MATSATI.com Ministry

 This week's Parashah, Parashat Terumah (Shemot / Exodus 25:1-27:19) the Lord tells Moshe to tell the Sons of Yisrael to raise a contribution for the Lord (25:1, דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי) of gold, silver, and bronze, linen materials, goat hair, rams skins, and acacia wood.  The word Terumah (תְּרוּמָה) is derived from the word תרם meaning “to donate or contribute.”  Terumat Hamaaser and Terumah Gedola (types of heave offerings) were the offerings that were the possession of the Cohanim (Priests) and could be eaten by themselves and their families.  The Terumah obligatory offering that the Lord is asking here in this week’s study is for the purpose of the construction of the Mishkhan (Tabernacle).  It is within the Mishkhan that the various sacrifices (Korbanot, קָרְבֳּנוֹת) are to be offered by the Cohanim consisting of animals such as sheep, bulls, goats, doves (for the poor), grain (Mincha), wine, and incense.  The Lord then asks that a sanctuary (Mishkhan) be made so that He can dwell among them (25:8).  The Lord shows Moshe the pattern of the tabernacle and the furniture for the tabernacle (25:9-27:19).  The construction of the Ark of the Covenant is given in 25:10-22.  It is interesting here that the Lord instructs Moshe to construct the mercy seat upon the ארון הברית (Ark of the Covenant) making the image of two Cherubim (כְּרֻבִים).  Two Parshiot ago, in Parashat Yitro, in the giving of the ten commandments (עשרת הדברות) we find the command to make no graven images.  However, in today’s Parashah we find God instructing to construct two Cherubim to be placed upon the Mercy Seat the cover of the Ark of the Covenant.  Is this a violation of His own mitzvah (command) or is there something special that the Lord is trying to show us concerning the Mercy Seat? Read More here.

 This week's reading from Shemot / Exodus 21:1-24:18 is titled “Parashat Mishpatim” meaning ordinances (הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים) where Moshe is giving the ordinances that the Lord is setting before the people.  The Hebrew text goes on to tell what one is to do if they have a Hebrew slave (21:2), if a man is forced to sell his daughter because of debt, what is he to do (21:7-9), if a man has a wife he is not allowed to reduce her food, clothing, or conjugal rights (12:10-11).  Stipulations on murder are made, whether premeditated or accidental (21:12-16).  Rulings are made on whether two men are fighting and one is injured, how the injured man's time in bed is to be compensated (loss of work).  When two men are fighting and strike a woman and she miscarriages, the offending person is to pay compensation for the loss (21:22), and any other injury, the ruling is an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth in repayment for injury (21:23-22:2).  God's purpose for instructing the people on what to do in the cases of injury (eye for eye and tooth for tooth) is to treat each other mercifully.  Most often it has been taught that the mitzvah (command) eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is harsh and unmerciful, the facts are these rulings provided structure, justice, and righteousness in a court of law such that the guilty person would not pay more than what his crime required.  In antiquity generally speaking, the wealthy would inflict harsher punishments upon those who had offended them.  This week's Parashah goes on to discuss things regarding a man's property, cattle, fields, etc (22:3-14).  Sorcerers / Witches are not permitted to live (22:18), bestiality is forbidden (22:19), and who ever sacrifices to any other god is to be put to death (22:20).  Be good to the stranger (22:21), do not oppress the widow or orphan (22:24).  No interest is to be charged on loans made to a child of Yisrael (22:25).  The law of the first born is given (22:29-30).  The seventh year rest for harvesting is given (23:10-11) along with the seventh day rest from working (the Shabbat, 23:12).  The command to celebrate three yearly festivals is given, (i) the Feast of Unleavened Bread (23:14), (ii) the Feast of Harvest of First Fruits (23:16), and (iii) the Feast of ingathering at the end of the year (23:16).  Read More here.

 This week's reading is from Parashat Yitro (Shemot / Exodus 18:1-20:26) the name of the Parashah "Yitro" is the name of Moshe's father-in-law.  The Scriptures tell us Moshe had two sons, gershom and Eleazar (18:1-2).  Yitro (Jethro) came to Moshe bringing his wife Zipporah and his two sons (18:6-8).  Moshe told Yitro everything the Lord had done as a result Yitro said י   וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶת-הָעָם מִתַּחַת יַד-מִצְרָיִם:   18:10 So Jethro said, ‘Blessed be the Lord who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. (NASB)  The telling of the miracles of God resulted in Yitro praising the Name of the Lord.  Moshe and Yitro make an offering before the Lord and then sat down to eat with the elders of Yisrael before the Lord (18:12).  The next day, Yitro saw all that Moshe was doing for the people and recommended that Moshe select leaders from the people as judges so that only the heavy matters Moshe would judge (18:13-26).  Moshe then said farewell to his father-in-law and it is written on the third month after the exodus the people arrived at the wilderness of Sinai (18:26-19:1).  Moshe brought the word of the people to the Lord and the Lord told Moshe to go to the people and consecrate them for on the third day the Lord will come down on the Mountain of Sinai (19:7-16).  The Lord warned Moshe to warn the people not to break through and gaze so they would not die (19:24-25) and God called Moshe and Aharon to come up on the mountain.  The Lord then gives the people His ten commandments (i) to have no other gods before Him (20:1-5), (ii) do not take the name of the Lord in vain (20:6-7), (iii) remember the Shabbat (20:8-11), (iv) honor your father and mother (20:12), (v) do not murder (20:13), (vi) do not commit adultery (20:14), (vii) do not steal (20:15), (viii) do not bear false witness against your neighbor (20:16), (ix) do not covet your neighbors house (20:19), and (x) do not covet your neighbors wife, male or female servants, his ox, donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (20:19) This week's Parashah ends saying:

פרשת יתרו ספר שמות פרק כ פסוק כא-כג 

כא   מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה תַּעֲשֶֹה-לִּי וְזָבַחְתָּ עָלָיו אֶת-עֹלֹתֶיךָ וְאֶת-שְׁלָמֶיךָ אֶת-צֹאנְךָ וְאֶת-בְּקָרֶךָ בְּכָל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת-שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ: כב   וְאִם-מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶֹה-לִּי לֹא-תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ: כג   וְלֹא-תַעֲלֶה בְמַעֲלֹת עַל-מִזְבְּחִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תִגָּלֶה עֶרְוָתְךָ עָלָיו:

 

When making an altar to bring the burnt offering and peace offering, “in every place that my name is remembered, I will come and bless you” (בְּקָרֶךָ בְּכָל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת-שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ).  In addition to this, the Lord says וְאִם-מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶֹה-לִּי לֹא-תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ  'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. (NASB)  This command prevents man from forming an altar using his hands and the imagination of his heart.  This suggests to us that God wants an altar built according to His design and not man’s design.  The possibility of changing/modifying what God has established for our salvation is a serious temptation and the result is profaning (וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ) the Name of the Lord.  Only God can properly cover (כפר) atone for our sins, if we attempt to approach Him by anything other means we will be exposed and naked before Him and remain guilty in our sin (20:26).  Read More here.

In this week's reading, from Parashat Beshalach (Shemot / Exodus 13:17-17:16), Pharaoh let the people go and the Torah describes that the Lord God did not lead the people by the way of the Philistines saying that the people might change their minds and return to Mitzrayim (Egypt) (פֶּן-יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה).  The Scripture mentions that Moshe carried the bones of Yoseph back to the Promised Land (13:19).  The Scriptures describe that God led the people by a pillar of cloud during the day and pillar of fire by night.  The Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart once more (14:4-9) and follows Yisrael with his army catching up with them by the Red Sea.  The people see the army of Mitzrayim, become frightened and cry out to the Moshe (14:10-14).  Moshe assures the people that the Lord will save them and they will never see the Egyptians again.  At this point in the narrative God commands Moshe to instruct the people to move forward, the Lord sends a strong east wind and divides the sea so the people could cross on dry land (14:15-22).  The Egyptian army pursued Yisrael into the Sea and the Lord caused the Sea to return to its normal state killing the entire army saving Yisrael (14:23-31).  As a result of the victory, the people sung a song exalting the Name of the Lord (15:1-22).  After the victory, the people come to a place they name Marah meaning bitter for the water was bitter and the Lord tested the people there (15:23-26).  Then the people travel to Elim where there were twelve springs and seventy date palms and encamped (15:27).  They then traveled to the wilderness of Sin and the people grumbled against Moshe and Aharon because there was no food (16:1-3).  The Lord then says that he shall rain bread from heaven to provide food for them to eat (16:4).  The Lord then gives the people bread in the morning and meat in the evening to eat (16:5-16).  The command to rest on the Shabbat (Sabbath) is given with the instructions on how to gather the Manna during the end of the week (16:17-30).  One Omer of the Manna was taken and placed before the Lord as a reminder how God provides for His people (16:31-34).  The Scriptures say that the people ate Manna for 40 years until they entered into the Promised Land (16:35, וּבְנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל אָכְלוּ אֶת-הַמָּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה עַד-בֹּאָם אֶל-אֶרֶץ נוֹשָׁבֶת אֶת-הַמָּן אָכְלוּ עַד-בֹּאָם אֶל-קְצֵה אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן).  The people journeyed slowly to the mountain of Sinai, arriving at Rephidim next where there was no water to drink (17:1-3).  The people again complained about leaving Mitzrayim (Egypt) (17:4), the Lord commands Moshe to strike the rock to make water for the people (17:5-7).  Then Amalek came to fight against Yisrael at Rephidim (17:8) and Moshe tells Yehoshua (Joshua) to choose men and go and fight Amalek.  Moshe stood at a high place and held up his hands and holding his hands up Yisrael prevailed against Amalek and the Lord declares that He will blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven (כִּי-מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם).  This week’s Parashat is especially interesting detailing some important biblical principles, God’s final deliverance from Mitzrayim, and His provision of bread from heaven in the morning, meat in the evening, all of these things in the midst of the complaining peoples.  Read More here.

This week's reading is Parashat Bo (Shemot / Exodus 10:1-13:16) details the last plagues that God brought upon Mitzrayim (Egypt) and Pharaoh drives the Children of Yisrael out.  The Lord tells Moshe א   וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בֹּא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה כִּי-אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת-לִבּוֹ וְאֶת-לֵב עֲבָדָיו לְמַעַן שִׁתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ:  10:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, (NASB) the Lord hardened Pharaoh and his servants heart for the purpose of performing the signs before them.  As a result of Pharaoh not letting the people go the Lord brings the plague of locust upon Egypt (10:3-19).  Again Pharaoh refused to let the people go, then the Lord told Moshe to stretch his hand out to heaven (וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדוֹ עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם) and darkness would come upon the land (10:22-23).  Following this plague Pharaoh called to Moshe and tells him that he and his people may go (כד   וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר לְכוּ עִבְדוּ אֶת-יְהֹוָה רַק צֹאנְכֶם וּבְקַרְכֶם יֻצָּג גַּם-טַפְּכֶם יֵלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם:).  Then the Lord told Moshe one more plague will be brought upon Egypt, that the first born of every family, of man and beast will die (10:24-11:10).  At this point (Shemot 12) God tells Moshe this shall be the beginning of months, the first month of the year.  On the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb and keep him, then kill him and taking the blood spreading its blood upon the door posts of their house, and roast the lamb by fire and eat it until morning having their cloths on and sandals on your feet and staff in hand because this is the Lord's Pesach (Passover) (12:1-11).  The unique thing about this Pesach is that the lamb is to be kept for 4 days before it is slaughtered.  The blood will be a sign so that the Lord will pass over the house and the first born will not die (יג   וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת עַל הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם שָׁם וְרָאִיתִי אֶת-הַדָּם וּפָסַחְתִּי עֲלֵכֶם וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף לְמַשְׁחִית בְּהַכֹּתִי בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:)  (12:13).  The Lord declares that this shall be an everlasting statute that must be observed (הַזֶּה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם) (12:17).  Beginning on the fourteenth day the feast of unleavened bread begins which is also known as Pesach (Passover) (12:18-12:25).  The Lord then strikes dead the first born of Egypt and as a result the Egyptians sent the people out in haste out of fear that they would all die if they remained any longer (12:33).  The Lord then declares that this will be remembered as a feast to the Lord, that the Torah of the Lord will be in your mouth and remember that the Lord brought you out of Mitzrayim by a mighty hand (13:1-16, ט   וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת עַל-יָדְךָ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת יְהוָֹה בְּפִיךָ כִּי בְּיָד חֲזָקָה הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָֹה מִמִּצְרָיִם:).  Today God delivers us by His mighty hand from sin, enabling us to live our lives for Him, and saving our souls giving us life everlasting.  Read More here.

            In this week's portion of scriptures, the name Parashat Va'era (Shemot / Exodus 6:2-9:35), declares the physical manifestation of God וארא Va'era "and I appeared" indicating the Lord appeared unto Moshe, the very presence of God and His power is made available to deliver His people.  This is exactly what we find in this week's reading.  The Lord God spoke to Moshe saying ג   וָאֵרָא אֶל-אַבְרָהָם אֶל-יִצְחָק וְאֶל-יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהֹוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם: 6:3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord (YHVH), I did not make Myself known to them. (NASB) The way the text is written, the Lord God Almighty is revealing Himself in a new way to His people.  In the opening verses we read the reiteration of the covenant promise ד   וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת-אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר-גָּרוּ בָהּ:  6:4 ‘I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. (NASB) and the promise that we will be His people and He will be our God (ז   וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִי לְעָם וְהָיִיתִי לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלוֹת מִצְרָיִם:).  God tells Moshe and Aharon to go to the sons of Yisrael and to Pharaoh and bring the sons of Yisrael out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt).  These sons of Yisrael, the heads of the Father's households are listed in Shemot / Exodus 6:14-26.  The Lord declares that He will harden Pharaoh's heart so that His signs and wonders will be multiplied in Mitzrayim declaring His glory and power (7:1-4).  Moshe goes before Pharaoh and performs the sign of the staff turning into a serpent (7:8-10) and Pharaoh had his sorcerers perform the same sign (7:11-14) and his heart was hardened.  It is interesting that the Torah does not describe the sign of Tzaraat being performed before Pharaoh.  The next sign that Moshe performs before Pharaoh is to turn the Nile River to blood (7:15-24).  Mitzrayim was then stricken with a plague of frogs (8:1-15), the dust was stricken and became gnats and swarms of insects came upon both man and beast (8:16-31).  Pharaoh again hardened his heart and the Lord struck the livestock with pestilence causing them to die (9:1-7).  Moshe then took a handful of the soot from a kiln and threw it into the air, the soot become boils that broke out on all of the Egyptians and Pharaoh's heart was hardened again (9:8-17).  The final plague in this week's portion of scripture details the Lord bringing a plague of hail mingled with fire (9:18-35).  The Lord declared that this hail would be so heavy that anyone (man or beast) left outside would surely die.  The scriptures record that there was hail and fire flashed in the midst of the hail and the fire run down to the earth and burned.  It says the hail struck everything in the field, man, beast, grain and destroying every tree of the field, only in the land of Goshen was there no hail.  It is at this time Pharaoh realizes that he has sinned saying כז   וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם חָטָאתִי הַפָּעַם יְהוָֹה הַצַּדִּיק וַאֲנִי וְעַמִּי הָרְשָׁעִים: כח   הַעְתִּירוּ אֶל-יְהֹוָה וְרַב מִהְיֹת קֹלֹת אֱלֹהִים וּבָרָד וַאֲשַׁלְּחָה אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא תֹסִפוּן לַעֲמֹד:  9:27 Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones.  9:28 ‘Make supplication to the Lord, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.’ (NASB)  When the hail ceased it says that Pharaoh sinned again and hardened his heart both he and his servants.  Troublesome times bring repentance and return to the Lord.  When deliverance comes and the trouble passes, it is easy to slip back into sin and forget what the Lord has done. Read More here.

The opening verses of week's study from Parashat Shemot (Shemot / Exodus 1:1-6:1) detail the sons of Yisrael who had come to Mitzrayim (Egypt), that Yoseph and all of his brothers had passed away and a new king arose in Mitzrayim that did not know Yoseph (1:1-7).  This king of Mitzrayim feared the people of Yisrael and placed them into bondage (slavery) (1:9-14).  The narrative continues with Pharaoh commanding that all boys of the Hebrew's are to be killed, and it is at this time Moshe is born (1:15-2:10).  According to the biblical text, Moshe grew up knowing who he was, born from the Hebrews (2:11-12) and one day he protected his brethren by killing an Egyptian man.  As a result of this he was afraid for his life and fled from Mitzrayim and Pharaoh to Midian (2:13-15).  In Midian Moshe married Zipporah (2:21-22) and worked as a shepherd.  At this time God heard the cry of His people and remembers the covenant that he made with Avraham, Yitzchak (Isaac), and Yaakov (Jacob) and God calls to Moshe from the midst of the burning bush on the mountain of Horeb (2:24-3:10).  Moshe fears Pharaoh (3:11-22-4:1) and the Lord God gives him signs, the staff that turns into a serpent (4:3-5) and a hand covered in Tzaraat(4:6-8).  The Lord then says וְהָיָה אִם-לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לָךְ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהֶאֱמִינוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָאַחֲרוֹן  4:8 ‘If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. (NASB)  The Lord tells Moshe that He will be with him and his brother Aharon and give them words to speak to Pharaoh and the ability to perform signs before him and all of Mitzrayim.  Moshe went to Goshen, assembled all of the elders of the sons of Yisrael and spoke to them the words of the Lord and performed the signs of the staff/serpent and leprous hand before the people.  The people believed Moshe and bowed down and worshiped the Lord.  Moshe and Aharon then spoke to Pharaoh but Pharaoh would not let the people go and Pharaoh said the people are lazy in their request to make a sacrifice to their God (5:7-9).  As a result he increased their labor and the people cried out to Moshe and to God. 

 

פרשת שמות ספר שמות פרק א פסוק ט-י 

ט   וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-עַמּוֹ הִנֵּה עַם בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל רַב וְעָצוּם מִמֶּנּוּ: י   הָבָה נִּתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן-יִרְבֶּה וְהָיָה כִּי-תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם-הוּא עַל-שֹֹנְאֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם-בָּנוּ וְעָלָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ:

 

פרשת שמות ספר שמות פרק ה, ו פסוק כב-כג, א 

כב   וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָֹה וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה לָמָּה זֶּה שְׁלַחְתָּנִי: כג   וּמֵאָז בָּאתִי אֶל-פַּרְעֹה לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׁמֶךָ הֵרַע לָעָם הַזֶּה וְהַצֵּל לֹא-הִצַּלְתָּ אֶת-עַמֶּךָ:  א   וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה עַתָּה תִרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶעֱשֶֹה לְפַרְעֹה כִּי בְיָד חֲזָקָה יְשַׁלְּחֵם וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה יְגָרֲשֵׁם מֵאַרְצוֹ:

 

The last verse of this week's study reveals to us that the purpose for the increase in labor was so that the Lord will demonstrate His power and authority and Pharaoh would drive out the people from the land.  An interesting parallel is drawn here, at the beginning of the Parashah, Pharaoh enslaves the children of Yisrael in order to keep them from leaving the land, but in the end God will cause Pharaoh to drive them out.  These Scriptures reveal that in order to be the people of God, we must be driven from the bondage (slavery) to sin in order to be holy and righteous before the Lord.  Is there sin in your life you are holding onto that God wants you to be driven away from and set free? Read More here.

This week's reading from Parashat Vayechi (Bereshit / Genesis 47:28-50:26) contains the final chapters of the book of Genesis.  The opening verses tell us that Yaakov (Yisrael) lived in the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt) seventeen years and the total years of his life were 147 years.  Before Yaakov died he asked Yoseph saying ל   וְשָׁכַבְתִּי עִם-אֲבֹתַי וּנְשָֹאתַנִי מִמִּצְרַיִם וּקְבַרְתַּנִי בִּקְבֻרָתָם וַיֹּאמַר אָנֹכִי אֶעְשֶֹה כִדְבָרֶךָ: לא   וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְֹרָאֵל עַל-רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה: " 47:30 but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.’ And he said, ‘I will do as you have said.’  Yoseph takes his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim and has Yaakov bless them (48:1-2).  Yaakov tells Yoseph that these two sons (Manasseh and Ephraim) will be his (48:5) and declares that Yoseph's descendents after him shall be called after their names (48:6).  Yaakov recounts the death of his wife Rachael (48:7-9).  Yaakov blesses Yoseph’s children placing Ephraim (second born) before Manasseh (first born) saying the younger will be greater than the older (48:10-20) וְגַם-הוּא יִגְדָּל וְאוּלָם אָחִיו הַקָּטֹן יִגְדַּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְזַרְעוֹ יִהְיֶה מְלֹא-הַגּוֹיִם.  Yaakov then proceeds to make statements against his sons on account of what they had done while in the land of Canaan (49:1-26).  In the midst of Yaakov’s blessing over his sons he provides us with a Messianic expectation in his statements to Judah לֹא-יָסוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה וּמְחֹקֵק מִבֵּין רַגְלָיו עַד כִּי-יָבֹא שִׁילֹה וְלוֹ יִקְּהַת עַמִּים  49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (NASB)  Yaakov dies and Yoseph and his brothers bury him in the land of Canaan (49:29-50:14).  Yoseph's brothers seek forgiveness and ask that he have mercy on them for their transgressions.  Yoseph assures them that they need not fear.  The final verses of sefer Bereshit (ספר בראשית) tell of the death of Yoseph, Yoseph lived 110 years and then he died, was embalmed and placed in an Egyptian coffin (50:15-26).  Read More here.

This week’s study is Parashat Vayigash (Bereshit / Genesis 44:18-47:27), the Parashah begins with Benjamin having the cup of Yoseph and the sons of Yisrael trying to explain to Yoseph that they must bring their brother back to their father.  Judah offers himself in the place of Benjamin (44:8-34).  Yoseph reveals himself to his brothers (45:1-8) and declares וְעַתָּה לֹא-אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְשִֹימֵנִי לְאָב לְפַרְעֹה וּלְאָדוֹן לְכָל-בֵּיתוֹ וּמשֵׁל בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם 45:8 ‘Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (NASB)  Yoseph calls for Yisrael and his brothers to move to the land of Goshen to live because the famine was going to continue for another five years (45:9-15) and Pharaoh ordered that his family would come and he would give them the best of the land (45:9-24).  Yisrael then makes an offering to the Lord God Almighty and travels to Mitzrayim (Egypt) (45:28-46:26).  We learn that Jacob (Yisrael) is 130 years old (47:9) and the people were settled in the land of Goshen and Yoseph fed them because of the famine (47:11-13).  The famine grew very severe and the people gave all their money in order to obtain food to survive (47:14-15).  After the money was gone, the people brought their livestock and cattle to pay for the food (47:16-17).  After this the people sold their land and themselves into slavery in order to buy grain for food to survive (47:18-21) and the people grew numerous in the land of Goshen (47:27).  When Yisrael heard that his son lived, he brought an offering before the Lord and God spoke to him saying not to be afraid and that He would go down with him into Mitzrayim and there he will become a great nation.   Read More here.