VAYECHI

                                                                     בס"ד

This Thursday, January 5th, is Asara B'tevet.  The 10th of Tevet marks the beginning of the siege of Yerushalyim, during the reign of Nevuchadnetzar, the King of Bavel.  This was the beginning of the battle that resulted in the destruction of the first Bet Hamikdash that sent the Jews into galut Bavel (Babylonian exile).

The Talmud teaches us that the destruction of the second  Bet Hamikdash was the result of sinat chinam, baseless hatred.  The first Bet Hamikdash was destroyed for 3 reasons: idolatry, immorality and bloodshed. We learn from here that sinat chinam, is equal to idolatry, immorality and bloodshed.

With all the recent world news, have we not learned from our past mistakes??  Do our children have to be exposed to this baseless hatred?  Let us all reflect a bit on this fast day and just accept each other for who we are.   Let us look for the positive in each and every one.  Let us rebuild again, even if it takes us one brick at a time!

Hope you have an easy and meaningful fast!

PARSHA POINTS: 

• Yaakov lives his last seventeen years in Mitzraim.

• Before Yaakov dies he makes Yosef swear that he will bury him in Israel.

• Yaakov blesses Yosef's two sons, Ephraim and Menashe.

• Yaakov switches his hands and puts his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, and his left hand on the older, Menashe.

• Yaakov blesses them with the famous blessing:   Hamalach Hagoel:

          "May the angel who redeemed me from all harm bless the youths, and may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak, and may they multiply abundantly like the fish in the midst of the land."

• Yaakov blesses Yosef's son's further, with the blessing we give our boys on Friday night:  

          "May G‑d make you like Ephraim and Menashe."

•  Yaakov gathers his sons and gives each of his sons a bracha, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

•  Yaakov makes a final request to be buried with his forefathers in Mearat Hamachpela.

• Yaakov dies at the age of 147.

•  Yosef requests permission from Pharoh to leave to bury his father.

• Yosef, his family and the elders of Mitzrayim go to bury Yaakov in Mearat Hamachpela.

• Upon returning to Mitzrayim, the brothers fear that Yosef is still angry with them and will take revenge.

• Yosef reassures his brothers that he is not angry with them.

• Yosef lives until the age of 110.

• Before he dies, Yosef makes his family swear that they will bring the remains of his body to Eretz Yisrael.

This concludes Sefer Bereishit.  Tune in next week to find out what happens next........  and for some great Parsha Cakes!!!

PARSHA PUZZLE:

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov Avinu was dying very soon,

Reuven, Shimon Levi, Yehuda, Yissaschar, Zevulun,

Dan Naftali, Gad, Asher, Yosef and Binyamin,

Were told about their greatness and also of their sin.

Yaakov was poetic, each bracha well thought out,

And each shevet understood and knew what their bracha was about.

One shevet will be judges, and one will trade at sea,  

One shevet will be learners  and one will have monarchy.

One shevet will be brave in battle, another that go hand in hand,

were separated from each other, and one did not get his own land.

One brother compared to a wolf, and one was blessed with olive trees,

One as swift as a deer, one rebuke, and they each took their bracha with ease.

Can you figure out all of the brachot, like the one that’s compared to a snake,

When you answer this you can say: "Chazak chazak venitchazek!"

(answers below...)

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov gathers his sons to give them each brachot before he dies.  Each bracha was well thought out and given one at a time to each Shevet.   
Have each person consider how Hashem has blessed their life. Each person should think of things he considers a blessing from Hashem. Encourage everyone  to think deeply and come up with nice things that happened to them. After a set amount of time, go around the Shabbat table and  each person should say their blessing out loud. Keep going around and around until people run out of blessings. The last person to name a blessing wins.

SHABBAT IMABBA:
Here is a great way for my father and I to learn a little bit of Parsha each week, even though we live far from each other. ( I like the play on words of Abba in the word Shabbat and Imabba meaning "with Abba" and Ima Abba written together!  Thanks Abba and Ima :-)!

The Parsha starts out with the pasuk saying "Vayechi Yaakov Beeretz Mitzraim shva esre shana".  Yaakov lived in Egypt for 17 years. 
The word Vayechi equals 34.  Yaakov had a good life for 34 years. The first 17 years, when all of his family were togehter, and the last 17 years of his life when the brothers reunited.  We can learn from here that when family comes together and unite, those are the best years of ones life.  
( I hope my parents are hinting that they will come to Israel soon to join us and make aliya :-)!)

PARSHA CAKE:

My daughter and friends created this fun Parsha cake!

This week’s Parsha talks about the 12 shevatim and the brachot they received from their father Yaakov.  It also talks about Yaakov switching his hands to give the bracha for Ephraim and Menashe.  I thought that a clock (12) and the “hands” crossing each other is a great way to think about this parsha!  Enjoy!

You will need:

Carrot cake

Cookie dough

Fruit leather

Numbers out of chocolate mold, cookie shapes or piping.

Candies with brachot on them (optional)
Candies for the different brachot: i.e. snake, deer etc... (optional)
We bought chips that were in the shape of hands, since Yaakov crossed his hands...

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a round 10 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Frost with dessert whip if you would like.  Place the numbers around the clock,  Take the fruit leather and cut them into 2 rectangles for the hands of the clock.  Make hands out of the prepared cookie dough or out of the fruit leather.  Don’t forget to cross the hands over.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Shabbat!

Chazak Chazak Venitchazek!!! 

Answer to Parsha puzzle:  Reuven- rebuke  Shimon and Levi- separated , Levi had no land, Yehuda- monarchy , Yissaschar- learners, Zevulun- trade, Dan- snake, Gad, chase the enemy, Asher- olive trees,

Naftali- deer,Yosef- vine, Binyamin- wolf.