{"id":68331,"date":"2020-01-08T18:45:09","date_gmt":"2020-01-08T16:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=68331"},"modified":"2020-01-08T18:45:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T16:45:09","slug":"vayechi-the-blessings-of-the-fathers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/vayechi-the-blessings-of-the-fathers\/","title":{"rendered":"Vayechi &#8211; The Blessings Of The Fathers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"68331","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":46171,"related_cahpter":"1078","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Jacob's Crossing\r\n\r\n","content":"<p>After living in Egypt for seventeen years, Jacob knows that he is about to die. The Bible tells us that \u201cJoseph was told \u2018your father is ill,\u2019 so he took with him his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh\u201d (Gen. 48:1) to visit his father. When told of his guests, \u201cIsrael summoned his strength and sat up in bed\u201d (Gen. 48:1). He is very moved for he knows that this will be the last time his eyes will rest on his beloved son Joseph.<\/p>\n<p>Jacob, moved by the visit, recalls his past and talks about God\u2019s promises to him in Beth El and about Joseph\u2019s mother, Rachel, who died on the way to Canaan. Perhaps mentioning Rachel at this point accounts for why Jacob wanted Joseph, as Rachel\u2019s firstborn, to have a double portion, which will come to pass when he blesses Joseph\u2019s sons as he would his own. \u201cIsrael\u2019s eyes were dim with age; he could not see\u201d (Gen. 48:10). Joseph brought his sons close to his father, with Menasseh, the older of the two, facing Jacob\u2019s right hand and Ephraim facing his left for Jacob to bless them, but Jacob crossed his arms and placed his right hand on Ephraim\u2019s head and his left on Manasseh\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>In Avner Moriah\u2019s painting we see a nearly blind Jacob looking not at the boys, who are crouching in front of the bed, but off into space. Jacob\u2019s yellow arms are crossed over their heads. Joseph, standing on the side, is extending his arm toward his father\u2019s crossed hands in protest. Jacob\u2019s bedroom is imaged as a royal space with red walls, and it is clear that although he might not have been close to his father, Joseph provided for him in an exemplary fashion. A wide opening on the left marks the entrance and a window at the back looks out on the pyramids. In the distance, next to the rightmost pyramid we can see the spiral symbol that symbolizes the spirit of God and two small standing figures.<\/p>\n<p>The picture is suggesting that in blessing the boys Jacob is turning to God\u2019s spirit and to the figures of Abraham and Isaac seen in the distance, as he says: \u201cThe God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked\u2026\u201d (Gen. 48:15). Jacob knows that God always protected him and now he is asking the same for Joseph\u2019s sons. In crossing his arms over their heads he is replicating Isaac giving him Esau\u2019s blessing. Jacob blesses his grandsons saying: \u201cThe angel who has redeemed me from all harm bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac\u2026\u201d (Gen. 48:16). Jacob uses the occasion to convey Abraham and Isaac\u2019s benediction to Joseph\u2019s sons, together with a plea that God take them back to the land of their forefathers.<\/p>\n","image":{"ID":68332,"id":68332,"title":"12 Va-yehi","filename":"12-Va-yehi.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/vayechi-the-blessings-of-the-fathers\/12-va-yehi\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"12-va-yehi","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":68331,"date":"2020-01-08 16:44:52","modified":"2020-01-08 16:45:07","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1773,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-213x300.jpg","medium-width":213,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-726x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":726,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-726x1024.jpg","large-width":726,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi.jpg","1536x1536-width":1089,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi.jpg","2048x2048-width":1452,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-851x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":851,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/12-Va-yehi-298x420.jpg","home_baner-width":298,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"The Chapter Illustrated","main_caption":"Vayechi - 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