In this portion, Vayechi  ויחי we are passing  from the time of the Patriarchs to our special redeemer, Moshe, moving to forming Israel as a people, a nation which will go through slavery only to be redeemed in order for them to fulfill their purpose as a people chosen by G-d. As the story of Genesis comes to an end, we are being led to a larger, more universal picture, where G-d creates a people through whom all of His desires and Will would be brought to the world. As G-d’s messengers they would always tell the rest of the world about the true G-d of creation…He is the Creator of all things. He didn’t only create one people; He created all of humanity. Our sages say that G-d designed the blueprint of everything and this is what we see written in Torah.  There is a saying that Messiah is eternal. Before the world was created, Mashiach was already created. Various religions speak of this saying that he existed with G-d from the beginning all the while trying to place him in an equal status with G-d.  When G-d’s blueprint fell out of the hands of the Hebrews into the hands of the Gentiles, everything was read in a different way taking things out of context. An architect will design a blueprint and go over it with engineers when working on a project. They can see it all clearly in their minds but until it is built, it doesn’t become a reality. This is the same idea as the Mashiach. He was always in the mind of G-d but until he was born and lived on earth, he was not a reality. It is the same with you and I; we were always in the mind of G-d but were not here until we were born (Ps 139 13-17).

Here we see the story of Joseph who was called the beloved son of Yaakov.  This is a picture, part of the blueprint which would one day become reality in the phrase, “for G-d so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son which we can also see in the same form in the Akeda, Gen 22:2).  The Torah gives us a step by step blueprint for the Messiah (binyan ab mikatuv echad  בנין אב צכתוב אחד, ‘one criteria from one passage from Scriptures). In this case, Messiah son of Joseph, the suffering servant was being portrayed by Joseph yet Joseph here was the stronger character while Judah from whom the Messiah ben David would come, was the weaker. Yet the picture plays itself out as we see Yaakov blessing the two sons of Joseph, Manasseh the elder and Ephraim the younger. As he does so, he crosses his arms giving the right-handed blessing meant for the first born, onto the head of the younger Ephraim. Joseph objects but Yaakov insists that he knows what he is doing. He is playing a part in the blueprint for two types of Messiah being developed here.

This portion is pregnant with Messianic references.  Yaakov tells Joseph of how he had to stop to bury his beloved wife, Rachel on the way to Machpelah in a place called Beit Lechem. They were far from Machpelah where she could have been buried with her ancestors. So why was she buried in Beit Lechem. Our sages say that this is prophetic once again pointing to something special that would happen in Beit Lechem which we know is the birthplace of our Messiah Yeshua (Micah 5:2).

Later we read that after Yaakov died all Israel mourned and then the brothers were afraid and lied to Joseph telling him that their father had told them to tell him not to harm his brothers for what they had done to him those many years ago.  They didn’t know that Joseph never told Yaakov a word about what they had done. Joseph wept because he knew that his brothers did not forgive themselves even after he told them that what they had meant for evil, G-d has used for good not only to save the people of Israel but also the Gentile nations who would suffer during the long famine… another beautiful picture of our Messiah Yeshua who wept for his people many years later.  We do damage to ourselves when we can’t forgive ourselves for the past and then we are unable to forgive others. The greatest losers are those who hold onto to anger, hatred and unforgiveness.  The worst thing that has happened in the past until today to Israel is Sinat Chinam  שינאת חינם —hatred against our brothers. If Israel cannot be united, what hope is there for the rest of the world?

Joseph is the first generation that can speak in the name of the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…the sechut avot זכות אבות, calling on the merits of the fathers.  We can rely on the promises made to our forefathers. The nation of Egypt was blessed during the days of Joseph and when Yaakov died the people of Egypt mourned. When Yaakov came to Egypt the famine stopped and the land prospered greatly during the years the Israelites lived there.  There is no place today where there are no Jews. In the places wherever Jews live, everyone is blessed because of G-d promises not because of who we are.

We are all part of G-d’s blueprint. How many times to you say, “I am not happy with my life.”?  If you can say that, it is because you are missing G-d’s calling on your life and that is what is making you miserable.  Yaakov’s life was not an easy one; he struggled most of his life and the sages say that he was only happy for the last 17 years after he came to Egypt and saw his beloved son Joseph again. The number 17 in gematria equals “tov”- good  טוב.  Yaakov’s life brought him to this time of joy and fulfillment. Our lives also have struggles and difficulties but the greatest gift we have is the gift of life which G-d has given us. Our greatest asset is ourselves but we head down the road of destruction if we don’t accept this greatest of gifts.  It is time to stop being miserable and to start living again. G-d has a job for you. From the book of Creation, Genesis to Shemot, the Exodus or Redemption we see the formation of His people. You will see that G-d is already leading and forming His people for something greater than we can imagine. Allow Him to lead and form you for a purpose that is greater than you would ever have imagined.