Parashat Vayechi, The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

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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.

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Duane D. Miller received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron Ohio. He is currently a Chemical Engineering Researcher. Duane’s research expertise has focused upon functional materials development for the control, conversion, and release of process gases in Energy production technologies. His R&D interests include computational chemistry, developing novel technologies for converting biomass to fuels and studying their fundamental interactions during the chemical conversion process. His past experience includes sorbent development for pre- and post-combustion CO2 and SO2 capture, selective absorption of H2S from methane streams, O2 capture for oxy-fuel combustion, photocatalytic reduction of alcohols, NOx reduction catalysis, the development of oxygen carriers to combust fossil fuels (CH4 and coal) for the chemical looping combustion processes, and the extraction of rare earth elements using patent pending sorbents. His research expertise has focused on operando-characterization using Infrared, Raman, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to observe the nature of the catalytic active sites and reaction intermediates under realistic reaction conditions, allowing direct correlation of molecular/electronic structures with catalyst performance during Gas-Solid / Liquid-Solid Adsorption and Photocatalytic Processes with real time online analysis of reaction products using ICP-MS and mass spectrometry. His current work involves a multi-disciplinary approach to developing, understanding, and improving the catalytic gasification of coal and methane, high temperature chemical looping combustion, and the catalytic decomposition and gasification of biomass and coal using novel microwave reactor.​ He has been studying the Hebrew Scriptures and the Torah for 20+ years and sharing what he has learned. The studies developed for MATSATI.COM are freely to be used by everyone, to God be the Glory!