Parashat Vayechi - (and he lived) Genesis 47:28 - 50:26
HafTorah Kings I 2:1-12
Dear friends,
As we are about to finish the first book of the Torah (Genesis/Bereshit), we chant the powerful verse upon its completion:
!חזק חזק ונתחזק
Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, may we grow stronger and draw strength from our Torah and from one another!
As we close this important formative period of our heritage, we look forward to many years of living in a foreign land resulting in eventual bondage, but ultimately redemption and the realization of living in our "promised land". Throughout Genesis, we learn how our families developed with both the good and not-so-good behavior culminating in Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Despite all that Joseph does for his family in saving them from the famine and resettling them, his brothers still harbor fear that he will punish them after their father Jacob dies. However, Joseph breaks the chain of resentments and rivalries of his and past generations by blessing and assuring his family that they are forgiven, that their actions ultimately resulted in something positive, and that will eventually return to their holy land. He asks only that when it occurs, that his remains be taken back to that land. And when we bless our own children and grandchildren on Shabbat evening, we ask that our sons be like Ephraim and Manasseh (rather than like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the first to break the chains of sibling rivalry and resentment. So, we end this first book of the Torah on a note of hope for the future and with many lessons learned.
Our Haftorah taken from the second chapter of the first Book of Kings also tells the story of deathbed blessings as the elderly King David blesses his son Solomon who will soon become the King of Israel. Its most important message is for Solomon to love Adonai, walk in His ways, and keep His laws and commandments.
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת-מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֹּתָיו מִצְוֺתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְעֵדְוֺתָיו, כַּכָּתוּב, בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה--לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּיל, אֵת .
כָּל-אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה, וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר תִּפְנֶה, שָׁם.
It is nearly the identical message that we recite daily in the Shema.
Please join me tonight at 7:30 pm and (tomorrow) Saturday morning at 9:30 am as we pray and study together either in-person or virtually on Zoom. And remember that a week from Monday (January 20th) is Martin Luther King Day and we will observe it with our larger community beginning at 10 am by marching three blocks from Union Missionary Baptist Church at 6235 Pine Hill Road in Port Richey to the historic Booker T. Washington School at 6105 Pine Hill Road where the annual program including song, dance, short speeches (including my annual message) will begin at 11 am. Please attend if you possibly can to show our synagogue's support.
And please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 30th as we will be volunteering as a congregation at Metropolitan Ministries at their headquarters in Holiday on Route 19 across the highway from Sun Toyota. Our help in distributing food, clothing, and related work is much needed and greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for the volunteer registration signup link to follow in the next few days.
Shabbat Shalom!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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