Chai is the Hebrew word for life, the letters number 18 and may sound familiar—we toast with the word “l’chaim!” meaning “to life” each Shabbat.
It is also the same Hebrew root found in the name of this week's Torah portion. Vayechi is one of two portions that have the word “chai” in their title and actually narrate a death.
The parasha doesn’t begin, “And Jacob died…” it begins, “And Jacob lived…” we recall the events that marked his life even as we are aware that his memory nourishes and inspires the Israelites through the challenges to come. We learn that his death is not the end. Jacob light and legacy is bound up in the future.
As we conclude the book of Genesis, we say the traditional words “chazak! chazak! v’nitchazek!” That is our prayer for this first Shabbat of 2023: Let us be strong and use our strength to bolster one another in the year to come.
