KNOWING THE END

Moshe Kempinski

The Torah portion of Vayechi stands out from the other torah portions in an interesting way. In the Torah scroll there is usually a space between the last words of the previous Torah portion and the next one. The Torah portion of Vayechi is not separated from the previous one by a space .In Jewish terms that is called that the portion is SATUM or closed. Rashi asks what we are to learn from the fact that this Parsha( Torah Portion) is SATUM. Rashi says;

“Why is this portion closed? The death of Yaacov caused a closing of the eyes and hearts of Israel, due to the troubles of the oppression which began (at this time).Also .. (Yaacov) wished to reveal the end of days to his children, but it was closed to him. [Rashi 47:28, based on Breishit Rabba 96:1]


Jacob wanted to explain to them what would happen in the "end of Days" and the secret was SATUM-Closed to him as it says;

" And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days. (Breishit 49:1)

Yet one wonders what benefit such a revelation would bring his children about to enter into exile and slavery. Would it offer them any sense of hope and comfort that redemption was over three thousand years away?

Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Alter known as the Sfat Emet quotes his Grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim , who, in turn, quoted Rav Simcha Bunim of Psyshcha , that Yaacov was not in fact attempting to reveal the secret of “ the end of days” but rather he was attempting to reveal to them that such a concept was a fact.

Though the particulars of that end may have been closed to him , the message buttressed by his demand to be buried in the land of his forefathers brought the message clearly into their hearts. It is only with that knowledge that his children could withstand the long voyage still ahead of them. Only thusly could they weather the coming storms of oppression. An eternal people have no fear of a long voyage when they know that the voyage is headed towards destiny.

Those armed with such knowledge can have the strength and courage to enter the dark alleyways of the Gaza strip to weed out terror. Those who have a deep sense of destiny can withstand the pressure of a world that has sometimes lost direction in the eternal battle against evil.

In Afghanistan there has been a war raging against the terrorist designs of the Taliban and regrettably many innocent civilians are being killed in the fray by the European and American forces. Yet even though very few European soldiers are being killed, no one is calling that war a disproportionate war. A world that has lost direction inevitably loses discernment.

When Israel does what any healthy nation would do if their citizens were under the barrage of thousands of rockets is called aggression by a world that is partially confused and partially malicious. When the murderers who sent out the missiles and kassams clearly hide behind men women and children .the shells fired back in defense are viewed as the evil. The evil of "he hit me back first".

It is further interesting that none of the casualties on the Palestinian side are ever called terrorists , or even militants. They are all civilians. What happened to the Hamas? Where did they go? They have disappeared and become invisible to a world that has lost vision.

Yet even amongst our own people the concept of Destiny has waned. This is true of the weak leadership that took months to do what should have been done before the enemy became so dangerous. Yet it is also true of the people who call for a division of this people of Israel. They, being so frustrated by the stubborn ignorance of those that have lost their way , call for separating from those others and disconnecting from Israel’s institutions. That too is a mark of losing the sense of destiny.

That type of call might be understandable coming from those living in the exile. It is very hard to be connected to the vision of redemption in the affluent towers of exile. But one cannot avoid that sense or vision here in the land of Israel for very long . You can avoid G-d elsewhere, G-d forbid , but you cannot avoid G-d here His land.

That fact may explain why some secular Jews in Israel are so vehemently secular. You can be passively secular in America. It is impossible to do so here. As a result, if the implications of a redemptive G-d becomes too frightening for some that as a result they wrongly feel a need to rip that awareness out in anger and vehemence. That is the secret of the passion of secular Israel and yet it is a passion that is easily turned.

That is the reason that the return to Judaism movement has grown so dramatically in this land. That is the reason our young men in battle are turning inwards into their Jewish souls. Events around us have forced many in Israel to relook at that deep sense of destiny that flickers in their soul.

What Yaacov revealed to his sons in Egypt , if only in remez, by hinting , is a passion that is waiting to be fulfilled.