Parshas Vayechi - Yaakov, Yosef and the Strength of the Struggle
Parshas Vayechi is one of the most fascinating parshas in the Torah. Originally dubbed “And he lived”, the truth is it describes Yaakov’s death and final blessing to his children. Yaakov gathers them together and offers to reveal the secrets of the Messianic Redemption. According to some sources he lost that prophecy due to the lack of unity amongst the brothers. Others explain that the full revelation was hidden, but much was still revealed in the blessings to the tribes themselves. In Yaakov’s beginning to bless his firstborn Reuven, he describes in Genesis 49:3 רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז Reuven, you are my first born, my might and the first fruit of my vigor, exceeding in rank and exceeding in honor. The Gemara in Yevamos 76a explains that Reuven was formed from the very first drop of seed that Yaakov ever emitted in his entire life, at the age of 84. While from our perspective this might seem like an odd thing to...