Parshat Vayechi – From Genesis to Chazak
The story of Yaakov’s life comes to an end in this week’s Parsha, but the story of Yisrael is simply just beginning. Moshe Rabbeinu wrote the entire Torah from the beginning to the end, as Rashi points out at the start of Bereishis; “The Torah should have started in Parshat Bo at the Mitzvah of Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem, but for the reason of Koach Ma’aseh Higgid L’amo, it started at creation.”
We needed the genesis of the story so that the Jews leaving Egypt would know how they got there in the first place. Imagine telling them one day that they are the chosen nation by Hashem, and that these plagues are all here due to the love of the Creator towards their fathers, how many would believe it? Yes, they’ll appreciate the miracles that released them from the clutches of slavery, but they would still need an explanation of why. At this point in the Torah, we already see the happenings that brought about the next chapter, the chapter of Exodus.
The origin story of a nation is very important. Was it conceived by a deranged psycho in a desert, concocted by an angry student, or was it the means for all of creation? Where we come from is as important as where we are headed, for if we don’t have a reason for progression, then we have no reason to reach our goal. When we find ourselves stuck in certain situations in life, we formulate plans that will help us avoid them in the future, so too do we learn how to deal with them.
For example, if one were dealing with stress in their life, they’d naturally want to stop stressing. They will identify their triggers, so that they can become aware of their moods as they approach. Up until now, they find themselves at the end of stressful days, but from now on, they see the stress coming from a mile away and know to stay away. This is called avoidance, but this individual also has to learn how to deal with stress in the future.
Avoidance can only help when we have a choice in the matter, but there are many times that time is not on our side or we have already gotten ourselves into situations with our past actions and decisions that require us to confront the reality we’re in. This person has to learn how to break down the situation and swallow it bite by bite so that he doesn’t choke as he used to in the past. It is very important that we remember how we used to react and behave so that we can continue working toward a brighter future for ourselves.
It goes even deeper as we conquer stress and move on to working on more of our shortcomings and weaknesses. We learn our triggers, set awareness, create boundaries so that we can see them coming from afar, and acquire knowledge that will help us deal with them. We can work on our relationships, addictions, focus, etc. As Rabbi Pinchas Ben Yair states in the Gemara Avoda Zara 20b, Torah brings about cautiousness, caution brings about awareness (of what those triggers we are cautious about), awareness brings about cleanliness, cleanliness to separation, to purity, piety, humility, fear of sin, holiness, and so on. There are many levels that we learn to reach, but it all starts by understanding what our job on this earth is all about. We are here to bring about the will of Hashem in this world, which is to expand the knowledge of Him to all humans, so there be no doubt in their mind of this fact. And as we become clear with our purpose, we start from the bottom up until we are an exemplary person who is focused completely on the will of Hashem all day long.
It is our origins that bring about our ultimate destiny, but it is up to us to remember our past and use it as the catalyst for the change we want to see in the world. Much like a kid who went hungry will make sure to keep himself alive, and as he grows up won’t stop until he could make sure that each and every child in his vicinity is taken care of as well, so too, every challenge a person ever experienced will be the motivation for them to do something about it so that nobody else ever has to deal with it. Some people go about doing their work by writing and speaking about it, providing emotional and mental support, while some create centers that provide the physical help for those people’s needs.
We all hope that our work will be recognized so that we can continue doing what we hold near and dear to our hearts. We want to be a beacon of light to all around us because our heart feels for all with whom we resonate. People will start helping their close ones, their families, friends, community members, people of their own town, and slowly expand their work globally.
We wish to be the reason people wake up every morning choosing to use their time to be as motivated in their lives to bring about more and more positive change to the world. This original vision turns into a domino effect that changes the course of history for generations. If there is one generation of healthy and striving people, you can imagine the birthrate and the success of their kids. The happiness and peace that will dwell among the world will be one that will cease all wars and where all will speak one language, the tongue of peace.
As Yaakov is about to depart this plane, he calls upon his sons in chapter 49:1 and tells them, “Gather around and I will tell you [all], this will happen to you at the end of days.” Yaakov was at the end of the origin story and wanted to tell his kids what the ending will look like. He wanted to describe the beauty and peace that we will be living in after all wars will be fought and how the mercy of Hashem will be there at our side for all the world to see. He had a vision of a world where there are no more wars, where all lay their swords down and turn in their weapons. But instead, Hashem took that knowledge away from him so that he can teach his kids how to get there on their own.
He took each child individually and described their personal character to them, teaching them to focus on their purpose and to use their great talents to bring about the beautiful ending he envisioned. He realized that it is the genesis of the people that will bring them to their destiny; it is not the destiny that will bring about the people. We need to know our story well so that we can resonate with their lessons and identify with the great characters of the past who have shaped our DNA.
We must learn from the tools they used and the mindset that set them apart for so many thousands of years, and through this information and knowledge, we can continue bringing about that beautiful day when Hashem’s name will be one in the world. No matter where we end up, may it be in Egypt or Germany, the Desert or America, it is through our connection to our ancestors and to our history that we will find the will, courage, and strength to bring about the end of days. With some awareness and some purity, we will arrive at our goal; we are given a clear map to the end of days, and all we have to do is stick to our genesis until we reach Chazak!
David Lemmer is an Orthodox Jewish Writer and HypnoTherapist. He can be reached at LemmerHypno@gmail.com