- The Parshas Derochim writes that Rochel died just as Yaakov prepared to enter Eretz Yisroel (48:7) because he was only permitted to be married to two sisters outside Eretz Yisroel. Tosfos writes (Yevamos 20b) that a regular Kohen who marries a widow and is then anointed as the Kohen Gadol (who is forbidden to marry a widow) is allowed to remain married to her since she was permissible to him at the time of their marriage. Why wasn’t Yaakov similarly allowed to remain married to Rochel and Leah even in Eretz Yisroel since they were both permitted to him at the time he married them outside of Eretz Yisroel?
The Matamei Yaakov notes that the prohibition against a Kohen Gadol marrying a widow is only punishable by lashes, whereas the prohibition against marrying two sisters is more severe and is punished by spiritual excision. Therefore, we are more lenient and permit a Kohen who married a widow to remain married to her even after he is appointed Kohen Gadol, but Yaakov was not allowed to remain married to two sisters when he returned to Eretz Yisroel. The M'rafsin Igri answers that although the Avos did not observe the mitzvos outside of Eretz Yisroel, that did not render Yaakov's marriage to Rochel and Leah permissible in the same way that a regular Kohen is permitted to marry a widow. Because he did not marry them in a permissible manner, he could not remain married to both of them when he returned to Eretz Yisroel.
- The pasuk says: וירא ישראל את בני יוסף ויאמר מי אלה. ויאמר יוסף אל בניו בני הם אשר נתן לי אלקים בזה – “Yisroel saw the sons of Yosef and he asked, ‘who are these children’. Yosef replied ‘these are my children, children that Hashem gave me’” (Bereishis 48:8-9). Rashi writes that to prove that he was married, Yosef pulled out his shtar erusin and shtar kesubah (the documents one gives to his wife when getting married). The question is, why did Yosef have these documents to hand so that he was able to show his father? Moreover, generally the kesubah is kept by the woman, what was it doing by Yosef? Another thing we must ask is, what did it help to show them to Yaakov, the Torah tells us “Yaakov’s eyes became heavy from old age, and he was unable to see”?
The simple answer would be, that Yosef always feared that his father would ask him about these documents, therefore, he made sure to always have them to hand. Another answer perhaps we can suggest, is based on the Yalkut Meam Loez (Parshas Vayishlach) on the pasukויגע בכף ירכו ותקע כף ירך יעקב. He explains, that in those days it was normal for people to keep their important documents attached to their thigh. The angel of Eisav attacked Yaakov and tried to take away the document which confirmed the sale of the birthright, this is why he ended up touching and hitting Yaakov’s thigh. Based on this, perhaps Yosef also kept his documents attached to his thigh. In regards to how Yaakov was able to see the documents, R’ Moshe Sternbuch in his Chochmah V’Daas explains, that when the pasuk says that Yaakov couldn’t see, it means he couldn’t see the way an average person could see, however, if he would exert and strain himself and bring things close to his eyes, then he was able to see. However, the Pardes Yosef cites the Binah Le’itim (Derush 7) who says, Yaakov was so hard of seeing, that even if he would use things to help improve vision (i.e. glasses) it wouldn’t help. (Pikudecha Dorashti)
- Another question on the above Rashi is, the shtar erusin and shtar kesubah requires two kosher witnesses, how was Yosef able to find two kosher witnesses in Mitzrayim? Additionally the shtar erusin needs to be given over in front of two kosher witnesses (Even HaEzer 32), again, how was Yosef able to find two such witnesses?
In Ayalas HaShachar, R’ Aharon Leib asks the above, and he says, we can’t answer that Yosef converted two Egyptians as we don’t find anywhere that he did so, and even if he did, it’s not so simple that it’s possible to convert to Judaism before Matan Torah. However, R’ Yosef Salant in his Be’er Yosef writes that Yosef continued in the ways of the Avos, he continued in the ways of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, and he too converted people to Judaism. His way of doing this was to act with chochma and kedusha and the people around him would automatically begin to believe in the Ribbono Shel Olam and start to keep Torah and mitzvos. By the time Yosef married Osnas, there were already two Egyptians who had converted and become Jewish, and were suitable to be witnesses. R’ Aharon Leib answers, Yosef tried to do as much as he could to keep halachah, and if the Avos had the din of a Ben Noach, then presumably Yosef was also considered a Ben Noach, and for a Ben Noach it’s ok to use Bnei Noach as witnesses. (Pikudecha Dorashti)
- Besides krias shema al hamita and tefillas haderech, when should one say: לישועתך קויתי ה' – “await Your salvation, Hashem”, part of Yaakov’s berachah to Dan?
The Mishnah Berurah writes that one should recite this verse after sneezing. He explains this custom based on the Gemara in Bava Metzia (87a) that teaches that up until Yaakov, people died suddenly without any illness or other prior warning. They simply sneezed and died. Yaakov davened that he should get sick before his death so that he would have time to prepare for it and repent. Although sneezes are no longer considered fatal, this verse should be recited as a reminder that they once were, and it is only through the tefillos of Yaakov that we are able to survive them.
- Four different people were buried in Parshas Vayechi. How many of them can you identify?
Yaakov was buried in Chevron (50:13). The Medrash says that Eisav attempted to prevent Yaakov’s children from burying him in Me’aras HaMachpela, at which point Chushim ben Dan cut off his head, which rolled into the cave and was buried there. Yosef was placed in a coffin and buried in the Nile (Sotah 13a). Lastly, the Torah records (50:14), “Yosef returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he buried his father.” The Rogatchover notes that the phrase “after he buried his father” appears to be superfluous. The Shulchan Aruch rules (Yoreh Deah 242:17) that if three people are walking together, the most respected one should walk in the middle, the second most esteemed one on the right, and the least learned one on the left. The Birkei Yosef (Ibid.) adds that if only two people are walking together, the more honored one should walk on the right and the less respected one on the left. The Yerushalmi (Taanis 4:2) says that the three Avos were also buried in this manner, with Avrohom in the middle, Yitzchok on the right, and Yaakov on the left. However, they did not all die at the same time, and when there are only two, the more esteemed one goes on the right, in which case Yitzchok was initially buried on Avrohom’s left. Thus, the Rogatchover explains that when Yaakov’s children arrived at Me’aras HaMachpela, they first exhumed Yitzchok from his place on Avrohom’s left and reinterred him on Avrohom’s right side, at which point they buried Yaakov in the plot that was previously occupied by Yitzchok. The additional reference to “burying his father” alludes to this double burial, which means that Yitzchok was also buried in Parshas Vayechi. (R’ Ozer Alport)
