, We have so learned that when the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to take back to Him the spirit of man, all the days the man lived come before Him and are counted. When the days draw near him to be reckoned, the man dies, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes back to Himself the spirit of man, that breath which the man breathes in and out.

246. אֶלָּא הָכֵי תָּאנָא, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לַאֲתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ, כָּל אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּקָאֵים ב"נ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אִתְפַּקְדָּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְעָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא, וְכַד אִתְקְרִיבוּ קַמֵּיהּ לְמֵיעַל בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא, מִית ב"נ, וְאָתֵיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ, הַהוּא הֶבֶל דְּאַפֵּיק וְנָפַח בֵּיהּ, אוֹתְבֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ.

Righteous

247. Happy is the portion of the man, whose days draw near the King without reproach, and none is pushed out for containing a transgression committed in it. The reason the words 'drawing near' are used in relation to the righteous is that the days draw near the King without reproach.

247. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא ב"נ, דְּיוֹמוֹי אִתְקְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּי מַלְכָּא. בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא, וְלָא דָחֵי יוֹמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ לְבַר, דְּיִשְׁכַּח בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, דְּאִתְעֲבֵיד בֵּיהּ חוֹבָא, בְּגִין כָּךְ, כְּתִיב בְּצַדִּיקַיָא קְרִיבָה, מִשּׁוּם דְּקָרִיבוּ יוֹמוֹי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא.

Darkness Wicked Wickedness

248. Woe to the wicked of whom it does not say 'drawing near.' For how could their days draw near the King, when all the crimes of the world are found in them? Hence they do not draw near the King, nor come before Him nor are they recorded above, but are consumed of themselves, as is said of them, "The way of the wicked is like darkness, they know not at what they stumble" (Mishlei 4:19).

248. וַוי לְרַשִּׁיעַיָא, דְּלָא כְתִיב בְּהוֹ קְרִיבָה, וְהֵיךְ יִקְרְבוּן יוֹמֵי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי בְּחוֹבֵי עַלְמָא אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ, ובְגִינֵי כָּךְ לָא יִקְרְבוּן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְלָא יִתְמַנּוּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא יִדָּכְרוּ לְעֵילָא, אֶלָּא אִינוּן שְׁצֵיאָן מִגַּוַּויְיהוּ, עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵׁלוּ.

Grades Israel Jacob

249. And here it says, "And the days drew near for Israel to die," for assuredly they drew near without shame, in complete joy. This is why it says (lit.) "the days of Israel," AND NOT "THE DAYS OF JACOB," as the name Yisrael is more complete than that of Jacob. You might say that it is written "and Jacob was a plain (lit. 'whole') man" (Beresheet 25:27), indicating that the name Jacob too is whole. HE ANSWERS, THE NAME JACOB IS ALSO WHOLE, but not whole on a superior grade like Israel is.

249. וְהָכָא וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי, בְּלָא כִסּוּפָא, בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא, בְּחֶדְוָותָא שְׁלִים, וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּהֲוָה שְׁלִים יַתִּיר יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּעֲקֹב. וְאִי תֵימָא, וְהָא כְתִיב וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם: שְׁלִים. שְׁלִים הֲוָה, וְלָא שְׁלִים בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Israel Righteous

250. We have learned that Rabbi Yosi said, When a man's days are enumerated before the King, those of a certain righteous are enumerated far from the King, and the days of another righteous are counted close to the King. They do not stand at a distance but come in without shame and draw near the King. Happy is their portion. This is the meaning of the verse, "And the days drew near for Israel to die."

250. תַּנְיָא, אֲמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְיוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְפַּקֵּידָן קַמֵי מַלְכָּא, אִית זַכָּאָה דְּאִתְפַּקְּדָן יוֹמוֹי, וּרְחִיקִין מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְאִית זַכָּאָה, דְּכַד מִתְפַּקְּדָן יוֹמוֹי, קְרִיבִין וּסְמִיכִין לְמַלְכָּא, וְלָא מִתְרַחֲקִין, בְּלָא כִסּוּפָא עָאלִין, וְקָרֵיבִין לְמַלְכָּא, זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵהוֹן, הה"ד וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת.

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