Usually the name of a parsha is taken from the first sentence or two of that week's reading. Furthermore, it often has some extra meaning about the entire portion, or at least the very first section.

This week's parsha, Parshat Vayechi, seems to have gotten it wrong. The name of the parsha taken from the first word of the portion, Vayechi, means "and he lived." Yet, in reading the entire portion, we see it deals mostly not with life, but with death. First it is Jacob's passing which concerns us and then, at the end, Joseph's. There is little that talks about their lives or even a summary of who they were.

So, what gives?

How we die, apparently, is a reflection of how we lived. If, when we are dying, (assuming we have our full mental capacities) we care for what will be with our families, then that is probably a reflection of how we lived as well. If on the other hand, we are all alone and concerned with ourselves only, then chances are that we lived our lives in the same manner.

When we look at Jacob's final act, we see him calling his children together to give them a blessing.1 Joseph, at the end of his story, is bouncing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren on his knee and making sure to promise his brothers that they would be returning to their homeland Israel.2 They were both family -oriented. These final actions are expressions of how they lived their lives. The name of the parsha, then, is wholly appropriate.

There is a personal challenge discussed by Dr. Viktor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning. He spoke of 3 possible gravestones that are written for us. Over the first, it says, "how sad, this person never really lived." Over the second, it reads, "may this person never live again." And the third is reserved for those for whom it can be said, "they truly lived a full and meaningful life."3

The first gravestone is for the person who trudges through life never stopping to think what it's all about and just tries to survive from day to day. Maya Angelou is quoted as saying: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."4 That story needs to be told - your story. How truly sad if it is not - all that potential wasted. This person never lived.

The second is the person who used potential, but did so by way of trampling on his own conscience and leading a life diametrically opposed to what he ought to have done. May this person truly never live again.

The last person is the one whom we hail. Whether he be Einstein, Maimonides, Rashi or Beethoven. Or one who has been to hell and back and has found the courage to build a new life. They have truly lived!

What is our life calling us out to become? Where have we been? What can we still be? Let us continue this fascinating journey and discover who we can still be and truly live!

 

*Click here to read another logoParsha post on Vayechi.

Footnotes

 

  1. Bereishis chap. 49
  2. ibid. 50:23-25
  3. Heard from my teacher, Dr. Teria Shantall, a student of Dr. Frankl and a world-renowned logotherapist in her own right.
  4. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/maya_angelou.html

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Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

For More Information On Logotherapy And How You Can Create A Fuller, More Meaningful Life, Or To Book An Online Session,

  1. Call Me At +972-54-589-3399, or in Israel 054-5893399
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