In last week’s parsha, we talked about how Yaakov and the Shevatim moved down to Mitzrayim. The way it is written in a Sefer Torah, this week’s parsha is different than any other parsha in the Chumash. If you look in a Tikun Korim, which shows how it looks in a Sefer Torah, you will see what the difference is. Can you find it? (Rashi gives two reasons why it is written this way!)

Yaakov Avinu lived in Mitzrayim for 17 years.

The Baal Haturim says that these 17 years were the best years of Yaakov’s life! We will see later in Hayom Yom that since Yehuda set up a Yeshiva before he came (where a Yid can learn and become close to Hashem), Yaakov could have the best years of his life even in a place like Mitzrayim.

Yaakov was 147 years old. Even though he wasn’t as old as Avraham or Yitzchak when they passed away, Yaakov was weak and realized he was going to pass away soon. He asked Yosef to come to talk to him, since Yosef was a very important person in Mitzrayim, who could help Yaakov with what he wanted.

Yaakov asked Yosef to make a shevuah (a promise on Hashem’s name) that he wouldn’t bury him in Mitzrayim. He had many reasons why he didn’t want to be buried there: He didn’t want to be buried in a place that would be full of the Makah of Kinim, he wanted to be right in Eretz Yisroel by Techiyas Hameisim, instead of needing to be rolled there when Moshiach comes, and he didn’t want the Mitzriyim to use him as an Avodah Zarah after he passes away!

Yosef promised, but at first he didn’t make a shevuah, because he didn’t think he needed to. But Yaakov knew that Paraoh might not want to let Yosef bury him in Eretz Yisroel, so he told Yosef he should make a shevuah, so he would be sure that Yosef would do what he asked. Yosef made the shevuah.

Doing a favor for someone after he passes away is called “Chesed Shel Emes,” true chesed, because he doesn’t expect to get any reward back from the person he is helping. Doing someone a favor without expecting to get paid back is the highest kind of chesed.

Yaakov bowed down to Yosef, to give him the koach to keep his shevuah. Yaakov bowed down towards the direction of the Shechinah, which was by the head of his bed since the Shechinah stays by sick people. Yaakov also bowed down to the Shechinah to thank Hashem that all of his children were tzadikim, even Yosef, who was a king of a non-Jewish land and had been trapped among goyim for so many years.

Efrayim, Yosef’s son, used to learn with his Zaidy, Yaakov. A while after Yosef’s shevuah, Efrayim saw that Yaakov was even more sick, and he told his father. Yosef took Menasheh (who was 25 years old) and Efrayim (who was 24) to get brachos before Yaakov passed away.

Efrayim told Yaakov that Yosef was here, and since Yosef was a very important person, Yaakov sat up with kavod, even though he was sick!

Yaakov told Yosef about a bracha Hashem gave him — that he would become a nation (meaning that Benyamin would be born) and a “Kehal Amim” (meaning one of the children would have TWO Shevatim). The bracha that one of Yaakov’s sons would become two Shevatim could have gone to Reuven, but because of something that he did, Yaakov said that it is going to Yosef. Menasheh and Efrayim would each become Shevatim with their own portion in Eretz Yisroel, but any later children of Yosef would not become Shevatim of their own.

Yaakov didn’t want Yosef to be upset about his mother Rochel not being buried in Me’aras Hamachpeila, and because of that he might not want to bring Yaakov there. He explained that she was buried near the road instead of in Me’aras Hamachpeila, because Hashem wanted her to be able to daven for the Yidden when they go into golus along that road.

When Yaakov was ready to give a bracha to Menasheh and Efrayim, suddenly his Ruach Hakodesh went away! He thought maybe Yosef’s children weren’t from a kosher marriage and that’s why. Yosef showed his father that he DID keep the mitzvah of getting married in a kosher way. He showed him the kesuba, so he would see that even though most people in Mitzrayim weren’t careful about this, Yosef was. The real reason why the Ruach Hakodesh left Yaakov was because in the future, there were going to be not-good kings coming from the families of both Menasheh and Efrayim. (Do you know who those kings are?)

Yosef davened that his father should get his Ruach Hakodesh back so he can give a bracha to Menasheh and Efrayim. Hashem did, and Yaakov asked Yosef to bring his sons to get a bracha.