Vaychi, Vayechi or Vayhi (—Hebrew for "and he lived," the first word of the parashah) is the twelfth weekly Torah portion (, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the last in the Book of Genesis. It constitutes Genesis 47:28–50:26. The parashah tells of Jacob's request for burial in Canaan, Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob's blessing of his sons, Jacob's death and burial, and Joseph's death.
It is the shortest weekly Torah portion in the Book of Genesis (although not in the Torah). It is made up of 4,448 Hebrew letters, 1,158 Hebrew words, 85 verses, and 148 lines in a Torah scroll."Bereshit Torah Stats," Akhlah Inc. Jews read it the twelfth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in December or January."Parashat Vayechi", Hebcal.
Readings In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , aliyot. In the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Parashat Vayechi has 12 "open portion" (, petuchah) divisions (roughly equivalent to paragraphs, often abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (peh)). Parashat Vayechi has no "closed portion" (, setumah) divisions (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (samekh)) within those open portion divisions. Unlike other parashot, Parashat Vaychi does not begin after a space or on a new line. The first open portion spans the first three readings. Ten further open portion divisions separate Jacob's blessings for his sons in the fifth and sixth readings. The final, twelfth open portion spans the concluding sixth and seventh readings.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, The Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006), pages 295–318.
First reading—Genesis 47:28–48:9 In the first reading, Jacob lived in Egypt 17 years, and lived to be 147 years old.. When Jacob's death drew near, he called his son Joseph and asked him to put his hand under Jacob's thigh and swear not to bury him in Egypt, but to bury him with his father and grandfather.. Joseph agreed, but Jacob insisted that he swear to, and so he did, and Jacob bowed.. Later, when one told Joseph that his father was sick, Joseph took his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to see him.. Jacob sat up and told Joseph that God appeared to him at Luz, blessed him, and told him that God would multiply his descendants and give them that land forever.. Jacob adopted Joseph's sons as his own and granted them inheritance with his own sons.. Jacob recalled how when he came from Paddan, Rachel died on the way, and he buried her on the way to Ephrath, near Bethlehem.. Jacob saw Joseph's sons and asked who they were, and Joseph told him that they were the sons whom God had given him in Egypt, so Jacob asked Joseph to bring them near so that he might bless them.. The first reading ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 299.
Second reading—Genesis 48:10–16 In the second reading, Jacob's sight had dimmed with age, so Joseph brought his sons near, and Jacob kissed them and embraced them.. Jacob told Joseph that he had not thought to see his face, and now God had let him see his children, as well.. Joseph took them from between his knees, bowed deeply, and brought them to Jacob, with Ephraim in his right hand toward Jacob's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Jacob's right hand.. But Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn, and prayed that God bless the lads, let Jacob's name be named in them, and let them grow into a multitude.. The second reading ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 300.
Third reading—Genesis 48:17–22 In the third reading, it displeased Joseph that Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, and he lifted Jacob's right hand to move it to Manasseh the firstborn, but Jacob refused, saying that Manasseh would also become a great people, but his younger brother would be greater.. Jacob blessed them, saying Israel would bless by invoking God to make one like Ephraim and as Manasseh.. Jacob told Joseph that he was dying, but God would be with him and bring him back to the land of his fathers, and Jacob had given him a portion (shechem) above his brothers, which he took from the Amorites with his sword and bow.. The third reading and the first open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 302.
Fourth reading—Genesis 49:1–18 In the fourth reading, Jacob gathered his sons and asked them to listen to what would befall them in time.. Jacob called Reuben his firstborn, his might, and the first-fruits of his strength; unstable as water, he would not have the best because he defiled his father's bed.. The second open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 303.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob called Simeon and Levi brothers in violence, prayed that his soul not come into their council—for in their anger they slew men and beasts—and cursed their descendants to be scattered throughout Israel.. The third open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 304.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob called Judah a lion's whelp and told him that he would dominate his enemies, his brothers would bow before him, and his descendants would rule as long as men came to Shiloh.. Binding his foal to the vine, he would wash his garments in wine, and his teeth would be white with milk.. The fourth open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 306.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob foretold that Zebulun's descendants would dwell at the shore near Sidon, and would work the ships.. The fifth open portion ends here.
As the reading continues, Jacob called Issachar a large-boned donkey couching between the sheep-folds, he bowed his shoulder to work, and his descendants would dwell in a pleasant land.. The sixth open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 307.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob called Dan a serpent in the road that bites the horse's heels, and he would judge his people.. Jacob interjected that he longed for God's salvation.. The fourth reading and the seventh open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 308.
Fifth reading—Genesis 49:19–26 In the fifth reading, Jacob foretold that raiders would raid Gad, but he would raid on their heels.. The eighth open portion ends here.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob foretold that Asher's bread would be the richest, and he would yield royal dainties.. The ninth open portion ends here.
As the reading continues, Jacob called Naphtali a hind let loose, and he would give good words.. The tenth open portion ends here.
In the continuation of the reading, Jacob called Joseph a fruitful vine by a fountain whose branches ran over the wall, archers shot at him, but his bow remained firm; Jacob blessed him with blessings of heaven above and the deep below, blessings of the breasts and womb, and mighty blessings on the head of the prince among his brethren.. The fifth reading and the eleventh open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 310.
Sixth reading—Genesis 49:27–50:20 In the long sixth reading, Jacob called Benjamin a ravenous wolf that devours its prey.. The editor summarises: "these are the twelve tribes". And Jacob charged his sons to bury him with his fathers in the cave of Machpelah that Abraham bought and where they buried Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and where he buried Leah.. And then Jacob gathered his feet into his bed and died.. Joseph kissed his father's face and wept.. Joseph commanded the physicians to embalm Jacob, and they did so over the next 40 days, and the Egyptians wept for Jacob 70 days.. Thereafter, Joseph asked Pharaoh's courtiers to tell Pharaoh that Jacob had made Joseph swear to bury him in the land of Canaan and ask that he might go up, bury his father, and return.. Pharaoh consented, and Joseph went up with all Pharaoh's court, Egypt's elders, chariots, horsemen, and all Joseph's relatives, leaving only the little ones and the flocks and herds behind in the land of Goshen.. At the threshing-floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River, they mourned for his father seven days, and the Canaanites remarked at how grievous the mourning was for the Egyptians, and thus the place was named Abel-mizraim.. Jacob's sons carried out his command and buried him in the cave of Machpelah, and the funeral party returned to Egypt.. With Jacob's death, Joseph's brothers grew concerned that Joseph would repay them for the evil that they had done, and they sent Joseph a message that Jacob had commanded him to forgive them.. When the brothers spoke to Joseph, he wept, and his brothers fell down before him and declared that they were his bondmen.. Joseph told them not to fear, for he was not God, and even though they had intended him evil, God meant it for good, to save many people.. The sixth reading ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 316.
Seventh reading—Genesis 50:21–26 In the seventh reading, Joseph spoke kindly to them, comforted them, and committed to sustain them and their little ones.. Joseph lived 110 years, saw Ephraim's children of the third generation, and grandchildren of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees.. Joseph told his brothers that he was dying, but God would surely remember them and bring them out of Egypt to the land that God had sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.. Joseph made the children of Israel swear to carry his bones to that land.. So Joseph died, and they embalmed him, and put him in a coffin in Egypt.. The seventh reading, the twelfth open portion, the parashah, and the Book of Genesis all end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Bereishis/Genesis, page 318.
Readings according to the triennial cycle Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle of Torah reading read the parashah according to the following schedule:See, e.g., Richard Eisenberg, "A Complete Triennial Cycle for Reading the Torah," in Proceedings of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement: 1986–1990 (New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2001), pages 383–418. Year 1Year 2Year 3January 2023, January 2026, December 2028 . . .December 2023, December 2026, December 2029 . . .January 2025, January 2028, January 2031 . . .Reading47:28–48:2249:1–49:2649:27–50:26147:28–3149:1–449:27–30248:1–349:5–749:31–33348:4–949:8–1250:1–6448:10–1349:13–1550:7–9548:14–1649:16–1850:10–14648:17–1949:19–2150:15–20748:20–2249:22–2650:21–26Maftir48:20–2249:22–2650:23–26
In ancient parallels The parashah has parallels in these ancient sources:
Genesis chapter 50