“Knowing King Messiah” פרשת השבוע ויחי / Parashat HaShavua Vayechi / and he lived; Year 5766; By Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jack (Ya'acov) Farber, Congregation Melech Yisrael, Toronto, Canada; Bereshit / Genesis 47:28-50:26; Melachim Alef / 1 Kings 2:1-12; Mattityahu / Matthew 27:57-61

Weekly Torah Portion

YLocation Map

YWho we Are

YMission Statement

YWhat is Messianic Judaism?

YCMY Academy Day School

YBooks of Life Catalogue

YRebbitizin Corner

YLinks

..

Y Our E mail
Y Our ICQ Is # 79381635

זה מלך המשיח

1- האם אנחנו רוצים משיח עכשיו?
2- רוצה אתה משיח עכשיו?
3- משיח שקר - משיח אמת
4- עד שישוב המשיח

LIVING WITH MASHIACH

* DO WE WANT MASHIACH NOW?
* FALSE MESSIAHS - TRUE MESSIAH
* DO YOU WANT MASHIACH NOW?
* UNTIL MASHIACH RETURNS

מתשובה למשיח לגאולה במהרה בימינו. זכריה י"ב:י'
ברוך הבא מלך המשיח!

אני מאמין באמונה שלמה בביאת המשיח ואף על פי שיתמהמה עם כל זה אחכה לו בכל יום שיבוא.

ישועה וגאולה אמיתית לכל ישראל.

פרשת השבוע ויחי
Parashat Vayechi / and He Lived

Y Bereshit / Genesis 47:28-50:26
Y Melachim Alef / 1 Kings 2:1-12
Y Mattityahu / Matthew 27:57-61
Y Light Candles 4:44 p.m.
Y Shabbat Ends 5:55 p.m.
Y Printer Friendly Version (Here)
Y Read the Portion (Here)
Y Donate On-Line (Here)

“Knowing King Messiah”

“Knowing King Messiah” פרשת השבוע ויחי / Parashat HaShavua Vayechi / and he lived; Year 5766; By Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jack (Ya'acov) Farber, Congregation Melech Yisrael, Toronto, Canada; Bereshit / Genesis 47:28-50:26; Melachim Alef / 1 Kings 2:1-12; Mattityahu / Matthew 27:57-61
Shiur 5766
5761 Shiur / Study (Here)
5762 Shiur / Study (Here)
5763 Shiur / Study (Here)
5764 Shiur / Study (Here)
5765 Shiur / Study (Here)

This Parasha begins with an account of life (Yisrael [Israel] lived) and ends with an account of death (Yosef [Joseph] died), but the story is not over. Parasha Vayechi sets up the beginning of the rest of the Bible, because everything else that happens in Scripture, as I have said many times in the past, is founded on the patriarch, Avraham (Abraham) Yitzchak (Isaac) and Ya’acov (Jacob).

One of the highlights of this Parasha, for me that is, as I read it this year, is the prophetic utterances Ya’acov gave over his twelve sons. They tell the story of the history of the nation of Yisrael, for instance:

Bereshit {49:3} "Reuven (Reuben), you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the pre-eminence of power. {49:4} Boiling over as water, you shall not have the pre-eminence; Because you went up to your ab's (father’s) bed; Then defiled it. He went up to my couch.

Reuven was Ya'acov’s first born therefore he was entitled to pre-eminence in the family, leadership, headship and a double portion of the inheritance. However, he was a hothead, like boiling water spilling over its pot. As a result, because of the incest he committed he lost everything. Therefore we never see anyone great, any thing great, nor do we ever see a prophet coming from the tribe of Reuven, instead his double portion went to Yosef and his pre-eminence went to Yehudah (Judah).

Bereshit {49:5} "Shimon (Simeon) and Levi are brothers; Weapons of violence are their swords. {49:6} My nefesh (soul), don't come into their council; My kavod (glory), don't unite to their assembly; For in their anger they killed a man, In their self-will they hamstrung an ox. {49:7} Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; Their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Ya'acov, Scatter them in Yisrael.

Ya’acov wanted no part of Shimon’s and Levi’s cruelty. Not only were they cruel to men, they were also cruel to animals. Therefore, Shimon resulted in being a very insignificant tribe at the time Yisrael entered into the Promise Land. Because of it her allotted portion of land was buried within Yehudah and Binyamin (Benjamin). Levi was joined to Shimon in both character and in deed, as they were both involved in the murderous attack against Shechem, in the so-called defence of their sister Dinah. Levi as a result had no inheritance in the land. The tribe of Levi redeemed themselves with Moshe but still they had no position in the land, they had to depend on the tithes of the people for their livelihood, and lived in cities scattered throughout Yisrael.

Bereshit {49:8} "Yehudah, your brothers will praise you: Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your ab's sons will bow down before you. {49:9} Yehudah is a lion's whelp. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, As a lioness. Who will rouse him up? {49:10} The scepter will not depart from Yehudah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes. To Him will the obedience of the peoples be. {49:11} Binding his foal to the vine, His donkey's colt to the choice vine; He has washed his garments in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes: {49:12} His eyes will be red with wine, His teeth white with milk.

Yehudah was the largest tribe upon entering the Promise Land. In Mitzrayim, Yehudah (the man) demonstrated nobility in offering himself as a slave in place of his brother Binyamin, and because of it he received an inheritance of nobility. The tribe of Yehudah led Yisrael. She was at the forefront of HaShem’s army, and of course from her came kings, princes and ultimately the Mashiach (Messiah) Yeshua.

Bereshit {49:16} "Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Yisrael. {49:17} Dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. {49:18} I have waited for your salvation, HaShem.

Of course the great judge Shimshon (Samson) came and ruled from the tribe of Dan, which is fulfillment of this prophecy. The allusion to Dan being a serpent in the way that bites at horse’s heels, alludes to the tribe of Dan’s, specifically Shimshon’s method of fighting; stealth, watching and waiting for the right chance to strike. In saying "I have waited for your salvation HaShem." Ya’acov is prophetically comparing Dan to Satan who in Bereshit 3:15 is described as striking at the heal of Yeshua HaMashiach. This is because it was the tribe of Dan that led the way into, and become the headquarters of idolatry in Yisrael. Because of this we find that Dan is excluded from among the tribes counted in the Book of HaHitgalut (Revelation).

Bereshit {49:27} "Binyamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning she will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil."

The warring exploits of both Ehud and King Shaul (Saul) attest to the fulfillment of Ya’acov’s prophecy about the tribe of Binyamin being ravenous wolves. Shaul HaShaliach (The emissary Paul) was from the tribe of Binyamin and his ravenous exploits against early Messianic believers could be viewed as part of Ya’acov’s prophecy. It was only through his personal encounter with Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) was he changed into a man of peace.

This Parasha teaches us that our lives are an open book to HaShem. Our personalities, our characters, our choices, all have a part in shaping our destinies. However, as with the Shaliach Shaul, everything can change in an instant, when you have a personal encounter with Mashiach Yeshua. The old man dies and a new man is born, one whose destiny becomes eternal. You can have that personal encounter right now if you would accept Yeshua as your Mashiach and acknowledge Him as your L-rd and Saviour.

חזק חזק ונתחזק!
Chazak, Chazak, V’nit’chazek!
Be strong be strong, and let us be strengthened!

YYYYYYYYYYYY
Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Jack (Ya'acov) Farber