Va'yechi, the last parsha in the book of Bereshis, tells of the death of Yaakov and Yosef. Still to come, in the Book of Shmos: the story of the enslavement, the exodus, the start of the travels in the desert and the giving of the Torah.
As Yaakov nears death, he tells his family that he wants to be buried with his ancestors in the land of Canaan, in the Cave of Machpela. He then tells his family what will befall them in years to come, and blesses all of his children except Shimon and Levi, because of their murderous deeds in the city of Shechem. The Torah states that Yosef accompanies the body of Yaakov to his burial site in Canaan. Yosef was the most important individual in Mitzrayim, and he accompanied Yaakov. And so it would be Moshe, the most important individual among the Jews, who would take the responsibility of recovering Yosef's bones and taking them to the Holy Land. (Shmos,13:19)
After the death of Yaakov,Yosef's brothers fear Yosef's revenge for their actions long ago of throwing him in a pit and selling him to Egypt. So they tell Yosef that Yaakov left word that he should forgive his brothers for their hurtful actions. The midrash notes that there is no indication in the Torah that Yaakov made such a statement. The midrash adds, however, that the brothers were justified in making that up and telling it to Yosef, "mipnei darchei shalom," that is, in order to foster peace. This ttatement would prevent Yosef's anger, and allow the brothers to get along. It is true that the Torah does not mention Yaakov saying this, but is it likely, nevertheless, that Yaakov himself made this statement, in order to foster peace? A question.
If I may be permitted a personal note: In Yaakov's blessings, he tells Binyamin, "Binyamin ze'ev yitraf," (Bereshit, 49:27) "Binyamin is a wolf who is ravenous." My Hebrew name is Binyamin Ze'ev. No comment.
The haftorah is from 1 Kings 2:1-12. It tells of the last days of Dovid Hamelech, King David. He tells Shlomo (Solomon), who will take his place, "And you shall be strong, and you should be a man." He goes on to give Shlomo instructions as to the treatment of particular individuals who either helped him or harmed him. As the haftorah concludes, it says that Dovid ruled for forty years.
