Illustration credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Haftarah הַפְטָרָה
In both our parashah and haftarah, a leader is about to die: Yaakov in the parashah and King David in the haftarah. Both leaders give instructions to their children about what to do after their deaths.
A midrash comments on another specific connection between these two stories:
"וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן בְּיוֹם הַמָּוֶת" (קהלת ח:ח) -
…וְאַף דָּוִד כְּתִיב בּוֹ, "וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד זָקֵן" (מלכים א א:א). כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּטָה לָמוּת, "וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי דָוִד לָמוּת" (מלכים א ב:א).
וְאַף יַעֲקֹב כְּשֶׁנָּטָה לָמוּת, הִתְחִיל מַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ לִפְנֵי יוֹסֵף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ." אֵימָתַי, כְּשֶׁקָּרַב לַמִּיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת" (בראשית מז:כט).
“A person has no power over the day of death (Kohelet 8:8)” -
…Regarding David, it is written, “And King David was old” (Melakhim Alef 1:1). But when he came close to dying, it says “When David’s life was drawing to a close” (Melakhim Alef 2:1).
Similarly, when Yaakov came close to dying, he made himself humble before Yosef by saying: “If I have found favor in your eyes.” When did he say this? “When Yisrael’s life was drawing to a close” (Bereishit 47:29).
The lesson in this midrash is drawn from a pasuk in Kohelet. The straightforward meaning of the pasuk is that people can’t control when they die. But the midrash suggests that the pasuk could also mean that people lose control, and experience powerlessness, when they get close to death.
One example is from King David. The midrash points out that even while he was old and frail, he was still called “King” - he still had his title of honor. But in our haftarah, when it was time for him to die, he is just called “David” as if the power of being king were gone. Another example is from our parashah, where Yaakov begs his son for help - and parents shouldn’t have to beg their children for anything! So that shows a loss of dignity.
-------------------
-------------------
