Rabbi Simon A. Dolgin


"And Jacob lives in the land of Egypt." (BEreshith 47:28)

Why is this portion of all the portions in the Torah, closed? It is because following Jacob's death, Israel's enslavement in Egypt began. (Yalkut Shimonei)


Our sages, in interpreting the Torah, not only examined the words, their spelling and their pronunciation, but also the significance of the physical layout of the Torah text in terms of the words' spacing relative to one another. it is noted that the portion of Vayechi is a "closed" portion, i.e., its text appears immediately following the closing words of the preceding portion, Vayigash, without the usual spacing between them. The meaning that the Midrash assigns to this is that embedded in the story of Jacob's death is the beginning of Israel's enslavement to the Egyptians. The onset of that dark age in our people's history is expressed implicitly in the "closed" nature of Vayechi's opening words.

The commentaries debate why Jacob's death is viewed as the turning point toward Israel's subordination, especially when Joseph, Egypt's second-in-command, was still in power. Rashi broadens the Midrashic interpretation with the thought that, "When Jacob died, the eyes and hearts of the Israelites became closed, from the despair of their bondage under the Egyptians." The Siftei Chachamim questions Rashi's reference to the Egyptian bondage, since it had not actually begun, apart from perhaps, Pharaoh's requesting that the Israelites work under him. For this reason, we must understand Rashi in a different way. After Jacob's death, the eyes and hearts of Israel became closed, leading to and signifying the beginning of their bondage under the Egyptians.

Each person, family and nation is characterized by a unique set of ideas and values that define them, serve as their source of power, and guide their destiny. Jacob and his sons were unique in this sense, with eyes and hearts that were different from those of the Egyptians among whom they lived.

As long as Jacob was alive, the eyes and hearts of his descendants were "open" to the very ideals that linked them to Abraham and Isaac and set them apart from all others.

When Jacob died, their eyes and hearts became "closed" dulling their foresight, their sense of purpose, and their courage. This is Rashi's intent in saying; "When Jacob died., the eyes and hearts of the Israelites were closed, from the despair of their bondage under the Egyptians." Even though they physically still enjoyed their freedom, their eyes and hearts became closed, signifying the early stages of spiritual enslavement, loss of identity, and severance from their past heritage.

Once their eyes and hearts became closed, they were no different than the Egyptians, blending into their society, and becoming spiritually enslaved to them. The loss of spiritual identity would lead later to actual physical bondage.

A slave whose eyes and heart is open, who does not surrender his spirit to his master, is a free man. His faith will ultimately free him. A free man who sells his spirit and closes his eyes and heart will forever be a slave.