Vayechi Part One

Part one of two,, or Vayhi (וַיְחִי — Hebrew for “and he lived,” the first word of the parashah) is the twelfth weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the last in the Book of Genesis. “They are the sons God has given me here,” Yoseph said to his father. Then Yisra’el said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.” Now Yisra’el’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Yoseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Yisra’el said to Yoseph, “I did not expect to see your face; and here God has let me see your children also.” Then Yoseph removed them from his father’s knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Yoseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Yisra’el’s left hand and Menasheh on his left toward Yisra’el’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Yisra’el reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Menasheh’s head, since Menasheh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Yoseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has delivered me from all harm may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak, and may they increase greatly upon the earth.” (B’resheet 48:9-16)