Vayechi - Quantity Over Quality
Life is about actively engaging in the processes it presents, all the while anticipating the fulfillment of our destiny.
It has been four months since the onset of the war in Israel, and though it feels like an eternity, it seems we are likely still in the early stages. Perhaps, somewhat unrealistically, we had hoped for a swift, miraculous victory akin to the Six-Day War. The protracted nature of the conflict is understandably testing our patience, as well as the patience of the world. Like children whining in the back seat of a car during a lengthy journey, we find ourselves repeatedly asking, "Are we almost there yet?"
In my book, "Bringing Order to the Seder," I emphasize the critical nature of patience concerning the arrival of Mashiach, as articulated in the Ani Ma’amin, Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles of Belief.
אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵהַּ עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא
I believe completely in the coming of the Messiah and even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I await every day for his coming.
Notably, our belief in Mashiach is the only one of Rambam's principles that is accompanied by an elaboration: “and even though he tarries, despite this, I will wait for him every day.” Ironically, this principle conveys the opposite sentiment of the popular chant, "We want Moshiach now; we don’t want to wait," because the Rambam emphasizes that Mashiach is an event for which we must patiently wait.
Furthermore, in Hilchot Malachim, the Rambam clarifies that details about Mashiach will remain unknown until the event unfolds. Rather than passively anticipating Mashiach's arrival, we must actively embrace the process and the opportunity of the times by living our fullest lives.
The story at the end of the narrative of our forefather Jacob's final moments, as recounted in our Parsha, illustrates this lesson. Our sages teach that as he assembled his children to bestow blessings on them while on his deathbed, God imparts a message, disclosing details about the End of Times, including the precise timing of Mashiach’s arrival. Jacob, intending to share this knowledge, experienced sudden amnesia inflicted by God, erasing the specifics of Mashiach’s arrival from his memory.
What was the purpose of God giving Jacob information if he would immediately forget it anyway? Perhaps God did so to emphasize that our life's responsibility is to acknowledge Mashiach's impending arrival without knowing the particulars. This allows us to concentrate on actively contributing to the monumental event by infusing meaningful details into history's narrative, without being obsessed with specifics like the precise identity of Mashiach or the date that Mashiach will appear.
Our parsha begins with the phrase:
וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה
Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt [Genesis 47:28]
In the Zohar's interpretation, "Jacob lived," connotes a profound meaning: he was truly alive for the first time. Unlike his previous demeanor, characterized by a mere sense of existence, he actively embraced life. Significantly, this realization unfolded in Egypt, during exile, rather than in Israel. Jacob came to understand that life is a journey—a continuous involvement in the unfolding processes it presents—while simultaneously anticipating the realization of our destiny.
We can also discern this lesson in Jacob’s blessing for Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Menashe, that their progeny should be numerous like fish.
הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי מִכׇּל־רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
The Messenger who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the lads in them may my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth. [Genesis 48:16]
In our modern sensibility, it has become a truism that we should value quality over quantity. So why does Yaakov focus on quantity, not quality? Because blessings are not simply a mundane expression of good wishes. The Nefesh HaChaim expounds on the Rashba’s commentary that the concept of brachot is essentially about creating abundance, multitude, and prosperity.
שבתיבת ברוך אתה שפירושו הוא תוספת רבוי ברכה ושפע
This phrase “blessed are You”, whose definition is “increase and expansion” [Nefesh HaChayim, Gate II 1\0:1]
When we make brachot on food, we are blessing God that He should bring about an overabundance of fruits and vegetables and all things to eat. Only through the process of quantity can quality develop.
The Rambam beautifully conveys this idea in his commentary on the famous last Mishnah of Mesechet Makot.
רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר, רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת
Rabbi Chanania ben Akashya says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to confer merit upon the Jewish people; therefore, He increased for them Torah and mitzvot. [Makkot 3:16]
Most commentators interpret this passage to mean that God gave us a plethora of mitzvot to have numerous opportunities to accumulate merit for the World to Come, like an athlete trying to score as many points as possible in a game.
However, the Rambam presents a distinctly different and initially surprising explanation. He contends that God endowed us with a multitude of mitzvot, envisioning that each individual might, at least once in their lifetime, perform a mitzvah 'lishma'—for its own sake, devoid of ulterior motives. Yet, we may wonder, is this all there is to our existence? Are we to live our entire lives, faithfully adhering to numerous mitzvot, aspiring for that one random moment when we flawlessly execute a specific mitzvah and thereby earn a place in the World to Come? Does the Rambam suggest that the Mishna's point is that through repeated attempts at various mitzvot, we will eventually succeed in getting one right?
No, the Rambam is teaching a much deeper lesson. He is saying that the time and effort invested in many different mitzvot can lead us to construct a well-rounded human being capable of discovering the one quality deed that resonates deeply within us. This singular act represents our essence and serves as the foundation for our presence in the World to Come. The sheer variety of distinct mitzvot allows each person to eventually find and act upon one mitzvah that reflects their unique identity. By having the patience to grapple with every mitzvah, we will eventually develop an essential ideal that we wholeheartedly believe in, aligning with the depths of our unique souls and culminating in one magical mitzvah moment.
Of course, we must pray for redemption and look forward to the blissful Era of Mashiach. But we must also take care not to waste the precious time we have in exile. As we travel through life, many moments and many of our stops along the path of exile will seem futile or meaningless. We should remember that they all lead to the end point when everything will come together. Instead of focusing impatiently on the end, let us heed our parsha’s message to grab hold of life with energy and passion, the way Jacob finally did in Egypt, and treasure the opportunities we have during this time, being mindful that this approach is how we will reach the quality time heralding the Era of Mashiach.
Shabbat Shalom.
Eliezer Hirsch