Summary of the Parasha

Jacob lives (Vayechi) seventeen years in Egypt. Sensing his end approaching, he makes Joseph swear not to bury him in Egypt but with his fathers at Machpelah. Joseph brings him his sons Manasseh and Ephraim; Jacob adopts them as his own (“they shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon”), then blesses them with his hands crossed, his right hand on the younger, Ephraim. He says “Hamalach hago’el”, “the angel who redeemed me from all evil, may he bless these lads”, and sets the blessing for all generations: “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh”. He gives Joseph Shechem as an extra portion.

Jacob gathers his sons: “Gather, and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days”. According to Rashi, he wished to reveal the time of redemption, but the Divine Presence departed from him. So he gives each one a blessing suited to his character: rebukes for Reuben’s impetuousness and for Simeon and Levi’s anger; Judah, the lion cub, receives kingship (“the scepter shall not depart from Judah”); Zebulun will dwell by the sea, Issachar bears the yoke of study; Dan will judge his people; Gad, Asher, Naphtali; Joseph, “a fruitful vine”, receives the blessings of heaven and the deep; Benjamin is a wolf that tears. According to the Midrash, his sons answered “Shema Yisrael”, and Jacob whispered “Baruch shem kevod malchuto le’olam va’ed”.

Jacob dies at 147. He is embalmed, Egypt mourns him seventy days, and an immense procession accompanies him to the Cave of Machpelah. The brothers fear that Joseph will now take revenge; he reassures them: “You intended evil, God intended it for good”. Joseph sees his great-grandchildren and dies at 110, making the children of Israel swear: “God will surely remember you (pakod yifkod), and you will carry my bones up from here”. So ends the book of Genesis, and the whole congregation rises and says: “Chazak, chazak venitchazek”.

Summary of the Haftara

“Vayikrevu Y’mei David” (“The days of David drew near”)
Text in I Kings 2:1–12

Before dying, David gives his last instructions to his son Solomon: “Be strong and be a man”, keep the commandments of the Torah of Moses, so that you succeed in all you do. He also gives him instructions about Joab, about the sons of Barzillai, who are to be treated kindly, and about Shimei. David dies after forty years of reign and is buried in the City of David. Solomon sits on his father’s throne.

Parasha-Haftara Connection

Both texts open with the same words, “vayikrevu y’mei”, the days of… drew near to death. Jacob and David, each on his deathbed, hand their sons a spiritual testament and set the direction for the people’s future.