Weekly Portion – וַיְחִי – Vayechi – And He Lived – Genesis 47:28 – 50:26; 1 Kings 2:1–12

Who is worthy to lead the people of Israel into eternity? Surprisingly, it is not the flawless, powerful Joseph, but Judah—the man with cracks in his life story, yet possessing the greatness to admit mistakes. Leadership is not inherited; it is earned through character. As Jacob blesses his sons, he looks beyond the facades of strength and success. At the end of the first book of Moses, we learn the deepest lesson about true authority: It does not grow from perfection or power, but from responsibility, repentance, and an open heart.

Jacob blesses his sons. These are not ordinary blessings, but profound statements, character analyses, and destiny pronouncements. I would like to focus on the four oldest sons, the sons of Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Four sons who grew up under the hands of a mother who had experienced great rejection in her marriage. A woman whose husband preferred her sister. Everything within her power to correct this situation was to become pregnant...

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