There is one passage in our Torah portion that has always bothered me. I’d never heard a satisfactory teaching on this passage until I listened to Avivah Zornberg’s teaching, linked here. (Thank you, ...

And yet the Torah calls this parsha “Vayechi” — “And he lived.” Jacob gathers his children. He blesses them together. He ...

And Joseph bound the sons of Israel by an oath to bind their descendants by an oath, saying, “God will surely remember you and your descendants, and when He does, you must have them take my bones up ...

Why does Jacob, in his blessings to Simon and Levi, say that they will be achalkem (separated) and afitzem (scattered) among all of Israel? (Genesis 49:7). Rashi notes that as teachers of Torah, the ...

Diaspora. After Jacob tells Joseph, “Place your hand under my thigh as a pledge of your steadfast loyalty: please do not bury me in Egypt.” Joseph responds, “I will do as you have spoken.” It is then ...

Parshat Vayechi has always been a special Parsha for me as it was my older brother’s Bar Mitzvah portion. I was in 4th grade for the weekend spectacular at the Washington Hotel (may its memory be for ...