Parsha:

Vayechi 

References: Berachot: 59b 

Description

The focus of this week’s parsha is not on the fact that Yaakov and Yosef died, but rather on the eternal narrative that lives on after their deaths, communicated through the blessings of their children. The “Vayechi” approach of celebrating life even as we deal with the tragedy of death resonates today, as we move toward – b’ezrat Hashem – to world immunity. We must remember that preserving our own health is nothing less than a Biblical directive. Furthermore, according to the Torah, we are also forbidden from standing idly by while the blood of another is being spilt. There is, therefore, a halakhic obligation to get vaccinated; to protect ourselves as well as to contribute to global herd immunity.