This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26). Read on Shabbat, January 3, 2026 / 13 Tevet 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.
“Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years” (Genesis 47:28).
Parashat Vayechi opens with an unexpected phrase. Jacob lived. Though he is in Egypt and nearing death, Scripture emphasizes life rather than decline. These final chapters focus on blessing, memory, and hope. Jacob gathers his sons, speaks words that shape their future, and anchors the generations to come in God’s covenant promises. Even as life draws to a close, faith looks forward.
Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh, crossing his hands in a gesture that surprises everyone present. He reminds his family that God has guided him through hardship and exile, famine and fear. His blessings are not rooted in comfort but in a lifetime of God’s faithfulness. Vayechi teaches that legacy is not built in a single moment but across many seasons of trusting God.
The portion also records Joseph’s response to his brothers after Jacob’s death. They fear revenge, but Joseph speaks reassurance and grace. He acknowledges their wrongdoing while affirming God’s greater purpose. What was meant for harm, God used for good. Forgiveness becomes the final word of the book of Genesis, sealing the family story with reconciliation rather than resentment.
Vayechi invites us to consider how we measure life. Is it counted only in years, or in faithfulness, trust, and blessing shared with others? Jacob’s life reminds us that God remains present through every stage. Even when circumstances feel foreign or uncertain, God’s promises endure. A life lived with God continues to speak long after it ends.
Some may be reflecting on the passage of time, on regrets, or on hopes still unmet. This portion offers reassurance that God is not finished shaping meaning out of our days. Others may be walking in a season of peace and fulfillment. Let Jacob’s final blessings inspire you to speak life into others, to encourage, to forgive, and to point forward to God’s faithfulness.
As this Shabbat comes, take time to reflect on what kind of legacy you are building. Consider one blessing you can speak, one relationship you can strengthen, or one act of forgiveness you can extend. Let your life testify, like Jacob’s, that God has been faithful from beginning to end.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for walking with me through every season of life. Teach me to live with trust, to bless others with generosity and truth, and to rest in Your faithfulness. May my life reflect Your promises and Your grace. Amen.
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