Vayechi 5760

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Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26 )


GOOD MORNING! 
Several people have asked me to comment on the turn of the millennium and the Y2K problem. First
of all, the last year of the millennium is the year 2,000, not 1999; so,
people are celebrating the new millennium one year prematurely.
Secondly, from a Jewish point of view, this is year 5760 ... so we
won't have a millennium problem for 241 more years -- and that will
be our Y6K problem...

However, in as much as there is an opportunity for
reevaluating one's life, grab the moment! Our sages tell us that if
we want to be great, we should do a nightly cheshbon hanefesh, an
accounting for our deeds. Ask yourself (and answer) four
questions:

  1. What am I living for?
  2. What did I do towards my goal today?
  3. What did I do counter to my goal today?
  4. What is something that is more important to live for?

Do that every night before you go to sleep and you have a guarantee of making more out of your life.

There is an old witticism, "Remember, you are unique --
just like everyone else." The fact is that while each and every
human being is precious and special, there are inner aspirations
which are common to all of us. One of my goals with the Shabbat
Shalom Fax is to help people reach their potential -- to be all they
can and to get the most out of life. In line with this goal, I present to
you The Universals -- needs and desires common to mankind. If
you recognize that these are beliefs or values that are a part of you,
then focus on how you could lead your life towards greater fulfillment
by living them.

Q & A: What are Universal Beliefs Common to Mankind?

  1. We All Need Meaning. Did you ever ask yourself "What
    is it all about?" "What is the point of it all?"

  2. We Are Not Fulfilling Our Potential. Will making more
    money or improving your golf score really make you feel better? Is
    there something more important in life that you can accomplish?

  3. We All Want To Be Great. Nobody wants to be
    mediocre. We want to be special.

  4. We Turn To G-d For Help. If you turn to G-d in a pinch,
    then don't wait for the pinch. Ask yourself, "What does G-d want?"

  5. We Want To Be Good. People are willing to die to be
    good. If there is something you would be willing to die for, then it
    becomes worth living for it.

  6. We Feel Responsible For the World. People give up
    with "What can I do about it?" or "It's too much to take on." If you
    knew that if you took off six months that you could bring peace to
    the world, you would do it, wouldn't you? And if you didn't, how
    would you feel about yourself?

Questions to Help You Get in Touch With Your Life:

  1. You dreamed at 20 what you would like to do or be. Are you
    living that dream?

  2. What would you want said at your eulogy?

  3. Who is your hero? Why?

  4. When do you feel most meaningful?

  5. If you could make a difference, what would you do?

Combine the Universals and the above Questions with the
nightly Accounting ... and I think you'll find the next millennium
(whenever it really starts) much more meaningful!


Torah
Portion of the Week
Vayechi

The parasha, Torah portion, opens with Jacob on his
deathbed 17 years after arriving in Egypt. Jacob blesses Joseph's
two sons, Manasseh (Menashe) and Ephraim (to this day it is a
tradition to bless our sons every Shabbat evening with the blessing,
"May the Almighty make you like Ephraim and Manasseh" -- they
grew up in the Diaspora amongst foreign influences and still
remained devoted to the Torah). (The Shabbat evening blessing
for girls is "to be like Sarah, Rivka, Rachel and Leah.") He then
blesses each of his sons individually with blessings. The blessings
are prophetic and give reproof, where necessary.

A large retinue from Pharaoh's court accompanies the
family to Hebron to bury Jacob in the Ma'arat Hamachpela, the
burial cave purchased by Abraham. The Torah portion ends with
the death of Joseph and his binding the Israelites with a promise to
bring his remains with them for burial when they are redeemed from
slavery and go to the land of Israel. Thus ends the book of
Genesis!

 

Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

When Jacob blesses his children before he dies, he says about his son Yissachar, "And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulders to bear"
(Genesis 49:15). What does this mean?

Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz explains that the tribe of
Yissachar was noted for its devotion to Torah study. Yissachar
knew that rest and peace of mind were necessary to master the
Torah. What did he do? "He bowed his shoulder to bear" -- by
training himself to bear any difficulties, he was able to reach the
highest levels of peace of mind in all situations.

People seek peace of mind by trying to obtain physical
peace. This is exactly what creates so much stress and tension in
people's lives. A person who becomes used to having peace of
mind only when nothing is missing in his life will be broken by
unusual circumstances. A person who seeks peace of mind by
having physical comforts is similar to a person who drinks salt
water to quench his thirst. For a moment it appears that he is
quenching his thirst, but very soon his thirst will be stronger than
ever.

The reason people are broken is because they have many
different life situations and feel much stress because of the
changes between them. When a person experiences one stressful
situation after the other, they add up and become overwhelming.

How does one develop peace of mind? Be aware of your
ultimate goals in life. When you are aware of what life is really
about and keep your focus on this, you are constantly in one
situation: traveling towards your goal. When you internalize this
awareness you will never be overly disturbed or broken. The
person who views all life situations as a means to reach his ultimate
goals experiences less stress and will be able to cope with
difficulties.

Soldiers are trained for battle. A prerequisite is to have
peace of mind though they are in danger and in chaos. They are
trained by removing all comforts, to ignore difficulties and to focus
on their goal -- to win. Likewise, for peace of mind, we need to
focus on the goal and to know that physical comfort is neither the
goal nor the means.

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