~ One Hundred Words on the Parsha - Vayechi

ויישם בארון במצרים

Yoseph’s body was placed in an aron – a box or coffin – as opposed to a Jewish burial where the body is put in the ground. One possible reason for this may have been to prevent the אוירה – the atmosphere – of Mitzraim from coming in contact with Yoseph’s body. (Yoseph specifically stated that he did not want to be buried in Mitzraim.) Thus, the pasuk states that he was placed in an aron “במצרים – in Egypt” to indicate that the reason he was in a box was because it was Mitzraim. Later, in Eretz Yisrael he would be taken out.

The pasuk (in Shir HaShirim 8:10), אני חומה – “I am a wall”, is understood to mean that Klall Yisrael should place barriers before untoward influences.

~ One Hundred Words on the Parsha – Vayichi

"יהודה אתה יודוך"

We find many times in the תורה that יהודה leads the way for כלל ישראל. For instance, in this week’s פרשה, he is the first to receive a ברכה, as the brothers spoken to before him got rebukes rather than ברכות. Previously, he led the way, saving יוסף from the בור. He also paved the way for תורה learning in גושן by traveling ahead to establish a ישיבה there.

Later on, his descendant, נחשון בן עמינדב, led the way by jumping into the ים סוף, and is considered the quintessential leader. Later, as the נשיא of שבט יהודה, he was the first נשיא to bring a קרבן in the משכן. Again he led the way; in fact the term נחשון is synonymous with leading the way.

It is no wonder that יהודה’s descendants were chosen to be the kings of the Jews, ultimately יהודה’s descendant, משיח will be the one to lead us out of our גלות, may it be soon in our time.