Vayechi - 2023

Chevre, this week’s parsha is Vayechi (וַיְחִי). We have the final days of Yaakov, his death and burial. He goes to give a bracha to Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe.

On a personal note, my town buried a fallen soldier named Ephraim z”l this week. The war has hit close to home.

When Yaakov goes to give the boys his blessing, Yosef places the boys so that Menashe will be on Yaakov’s right side and Ephraim on his left. Yaakov crosses his arms to place his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left on Menashe’s. Yosef’s idea was that the first born would get the blessing from the right hand because it’s stronger. But Yaakov wanted Ephraim, the younger, to get the right hand’s blessing. I liken this to cross AZ traffic when writing data to a Database. There is a clear preference where the data must be written, as apposed to read which could be serviced locally.

I once heard someone talk about a Yeshivah that counted down the days to Purim. Since then, I’ve had a program (now a Lambda) that sends me how many more days to Purim every day. Today there are 86 days to Purim. In the news this week, a tunnel was discovered under the Chabad Headquarters in New York. It was seemingly built, without permission or permits, during covid to allow someone/some people to get to the mikvah. I have this image of a Purim Shpiel with a terrorist tunnel and a Chabad guy popping out and putting Tefillin on everyone.

In these dark times, may we find the light of our connection with HaKadosh Baruch Hu strengthened and may we find comfort in our connection with our neighbors and all Am Yisrael. Shabbat Shalom.