Torah 101-Vayechi

I.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS STUDY QUESTIONS (from

Vayigash)

1) Question for Genesis 44:17-45:28:

How do certain readings in the Greek OT, or Septuagint, help us figure out exactly where
Goshen was?
VEERETZ GOSHEN (45:10) = the land/region of Goshen. This was part of Egypt that
lay very close to Canaan (Genesis 46:10), located between Tanis and Memphis. Josephus
links it to the Heliopolis region (Antiquities, 2.7.6). The Septuagint in Genesis 46:28
perhaps reflects a slight corruption of this by calling Heliopolis Hero-polis and in
Genesis 46:34 the Septuagint also references the Arab land of Gesem. According to
Herodotus (2:8), the area east of the Nile was Arabian territory.
2) Question for Genesis 46:
The Rabbis have a legend that Josephs wife Asenath is not a pagan at all but instead the
daughter of Dinah, daughter of Jacob. Does the Hebrew in Genesis 46 affirm or deny this
idea?
VEET DINAH (46:15) = The fact that there is no offspring attached to Dinah here
proves she did not have a daughter, Asenath, which is a rabbinic legend to avoid Joseph
from marrying a shiksa. The count remains the same. However, there are only 32
names directly listed and the end number is 33. There are two possible answers. Either
the 33rd person includes Jacob himself or it perhaps could be Levis daughter, Yocheved,
the mother of Moshe. I am inclined to the former explanation and count Jacob as #33.
3) Question for Genesis 47:
If you have read my teachings on Bible math then tell me, what is the significance of
Joseph sending 5 brothers to speak with Pharaoh?
UMIKTSEH ECHAV LAKACH CHAMISHAH ANASHIM VAYATSIGEM LIFNEY
FAROH (47:2) = And he (Joseph) selected from his brothers five men and presented
them before Pharaoh. For those of you who are familiar with my Bible math studies
under the CALENDAR tab, you know that 5 is the number of Torah or instruction, 1 for
every book of Moshe. Now 5 brothers are chosen literally to give information or
instruction before Pharaoh.
4) Haftorah Question of the Week: Ezekiel 37:15-28
What does the prophet Ezekiel reveal here about Judah and Ephraim in his day that might
be embarrassing to both parties in terms of their identity politics today?
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VERKARAV OTAM ECHAD (37:17) = Join them together in one stick. First Ezekiel
will put the two together in his hand, but they are not really one until YHWH does the
joining through His servant David and, by extension, Yshua, who gets the staff later as
these subsequent notes show.
VECHAASHER YOMERU ELEYCHA BNEY AMECHA LEMOR HALO TAGID
LANU MAHELEH LACH (37:18) = the children of your people will say to you: Will
you not tell us what you mean by these? The implication here is that YHWH is directing
the conversation because the topic is embarrassing. This is also why He uses the sticks as
an introduction because its not easy for Judah to admit he let his brother go into
paganism nor for Ephraim to admit he shouldnt have done this in the first place.
HINEH ANI LOKEACH ET-ETZ YOSEF ASHER BE-YAD EPRHAIM VESHIVTEY
YISRAEL CHAVERAV VENATATI OTAM ALAV ET-ETZ YEHUDAH VAASITIM
LEETZ ECHAD VEHAYU ECHAD BEYADI (37:19) = Behold I will take the stick of
Joseph that is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel that are his companions, and
put it together with the stick of Judah, form one stick THAT IS ONE IN MY HAND.
See the note below as well to reinforce this point. Neither Judah nor Ephraim rules. This
One Stick is in YHWHs hands and He will in turn hand it over to Yshua His Son.
VEAVDI DAVID MELECH ALEYHEM VEROEH ECHAD YIHYEH (37:24) = My
servant David will rule over them and they shall have one shepherd. This is incredibly
important to understand when discussing the Stick of Judah and the Stick of Ephraim
coming together, because when they do become one stick it means NEITHER JUDAH
NOR EPHRAIM RULES, only the Shepherd from David rules, as that One Stick
becomes a staff in the hands of Yshua our Master.

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II.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS TORAH PORTION (Vayechi)

Please NOTE:

For clarity and time constraints, if I elect to not read the whole parsha (which
is the case this week) I may still ask questions relating to the portions I did not
read!
5) Question for Genesis 47:28-48:22
In some cases Jacob is rebuking his sons for bad behavior but in one place he appears
to take the blame for something they did and he did not approve of. Where is that
place that Jacob takes blame that doesnt belong to him and why does he do it?
6) Question for Genesis 49:
How are parts of Jacobs blessings on his sons confirmed separately by Moshe and by
Yshua?
7) Question for Genesis 50:
In this parsha Joseph repeats something nearly verbatim that was said previously but
in a completely different context but with the same underlying truth. What did
Joseph say and who said it before he did?
8) Haftorah Question of the Week: 1 Kings 2:1-11
What is Davids last rebellion just before he dies?
9) Renewed Covenant Commentary: 1 Peter 2:11-19
1 Peter 2:14
11) Peter's use of parallelisms is a hallmark of original Hebrew and Aramaic
composition. See Parallelisms in Appendix.
Parallelisms
The Good News of Luke introduced us to basic Semitic poetry which permeates the first
six chapters. One of the hallmark features in this Semitic poetry was the use of
parallelisms of original Hebrew and Aramaic composition. In the Tanakh we often see
these patterns as in the following:

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"Keep my words and store my commands within you" (Pro_7:1 NIV): This is

synonymous parallelism, which means that the second portion of the line
echoes the first but uses slightly different terminology. In this case the
synonyms are keeping words and storing them in your heart, the latter being a
metaphor as mentioned in Luke. Here's another example:

"For a man's ways are in full view of YHWH, and He examines all his paths"
(Pro_5:21 NIV): The second part of the verse completes the first; this is
referred to as synthetic parallelism. Here the giveaway is that Elohim first
sees and then He examines what was just observed.

"YHWH abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are His delight."
Pro_11:1 (NIV): This is called antithetic parallelism, where the second part
of the line clearly is in opposition to the first. Much of this next chapter of
Proverbs contains this form of parallelism with phrases like, "When pride
comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom" and "Wealth is
worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death."

"Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave." Pro_3:19
(NIV): This is climactic parallelism, when the second line somewhat echoes
the first but adds a little extra "kick" that puts an exclamation point on top of
the statement. In this case, the way Hebrew reads here is that her feet go down
to her own death in the first part, with the climax being that death also awaits
whomever follows her. Again, all these poetic patterns, by universal scholarly
opinion, point to Hebrew originality of the Tanakh verses; in this case from
Proverbs. It is a distinctly Semitic fingerprint.

With this in mind, let's look at a few verses in 1 Peter:

"For Messiah died for sins once and for all, the righteous and for the unrighteous, to
bring you to Elohim. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit"
(1Pe_3:18). synonymous parallelism.
"For this reason the Good News was preached even to those who are now dead, so that
they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to
Elohim in regard to the Spirit" (1Pe_4:6). synonymous parallelism.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins" (1Pe_4:8).
synthetic parallelism.
"Be shepherds of Elohim's flock that is under your care; serving as overseers, not
because you must, but because you are willing, as Elohim wants you to be" (1Pe_5:2).
synthetic parallelism.
"Governors...are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who
do right" (1Pe_2:14). antithetic parallelism.

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"When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no
threats." (1Pe_2:23). antithetic parallelism.
"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very Words of Elohim. If anyone
serves, he should do it with the strength that Elohim provides, so that in all things Elohim
may be praised through Y'shua the Messiah" (1Pe_4:11). climactic parallelism.
"For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in
debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it
strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they
heap abuse on you" (1Pe_4:3-5). climactic parallelism.

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