From The Rabbi’s Study…Shabbat, January 10,11, 2025/10, 11 Tevet 5785
Praying for those in Los Angeles, California from the fires, the Fire Personnel and for the safety of everyone.
This week’s Torah portion completes the book of Genesis, Sefer Bereshit. These were the last years and death of Jacob. Jacob blesses his son Joseph and his grandsons Manasseh and Ephraim. Then Jacob blesses all his sons (notice that there was no blessing for his daughter, Dinah/women did not rule a tribe). Joseph reassures his brothers that they will be safe, and promises to care for them and their families.
Joseph died at age 110. He instructs his family before he dies to return his bones to the Holy Land (Cave Maplelea).
You have just finished the Book of Bereshit/Genesis:
Contains: 1534 verses, 43 chapters, and 12 Sidrot
On every Shabbat we bless our sons with the blessing from Jacob to his grandsons Ephraim and Menassah, Yisimcha, Eloheim, K’Ephraim v’ Manasseh (Genesis 48:20). Why this blessing? Why were these grandsons of Jacob so special? They were raised in the Egyptian secular world, and they were not raised in an Israelite household, yet they still held important Judaic values!
Most people state that one should live to be 120 years! SO, why did Joseph live to 110 years, and not 120 years? From last week’s Torah Joseph never corrected or stopped their brothers saying, “Our father your servant”. Each time Joseph showed disrespect toward his father, G-d took 5 years from his life.
Why is this Torah portion containing customs and values of burial and mourning?
It is because Jacob was allowed by Pharaoh to be returned to the Holy Land for burial, without the Egyptian embalming. All of Jacob’s family mourned for a period of seven days. Today, the mourning period of shivah is also seven days. In some cases due to travel and getting the person buried may take a few days, and then shivah starts once the person is buried. The full official mourning is thirty days a month. Men may marry again, however a woman cannot marry until after three months (just in case she may be carrying her first husband’s child).
It is a Jewish religious obligation to bury the dead. The proper burial is regarded as a sacred religious duty resting upon the entire community. Irrespective of their social status in life, all Jews are considered equal. The earliest mention of shivah and observance of the seven days period was from the Torah account of the death of Jacob
(Genesis 50:10).
The Haftarah was about the death of King David. King David gives his son, Solomon the best blessing in words which point the way of life for every child of Israel. He says, “Be strong, and show yourself a man. Keep in charge of G-d, to walk in G-d’s ways and keep the statutes and commandments” (I Kings 2:2-3). David ruled for about forty years (1000-960 B.C.E.). During his life he had many accomplishments, including the crowning of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
If anyone challenges the Jewish people’s ownership of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, kindly remind them who and when it became the Jewish people’s capital and land.
Solomon his son becomes the King and ruler. He had peace his entire life as ruler of Judea/Samaria, while his father fought many wars to conquer the land. King Solomon G-d chose to build the Beit HaMikdash/ Holy Temple in Jerusalem!
Just a little Judaic history.
May this Sabbath our Hostages are returned and peace will come swiftly to all the people in Israel.
Shabbat Shalom v’ Am Israel Chai,
Rabbi Helene Ainbinder
