Nachal novea; makor chochma -
A flowing river; the source of wisdom (Mish. 18:4)

Parashas Vayechi

(Genesis 47:28-50:26)

"And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt 17 years" (Berayshyit 47:28)

It is mentioned in the Midrash Rabbah and the Zohar that these 17 years that Yaakov spent in Egypt were the happiest and most tranquil period of his life. However, this statement leads us to ask the following question. Why is it that when Yaakov lived in Eretz Yisroel he didn't experience tranquillity, but only when he was in the impure and immoral Egypt, which was totally opposed to Yaakov's way of life, did he experienced bliss? How could the holy Yaakov experience peace in such an impure environment?

Therefore it becomes obvious that our verse is telling us a very important lesson on the true definition of happiness. True happiness is not attained when a person only experiences pleasant circumstances. For as soon as the circumstances change one’s joy disappears and goes out with the tide. True happiness can only be attained when one is happy under all circumstances, even under difficult and adverse conditions. This is when a person is able to turn the negativity of a sorrowful situation into joy, and still remain happy despite one's circumstances. This is the job of each Jew in this world. Hashem purposely gives each person his share of negative situations in life, based on the needs of his soul, and what he can handle. This enables each Jew to rectify these situations and change them from a potential negative and turn the situation into a positive. In this way each Jew helps in the building and rectification of the world.

Like all accomplishments in life, the more difficult a person’s achievements were to attain the more satisfaction he has when he achieves his goals. Therefore, a Jew's achievements in the very difficult environment of this world, with all the obstacles of the attraction to physical pleasures and the limitations of one's physical body, gives Hashem more satisfaction than the service of the angels, who serve Him under ideal conditions.

Why do people enjoy rafting down the turbulent waters of the Colorado River, mountain climbing, sky diving, going on safari, or other dangerous and difficult activities, when it is not even necessary for these people to do these things? For these difficult activities cause a person to be challenged, which brings out the best in a person's hidden abilities. The greater the obstacle, the greater the joy in conquering it. The same rule applies to a person when he tries to serve Hashem and retain his happiness, despite the difficulties in life.

Why is it important to retain one’s happiness, even in difficult circumstances? Hashem is the source of true happiness. When one is happy one maintains one's connection to Hashem. Therefore, when one performs a mitzvah or helps another person, one feels happy and fulfilled, because the performance of the mitzvah connects a person to Hashem, who is the source of happiness. This is why all tzadikim are truly happy people, even though they live in difficult circumstances. King David even though he suffered immensely all his life was a very happy person. How do we know that king David was a very happy person? He composed the book of Psalms, which contain praises and songs to Hashem, and King David was known as the sweet singer of Israel. A person can't sing or compose beautiful upbeat poetry if one is depressed. Therefore, we clearly see that King David was able to overcome his harsh circumstances and was truly happy.

Hashem gave us the difficult challenges of life and the difficulties of doing His will along with having to cope with the demands of our physical bodies and desires. If one could overcome these many obstacles, one could become attached to Hashem and experience true happiness. This is why people who were once drowning in their desires became intensely religious. They know that they experienced no true joy from worldly pleasures and breaking those barriers which were intentionally created to prevent people from easily reaching Hashem. These people have come to realize that pursuing physical pleasures is the true barrier to true happiness and has really kept these people from true joy. Therefore, they go to the opposite extreme and become intensely religious, trying desperately to attach themselves to true joy, which they have been deprived of until now. So they work very hard to become reconnected to the true joys of life, which only serving Hashem can bring.

Everyone deep down knows that they are paying a price for over-indulging in the barriers to spirituality. For they know they are exchanging true joy of being connected to Hashem for something that isn't real and gives no true satisfaction. One shouldn't, however, give up hope when one has succumbed and has been overwhelmed by these barriers. The barriers are very difficult to overcome and Hashem realizes this . Therefore, one must try again, even a thousand times to overcome these barriers and pray for Hashem's assistance.

Now we con understand why Yaakov became truly happy in thr horrendous spiritual environment of Egypt. By overcoming the more difficult barriers by living in immoral Egypt, Yaakov was able to become even more strongly attached to true happiness, Hashem. For hiding behind the hardest and most difficult obstacles is the highest levels of attachment to Hashem and true joy that can be possibly attained. However, one should note that if a person takes on an obstacle that is way beyond one's ability to overcome, he could, instead of reaching true joy, H-shem, become swallowed up by the more difficult obstacles and fail to reach Hashem. Therefore a person should be truly careful and honest with himself and take on only those things which are within one's grasp and ability to overcome. Therefore, Yaakov wasn't as happy living in the better spiritual environment of Eretz Yisroel. Yaakov had attained the ability after a lifetime of very hard work to be able to be happy even in the most difficult spiritual circumstances of the immoral Egyptian society and find Hashem even there. Therefore Yaakov attained a higher level of Joy in Egypt than he had attained in the better spiritual environment of Eretz Yisroel. It was only a man like Yaakov who could do this, because he had reached such a high spiritual level and was able to handle these very difficult challenges.

Therefore, the Jewish people, overcoming the difficulties and degradation's of exile by serving Hashem, will experience the greatest eternal joy when all the obstacles have been removed and the Moshiach will come. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Hoda'ah 6:51-56)

To illustrate how people can be truly happy due to their strong attachment to Hashem the following two true stories are told.

The first story took place about 200 years ago. The holy Rebbi Shmelki of Nickelsberg and his brother Rebbi Pinchas Hurvitz the author of the sefer, Haflah, asked their Rebbi, the Maggid of Mezritch, a question. How was it humanly possible for anyone to reach the level of what the Talmud in Brachos says, “A person is required to bless [Hashem] for the bad [occurrences] just as he would bless [Hashem] for the good (occurrences]". The Maggid, their Rebbi, told them that they could discover the answer if they went to see his student the holy Rebbi Zusha of Anapoli.

They went to the house of study and found Rebbi Zusha the pauper. His clothes were torn and faded, yet his face shone with splendor. They asked Rebbi Zusha their question. Rebbi Zusha was amazed that his Rebbi the Maggid had sent them to find out the answer to their question from him. Rebbi Zusha answered the two brothers that they should find a person who really was suffering to be able to attain the answer to their question. Rebbi Zusha told them that he hadn't experienced any bad experiences in his entire life, so how would he know how to answer them.

Then the two brothers realized that their question had been answered. For they saw by Rebbi Zusha's answer to their question that it was possible for a person to see only good and be happy even in bad circumstances. Rebbi Zusha was oppressed all his life from extreme poverty, yet due to his strong attachment to Hashem, the source of joy, Rebbi Zusha didn't feel the afflictions of his extreme poverty and only experienced joy.

The second story which illustrates the point that attachment to Hashem brings a person to joy even in bad circumstances goes as follows. It was Purim day and a group of Gerer Chasidim were being marched to the gas chambers to their deaths. They realized that this was the end, and their situation was bleak. One of the Gerer Chasidim said to the others, why should we be sad, today is Purim and we must be happy on Purim. So they all broke out into a spontaneous dance of joy to celebrate the Joy of the day of Purim. The Nazi guards, who were marching them to the gas chambers ordered them to stop. They refused and continued dancing with the strongest intensity. The Nazi guards never saw anything like this, that people were able to celebrate a religious holiday in such a fashion, despite the fact they knew that they were about to die. The guards for the first time ever saw that they had lost control of a group of inmates, and that the inmates escaped their situation through intense joy and the inmates were now in control. This caused the guards to became so frightened and intimidated by this phenomena, that they out of cowardice began machine-gunning the Chasidim to get them to stop dancing. The Chasidim didn't stop dancing until all of them were killed. Again we see a story that attaching oneself to Hashem even in the worst of situations can bring joy to a person.

“To their [Shimon and Levi] assembly, my [Yaakov’s] honor [kavod]
shall not be united.” Bereshis 49:6

Everything that exits in creation only exits for the purpose that it gives kavod to Hashem. For the Talmud says, "Whatever Hashem created in His world, He only created for the purpose [to reveal] His kavod, honor" (Yoma 38). If something didn't give kavod, honor to Hashem it wouldn't exist. The purpose of giving kavod, honor to Hashem is that kavod, honor, serves as a bridge to connect a person who gives kavod to Hashem, to Hashem himself. Not that Hashem needs the kavod. So in other words, all existence was created for the purpose that people could find Hashem hiding in this world, and use all of creation to give Hashem kavod. This giving Hashem kavod then facilitates a person being able to be connected to Hashem. This is like when two people like each other and they want to get closer, they do things for each other to show their respect for each other to strengthen their connection for one another. Like a husband brings his wife flowers or a wife cooks a special meal, this is done for the purpose of showing one another that they care and respect one another, these small acts is what brings the couple closer together.

Therefore, everything is connected to Hashem through His kavod, honor. Especially are the Jewish people connected to Hashem’s kavod, for the root of each Jewish soul stems from the Throne of Glory, the Kisay Ha Kavod of Hashem. This is why the Jewish people have the greatest ability to reveal Hashem’s kavod in the world.

The kabbalistic concept of “the breaking of the vessels” refers to the fact that Hashem created the world in such a way that His spiritual light would fall into chaos, and become intermixed with all the physical creations of this world. This process enabled the forces of evil to access everything holy and use it for negative purposes. The main purpose of man’s creation is for him to become attached to Hashem’s glory and to reveal it in this world through his free choice.

Therefore, Yaakov prayed (in the above verse) that his kavod which was used for the purpose of giving honor to Hashem, not be misused, and not be used in the future unholy disputes of the tribes of Shimon and Levi. These disputes include the attempt of Korach, a Levi, to attain kavod for himself, by making a grab for the holy office of High Priest. The other dispute involved Zimri, the prince of the tribe of Shimon, who didn’t want to lose his high position for having forbidden relations, and he disputed with Moshe on this matter.

Yaakov was the opposite type of person. He worked hard all his life to minimize his own kavod and magnify the kavod of Hashem. (Likutei Halachot: Orach Chaim: Hilchot Tefilla 4:3)

“Zevulun...his border shall be near to Zidon: Bereshis 49:13.

Zidon is the northern border of the land of Israel, as the following verse tells us: "And the border of the Canaanites was from Zidon" (Bereshis 10:19). Zevulun is buried right at the border of Eretz Yisroel, in Zidon. As is well known Zevulun supported his brother Yissachar, so that he could learn Torah. The money used in this type of arrangement is called money of holiness. This type of money is used for holy purposes and diminishes one's desire for unholy money of greed.

Therefore, Zevulun was intentionally buried right at the border of the land of Israel to teach that when a person tries to enter the realm of the holy, represented here by the border of Eretz Yisroel, the forces of evil try to prevent a person from entering. The solution to this problem, on how to enter the gates of holiness, is to do what Zevulun, who rests just within the realm of holiness, did—that is, break his desire for unholy money of greed and use his money for holy purposes by supporting the study of Torah. This will bring a person within the boundaries of holiness. When someone supports the righteous he will be able to enter the realm of the holy and the land of Israel. For only the righteous and those who support and connect themselves to them can enter Eretz Yisroel, as the verse illustrates, "They (only the righteous) shall inherit the land [of Israel] forever" (Isaiah 60:22).
Likutei Halachot: Hilchot Brachot Harayach 4:43).

“Yissachar is a strong-boned donkey.” (Bereshis 49:14)

The name Yissachar can be broken up into two words, “Yesh” and “Sechar”—literally “there is a reward,” meaning that there is reward, benefit, and gain in serving Hashem. Yissachar represents the righteous Torah scholar, who gives encouragement to those people who have fallen to the low spiritual level of acting like an impure beast, like a donkey. He tells these people that "Yesh Sechar,” there is still hope, that they too will be able to obtain reward and they can still elevate themselves to come to serve Hashem and they too can still take upon themselves the commandments of the Torah. Just as a Torah scholar can ride on a donkey, so these people, even though they have degenerated to the level of a donkey, can still carry the Torah. As Rabbi Nachman emphasized thousands of times, "there is no such thing as despair." One can always mend the damage he has caused. Yissachar is called in our verse, "a strong-boned donkey.” Rashi comments on this phrase that "Yissachar is compared to a donkey who is able to carry the load of Torah study." That even a donkey-like person, who has fallen to the lowest spiritual levels can come back and be a person who can carry the load of Torah study on one's level, even if that might be on the low level of a donkey. (Lekutai Halachot: Orach Chayim: Hilchot Pesach 9:13)

Dan shall be a serpent by the way...that bites the horse in the heels so that his
rider falls back-ward and dies.” For Your salvation I hope, Hashem .”
(Bereshis 49:17-l8)

Rashi tells us that the incident described in this verse refers to what happened to the holy Shimshon Hagibor. Everyone knows the well known story, that as a result of his mistakes he had his eyes blinded and lost his close contact with Hashem, which caused him to lose his supernatural strength and be placed in a stadium to entertain and be mocked by thousands of Philistine enemies. Anyone in this situation would probably fall into despair and give up hope. Especially after earning Hashem's disfavor by falling into sin, and being put into the situation he was put into, which was a manifestation of Hashem's rejection and censorship of his actions. Most people would have given up and not even have the gall to ask for Hashem's help. However, Shimshon was different. Even after all what had happened and his mistakes, he still asked for Hashem's mercy to help him. Hashem granted his request and the Divine presence returned to him, which caused him to regain his lost strength and then was able to kill all those enemy Philistines that were in the stadium. By killing his enemies indirectly, through his causing the stadium's pillars to break apart, which caused the entire stadium to collapse and kill thousands of people, Shimshon was like the snake described in our verse. The snake also killed its enemy indirectly, through biting the heel of the rider's horse. That is why the very next verse tells us, "For your salvation I hope, Hashem". Even if I have fallen to the low level of being like a snake, who is in the dirt, under the heel of the lowly horse, I should still call to Hashem for salvation, like Shimshon did, no matter what you have done in the past or what low level you have fallen to. The Talmud says in Brachot, "Even if a sharp sword is suspended over your head, don't give up on Hashem's mercy". Therefore these two verses teach us what Rabbi Nachman always stressed, "Never despair of Hashem's mercy". (Lekutai Halachot: Yorah Dayah: Hilchot Yayan Nesech 4:25)

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