The portion of Vayechi in the Torah is special and different. There is no open line, no emptiness between the portions. There is no great break between the previous portion and this week’s portion. Rashi, the great commentator, says the reason there is no break is that this week’s Parashah is the beginning of the difficulties. Their eyes were closed from the pain and suffering of the exile.

The Kabbalists never look at or understand the Torah or the explanation in a way that reveals negativity. This week’s Parashah begins “Ya’akov lived in Egypt.” Right after that he was ready to leave this world.

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I want to share from the Kedushat HaLevi, the great Kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditshev.

There’s a whole discussion about Efrayim and Menashe, the younger and older son. Joseph assumed the right hand on Menashe and the left on Efrayim. But Jacob changed hands, putting his right hand on the younger son and left hand on the older son. Jacob and Joseph had a discussion. Kedushat HaLevi reveals an important and powerful secret, based on the verse that says all the sickness, all the illness, all the negativity the Creator put in Egypt, I won’t put on you because I, God, am your healer. (Exodus 15:26)

The question is, if there is no sickness, why do you need a healer? The verse states that all the sickness that was in Egypt, I won’t give to you, because I am your healer. If there is no sickness, you don’t need a healer. If you need a healer, there is sickness.

Kabbalah is not the path to make your life easy

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This story from the Zohar is one of my favorite stories. (Zohar, Vayechi, Section 19, Verses 144-152.) We know Rabbi Shimon had a small and closed group of students around him. Rabbi Yitzchak was one of them.

Rabbi Yitzchak was sitting at the door and was sad. Rabbi Yehuda came out and saw he was sitting there and was sad. Rabbi Yehuda said, “Why is today different than any other day?”

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