Rachel's Death

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1. A Great Silence: The Story of Rachel's Death

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   A great silence envelops the episode of Rachel's death – principally because the text refrains from describing Yaakov's emotional response to the death of his beloved wife. We hear neither a broken-hearted cry nor any description of an act of mourning. What is the meaning of this silence?

2. Rachel's Burial "On The Way"

   Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

   The story of Rachel's death is a melancholy one.  Rachel, who so longed for children, dies in childbirth.  What is the significance of this? And why is she buried "on the way"? Is it simply the result of circumstance, since she dies on the way?

   It seems that Rachel's entire existence symbolizes "the way," the process.  Her life is a story of constant grappling with processes, and it is from Rachel we learn the significance of process.

3. "They Are Mine, Efraim and Menashe:" The Meaning of Yaakov's Two Flashbacks

   Rabbi Elchanan Samet

   Yaakov is on his deathbed. His eyes can no longer see. His actions, on the other hand, are characterized by lucidity: he looks at things that physical eyes cannot see, a hidden future and a forgotten past.

   The scene where Yaakov exchanges his hands - placing the right hand upon the head of Efraim, Yosef's younger son, and the left upon the head of Menashe, the elder - illustrates this contrast between his weakened physical state and his lucid prophetic consciousness. Unable to see Yosef's sons with his eyes ("And Yisrael saw Yosef's sons, and he said: Who are these?"), he nevertheless knows with certainty where he wants to place his right hand. The dialogue between him and his son is a slightly ironic illustration of the fact that the sight of the elderly, blind father is better than that of his younger, clear-sighted son.

   As stated, the "narrative present" of this story is fragmented: memories of the past and images of the future penetrate the present, shaping Yaakov's consciousness and his actions in our story. And so the boundaries between past, present and future are blurred. 

   What logical connection runs between the flashback utterances of Yaakov? Why is he now reminded of these events from the distant past - decades ago - and what does he mean to express by mentioning them now, in his words to Yosef?

   Through an analysis of this episode as well as the flashback narratives, we can understand that Yaakov knew that at this late stage of his life his light had begun to shine, and after all his suffering he suddenly merited an expansion of his family, from the direction of this beloved and lost branch: from Yosef, Rachel's son. Only then did Yaakov give final expression to his emotions: both to his profound sorrow over the death of Rachel, who had died on the way at a young age, and to the contradiction this event engendered in his consciousness - a problem to which he had reacted with silence until now, when its solution was suddenly revealed to him in a wondrous new reality.

4. Yaakov's Blessing to Yosef

   Rabbi Yehuda Rock

   Yaakov's monologue in Parshat Vayechi comprises three parts:

   a. Mention of the blessing of "the Almighty God" (El Sha-dai) to Yaakov (3-4)

   b. Status bestowed on Ephraim and Menasheh like that of Yaakov's sons for the purposes of inheritance (5-6)

   c. Mention of the death and burial of Rachel (7)

   Through an examination of the significance of each part and the connections between them, we can learn an important lesson about the inheritance of the Land of Israel. 

5. Masei: Why Is The End of Bamidbar So Anticlimactic? II

   Rabbi David Fohrman |

   In this video, we still ask, why does the Torah end the narrative sections with the story of Yair ben Menashe conquering some towns? In finding the answer, Rabbi Fohrman teaches us about true reconciliation: brothers taking care of brothers.

    

   If you enjoyed this video, please visit AlephBeta.org to watch more.

6. VaYishlach: Where Was Rivka?

   Rabbi Jay Kelman