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Vayechi - "Two Wills" (Melakhim I 2:1-12)

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  1. a. The Closing of Two Eras

 

"And David's days drew near to die..." Thus opens this week's haftora, with a statement which echoes the second pasuk of the parasha: "And Yisrael's days drew near to die..."

 

The lives of two central characters in their respective eras draw to a close: Yaakov ends the period of the forefathers, while David ends the period of the conquest and settlement of the land by their descendants.  David closes the period which began with Yehoshua, who started the conquest.  From now a new era begins – that of the First Temple.

 

  1. b. Wills

 

It is customary for a departing generation to leave directions for the next generation.  This is especially true when the generation gradually disappearing represents the end of an era and the next generation begins a new one.  Such wills and legacies are relevant to all future generations, since they by nature summarize the era gone by and provide guidance with respect to the period which is now beginning.  But when it comes to the forefathers of the nation – in our instance, Yaakov and David – even the personal part of the will has significance for all generations.  Both these personalities appeal to the son who will succeed them to perform that which they themselves were unable to achieve.  Thus Yaakov makes his son Yosef swear to ensure Yaacov's burial in the family plot in Eretz Yisrael, while David makes his son Shlomo swear that he will repay Yoav and Shim'i for their evil towards him, and Barzilai for his goodness towards him.  It appears that David was somehow prevented from settling these old debts himself.

 

Both Yaakov and David recount a chapter of their respective lives, including some introspection: Yaakov tells Yosef, "And on my way from Padan Rachel died in the land of Canaan... and I buried her there on the way to Efrat..." (48:7).  David recounts the deeds of Yo'av, Barzilai and Shim'i.  In David's case the connection between his personal account and his guidance to the generations to come is quite clear.  This is not so concerning Yaakov, and many commentators have struggled to find the connection.  It may be that no such connection exists, and that before his death Yaakov simply wishes to recount and explain to those closest to him some of his life's seemingly inexplicable events.

 

  1. c. Two Wills

 

Each of these two wills contains something which is absent in the other.  David's will contains that which we would expect to find in a will - an exhortation to keep Torah and mitzvot: "And you shall guard the Lord your God's charge, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies, as is written in the Torah of Moshe..." (2:3).  In this respect David followed the example of the founder of the faith, Avraham, about whom God Himself said, "For I know him, that he will command his sons and his household after him and they shall keep the way of God, to perform righteousness and judgment" (Bereishit 18:19).  Strangely enough, Yaakov's last words to his sons do not mention this theme.  It would seem that he did indeed command his children thus at some stage, but for some reason the Torah does not record this charge.

 

On the other hand, we are not surprised to find that other matters mentioned by David are lacking in Yaakov's final farewell – and rightly so, as it appears to us, given their harsh nature.  By this we refer to David's command that his sons take revenge on his behalf on Yoav, captain of the army, and Shim'i ben Gera.  Indeed, the Rishonim struggled with this issue – see the Radak and Abarbanel.  

 

  1. d. The End – for the Fulfillment of the Beginning

 

On close inspection we find that both Yaakov and David intend, in their last speeches, to appoint and give stability to the heir whom they each find suitable.  In David's case the choice is quite obvious, as in the previous chapter (which is read as the haftora for Parashat Chayei-Sara) we already find his wish to crown Shlomo over Israel and Yehuda during his own lifetime, in order that Shlomo's position will be made universally clear and unquestionable.  Yaakov, too, wishes to select one of his sons as leader, and after ruling out the first three for various reasons, he says of the fourth: "Yehuda, you will be praised by your brothers... your father's children will bow before you" (49:8).  This leadership is not a temporary appointment; it is meant for all generations: "The staff shall not depart from Yehuda, nor the scepter from between his feet" (ibid 10).

 

Apparently David's words, which appear so fearsome, are uttered simply in order to realize the prophetic blessing of the patriarch.  For here David directs his young son Shlomo as to the way to ensure the maintenance of his rulership and that "the staff shall not depart from Yehuda."  This guidance is given in two ways, both positive and negative.  In positive form: "And you shall guard the charge of the Lord your God... in order that God will fulfill His word... 'If your children will guard their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul... there will not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.'"  And in negative form, by being especially strict concerning those parties who may present a threat to the throne – to the point of contemplating the necessity of their removal.  These parties – Yoav and Shim'i - have already harmed David in the past.  But the haftora concludes with the statement: "and his (Shlomo's) kingdom was firmly established."

 

In David's lifetime the words of the patriarch, "the staff shall not depart from Yehuda," were fulfilled.  He hoped that his son would see the realization of the continuation of that prophecy: "until Shilo will come, and the nations will obey him."

 

  1. e. Leadership – to Yehuda

 

In truth, in our parasha the issue of leadership is not yet fully decided: although from the blessings to all the brothers it appears that leadership is being bestowed upon Yehuda, in the separate blessing to Yosef and his two sons it seems that Yosef may still be the leader of the household.  Indeed, with Yaakov's death it is Yosef who becomes the uncontested "elder" of the household; when the parasha finishes the story of Yaakov it turns to Yosef, and with the death of the latter it ends.  The haftora therefore comes to clarify that it is David and his descendants who will be the leaders and the royalty of Israel.

 

  1. f. From Chevron to Jerusalem

 

The last place where Yaakov went in Eretz Yisrael was to Chevron, to the cave in the field of Makhpela.  And Chevron was David's first stop as king.  It was from there, too, that he made his last journey, to Jerusalem, at the end of his life: "And he was buried in the city of David."

 

(Translated by Kaeren Fish)

 

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