Parsha: Vayechi
Genesis 47:28-50:26
Haftarah: I Kings 2:1-12
Saturday, December 26, 2026
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Jewish Learning by Kimberly D
Genesis 47:28-50:26
Daily Reading Schedule:
Sunday December 20, 2026: Genesis 47:28-48:9
Monday December 21, 2026: Genesis 48:10-16
Tuesday December 22, 2026: Genesis 48:17-22
Wednesday December 23, 2026: Genesis 49:1-18
Thursday December 24, 2026: Genesis 49:19-26
Friday December 25, 2026: Genesis 49:27-50:20
Saturday December 26, 2026: All of the above Plus Genesis 50:21-26 AND
maf: Genesis 50:23-26
Haftarah: I Kings 2:1-12
Talmudic References:
Explore key discussions and cross-references from the Talmud that provide profound depth to the themes of Parsha Bereshit.
1
Yevamot
Daf Reference: 24a:6
(Reference for Genesis 48:6)
Yevamot 24a:6
The baraita continues and asks: Do you say that he succeeds in the name of his brother for inheritance, or perhaps it is only to inherit his name? If, e.g., the deceased brother was named Yosef, they must call the son born from levirate marriage Yosef, or if his name was Yoḥanan, then they must call him Yoḥanan. The baraita answers: It is stated here: “He shall succeed in the name of his brother,” and it is stated there: “They shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance” (Genesis 48:6). Just as the word “name” stated there in Genesis is referring explicitly to inheritance, so too, the word “name” stated here in Leviticus means with regard to inheritance.
2
Pesachim
Daf Reference: 56a:7
(Reference for Genesis 49:1)
Pesachim 56a:7
As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the complete redemption would arrive at the end of days (see Daniel 12:13), but the Divine Presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. He said: Perhaps the Divine Presence has abandoned me because, Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and like my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, our father, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They said: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said in praise: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, as all his children were righteous.
3
Yoma
Daf Reference: 87a:13
(Reference for Genesis 50:17)
Yoma 87a:13
Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: Anyone who asks forgiveness of his friend should not ask more than three times, as it is stated: “Please, please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. And now, please forgive” (Genesis 50:17). The verse uses the word please three times, which shows that one need not ask more than three times, after which the insulted friend must be appeased and forgive. And if the insulted friend dies before he can be appeased, one brings ten people, and stands them at the grave of the insulted friend, and says in front of them: I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and against so-and-so whom I wounded.
Commentaries from our Sages:
01
Sforno on Genesis 48:16:1-
(Reference for Genesis 48:16)
Sforno on Genesis 48:16
הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אוֹתִי מִכָּל רָע יְבָרֵךְ. צִוָּה שֶׁהַמַּלְאָךְ הַגּוֹאֵל אוֹתִי יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנְּעָרִים אִם אֵינָם רְאוּיִים לְבִרְכָּתְךָ בִּלְתִּי אֶמְצָעִי:
the letter ה introducing the word המלאך is not a definitive article, identifying a specific angel [seeing that we had not previously heard about him; Ed] but acts as an appeal, instruction to such angel(s) who in the past on different occasions had been Yaakov’s guardian angels(s). Yaakov appeals to his own guardian angels to bless the children if their own merit does not suffice for the guardian angels assigned to them to do the job.
וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק. לֹא שֵׁם תֶּרַח וְנָחוֹר, כִּי הַצַּדִּיקִים לֹא יִקָּרֵא עֲלֵיהֶם שֵׁם אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם הָרְשָׁעִים, וְכֵן בְּהֵפֶךְ, כְּאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סַנְהֶדְרִין נב.) דְּקָרִינָן לְרָשִׁיעָא אֲפִלּוּ בַּר צַדִּיקָא רָשִׁיעָא בַּר רָשִׁיעָא, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְיַחֵס לְאָבִיו הַצַּדִּיק אֲבָל יִתְיַחֵס לְאֵיזֶה מֵאֲבוֹתָיו הָרְשָׁעִים. וְלָכֵן הִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מוּכָנִים וְנֶעֱזָרִים לַעֲבוֹדַת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהִתְיַחֵס לְאַבְרָהָם וּלְיִצְחָק, עַל דֶּרֶךְ (תהלים פו:יא) "יַחֵד לְבָבִי לְיִרְאָה" אֶת "שְׁמֶךָ":
Although we know that Avraham and Yitzchok were both Yaakov’s fathers, he meant to make plain that he did not appeal to the god of Terach or Nachor who were similarly his “fathers” in the sense of being his ancestors. It is an axiom throughout Scripture that the righteous are never linked to those of their ancestors who were wicked, i.e. idolaters.
The same is true in reverse as our sages say in Sanhedrin 52, (but not found there) קרינן לרשיעא אפילו בר צדיקא רשיעא בר רשיעא, “a wicked person, even if he is the son of a righteous person is still called a wicked person son of a wicked person.” This principle is invoked in order to save the righteous father the embarrassment of being associated with his son who has turned from the path of righteousness. When the ancestry of such a wicked person requires to be mentioned, one prefers to link him to another wicked person in his lineage. This is why Yaakov prayed for the lads that they should remain G’d fearing and prepared to serve Him. If they were to do this they would qualify to be described as offspring of Avraham and Yitzchok. This principle is known as יחד לבבי ליראה את ה', “let my heart be undivided in reverence for Your name.” (Psalms 86,11)
Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash, Lambda
02
Ramban on Genesis 49:24
(Reference for Genesis 49:24)
מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב זֹאת הָיְתָה לוֹ מֵאֵת הקב"ה שֶׁהוּא אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב, וּמִשָּׁם זָכָה לִהְיוֹת רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל, עִקָּרָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְשׁוֹן "הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה" (זכריה ד, ז) לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית מ"ט:כ"ד). מֵאֵל אָבִיךָ הָיְתָה זֹאת לְךָ וְהוּא יַעְזְרֶךָּ, וְעִם הקב"ה הָיָה לִבְּךָ כְּשֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַעְתָּ לְדִבְרֵי אֲדוֹנָתְךָ וְהוּא יְבָרְכֶךָּ, גַּם זֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ. וְרַבִּי אַבְרָהָם אָמַר כִּי מֵ"ם "מֵאֵל אָבִיךָ" נִמְשָׁךְ לִ"וְאֵת שַׁדַּי" וְהוּא יְבָרְכֶךָּ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת הַבְּרָכָה הַזֹּאת דּוֹמָה לַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ לְמַעְלָה אֶת הַנְּעָרִים, כִּי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב הוּא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת, וְלֹא בָּא בַּכָּתוּב אֲבִיר אַבְרָהָם אוֹ יִצְחָק וְזוּלָתָם רַק אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב אוֹ אֲבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל (ישעיהו א כד), הוּא יַעֲקֹב. וְהִנֵּה מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַגְּבוּרָה, מִשָּׁם, מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב, רוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל, הִיא הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה שֶׁהָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה (תהלים קיח כב) מֵאֵת ה'. וְנִקְרָא "אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל", כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה. וְטַעַם "אֶבֶן", שֶׁהוּא בִּנְיָן מַשְׁלִים הַכֹּל. וְעִנְיַן "רוֹעֶה", כִּי הָעוֹז בַּגְּבוּרָה מִתְעַלֶּה בִּימִינוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה, כְּדִכְתִיב "קַרְנַיִם מִיָּדוֹ לוֹ וְשָׁם חֶבְיוֹן עֻזּוֹ" (חבקוק ג ד), כְּלוֹמַר וְשָׁם בִּימִינוֹ חֶבְיוֹן הָעוֹז, וְ"חֶבְיוֹן, הוּא הַכֹּחַ הַמִּתְעַלֶּה הַנֶּחְבָּא בִּמְקוֹם אֲצִילוּתוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְכַנָּה אֲשֶׁר נָטְעָה יְמִינֶךָ" (תהלים פ טז), מֵאֵל אָבִיךְ, הָאֱלֹהִים הָרֹעֶה אֹתִי מֵעוֹדִי, וְאֵת שַׁדַּי וִיבָרְכֶךָּ. וְדַעַת הַבְּרָכָה כִּי מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב, מֵחֶסֶד שֶׁרוֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֵאלֹהֵי אָבִיו, יָפִיק רָצוֹן וְיָבֹא עֶזְרוֹ, וְעִם שַׁדַּי תִּהְיֶה בִּרְכָתוֹ, וְהִנֵּה הוּא מְבֹרָךְ בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ. וְזֶה טַעַם "בִּרְכֹת אָבִיךָ גָּבְרוּ עַל בִּרְכֹת הוֹרַי", כִּי הַבִּנְיָן שָׁלֵם בּוֹ. כָּךְ הֶעֱלֵיתִי הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה מִמִּדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה (עיין ספר הבהיר קצג קמח), וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:
BY THE HANDS OF THE MIGHTY ONE OF JACOB. This befell him from the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is the Mighty One of Jacob. And from there [from his position as viceroy], he became worthy to be the feeder of the foundation stone of Israel, that is, the source of the tribes of Israel. The word “even” (stone) has the same meaning here as the word “even” in the expression, the chief stone, [where it means high position]. This is the language of Rashi. “From the G-d of thy father did this befall you, and He will help you. [And with the Almighty, i.e.,] and your heart was with the Holy One, blessed be He, when you did not hearken to the words of your mistress, and He will bless you.” This is also the language of Rashi.
Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the letter mem in the expression, mei’e-il avicha (‘from’ the G-d of thy father), is also to apply to the expression, ve’eith Sha-dai, [as if it read, umei’eith Sha-dai (and ‘from’ the Almighty)], and He will bless thee.…
Charles B. Chavel. Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
03
Or HaChaim on Genesis 50:20:1
(Reference for Genesis 50:20)
Or HaChaim on Genesis 50:20
וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם וְגוֹ׳ אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטוֹבָה. וַהֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְמִתְכַּוֵּן לְהַשְׁקוֹת חֲבֵירוֹ כּוֹס מָוֶת וְהִשְׁקָהוּ כּוֹס יַיִן, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְחַיֵּב כְּלוּם, וַהֲרֵי הֵם פְּטוּרִים וְזַכָּאִים גַּם בְּדִינֵי שָׁמַיִם.
"what you had planned as harm for me, G'd planned it for good, etc." The whole matter is comparable to that of a person who plans to give his friend a poisoned drink in order to kill him, but who mistakenly pours him a cup of wine. Legally speaking, such a person is not guilty before a human tribunal. Similarly, the brothers were not guilty before Joseph though they were guilty before a Heavenly Tribunal. It is possible that the forgiveness of the victim even to a Jewish criminal would not free the criminal from the death penalty if the deed had been committed under circumstances warranting such a verdict.