26 Dec AM ISRAEL CHAI: AM YISRAEL’S JOURNEY THROUGH SORROW AND JOY

“Am Yisrael Chai!” It
is a phrase we’re all
very familiar with,
chanted throughout the
ages and echoed the
world over today. A
famous story associated with this expression
involves Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschitz (יהונתן רבי
אייבשיץ(, a Talmudist, Halachist, and
Kabbalist, who held positions as the Dayan
of Prague and later served as the Rabbi of the
“Three Communities” (Altona, Hamburg,
and Wandsbek). Due to his leadership,
wisdom, and the mystique surrounding his
figure, numerous legends and anecdotes
became connected to him, one of which is
related to the phrase we are discussing.
The legend tells of the decree by the ruler of
Metz, a city in France, to expel all Jews from
the city. Rabbi Eibeschitz approached him
and demanded the revocation of the decree.
During the intense conversation that ensued,
the rabbi uttered the phrase, “Am Yisrael
Chai Le’olam Va’ed” (“The people of Israel
live forever”). The mayor taken by surprise
agreed to revoke the decree, but with one
condition: that Rabbi Eibeschitz successfully
completes a seemingly impossible task. He

was to write the sentence he spoke, “Am
Yisrael Chai Le’olam Va’ed,” on a surface
the size of a Mezuzah, 45,760 times – the
number of Jews in the city of Metz. At first
glance, it seemed impossible, unless he had
the ability to write letters the size of grains of
sand.
However, to the mayor’s amazement, Rabbi
Eibeschitz quickly returned to his room,
holding a piece of paper that testified to his
completion of the task. He did it as follows:
he drew a table on the paper, wrote the letter
‘ע ‘in the center of the table, and surrounded
it with the letters of the sentence in different
directions on the page. This way, the sentence
could be read from the page in various
combinations, equaling the required number
of times. The ruler claimed that he needed
time to verify this and temporarily postponed
the expulsion decree. Finally, after an entire
year, did he finish counting the 45,760
repetitions, discovering that the rabbi was
correct, and he finally revoked the decree.
Since the commencement of the war in Israel,
the expression “Am Yisrael Chai” translating
to “The people of Israel are alive” has gained
widespread popularity. It permeates popular
songs, adorns flags, and serves as a rallying

cry during demonstrations in support of
Israel. However, when pondering its origins,
there is no definitive source. Some posit that
it originates from the interaction between
Yosef and his brothers when he inquired
about his father’s well-being, and they
affirmed that he was alive. Considering
Yaakov’s alternate name, Yisrael, the phrase
“Israel is alive” became embedded. Others
suggest its roots lie in the prophecy of
Yechezkel; in his vision, the prophet is
commanded to prophesy over a valley filled
with the bones of the dead. As he speaks, the
bones come together, tendons and flesh cover
them, the breath of life enters them, and they
stand on their feet, a vast army. This prophetic
event is a metaphor for the people of Israel:
“These bones are the whole house of Israel.
They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our
hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Thus says
Hashem: Behold, I will open your graves and
raise you from your graves, my people. And I
will bring you into the land of Israel.”
This prophecy anticipates the revival of Am
Yisrael, even in moments when hope appears
lost, and the resilience to return and start
afresh seems to have dissipated. The
significance of this prophecy became
particularly poignant after the massacre in
Israel, giving rise to the widespread use of
the phrase “Am Yisrael Chai.
To better comprehend the meaning of the
phrase “Am Yisrael Chai” let’s delve into
our parsha, which commences with the
verse: “Vayechi Yaakov” – and Yaakov
lived. The Or Hachayim raises the question
of why Hashem previously instructed that
Yaakov should no longer be called Yaakov,
but Yisrael; and yet, we encounter many
instances where he is still referred to as
Yaakov. The Or Hachayim provides an
answer by suggesting that Yaakov has two
names, each signifying distinct states or
instances in his life. When he experiences
joy, he is called Yisrael, but in times of
sadness, he is referred to as Yaakov.
Consequently, the prohibition of calling
him Yaakov applies only during moments
of happiness.
The Or Hachayim further asserts that the
descendants of Yaakov are to be consistently
called Yisrael. However, the question
arises: Why exclusively refer to them as
Yisrael, and why not use the name Yaakov
during times of sorrow? To explore this,
let’s trace Yaakov’s journey since the sale
of Yosef by his brothers. When Yaakov
receives the heart-wrenching news about
his son, he is overcome with devastating
sadness. Chazal, however, inform us that
this was divinely preplanned. Hashem
needed to fulfill the decree conveyed to
Avraham that his children would descend to

a foreign land. Chazal explain that Yaakov
was meant to be taken to Egypt in disgrace, in
chains. Yet, Hashem orchestrated it
differently, evolving the scenario so that
Yaakov descended royally when his son
Yosef, who later became the king, brought
him down in regal fashion.
Another devastating story for Yaakov with a
similarly positive outcome, divinely
orchestrated, is the incident involving Dinah
when she was violated by Shechem ben
Chamor. Although this event was undoubtedly
tragic, let’s examine its aftermath. From this
distressing occurrence, a child named Osnat
was born. Osnat, disliked and disowned by
her family due to her father Shechem, was
sent away by Yaakov. He provided her with a
chain, emphasizing her connection to the
family of Yaakov Avinu, and left her near the
Egyptian walls. Potifar found and adopted
her. When Yosef eventually arrived in Egypt,
walking amidst admirers who showered him
with jewelry, Osnat was among them. The
only possession she had was the chain, which
she also tossed to Yosef. Upon seeing the
chain and reading its words, Yosef understood
her identity and promptly married her. They
had two children, one of them was Ephraim,
from whom Yehoshua descended. Yehoshua
played a vital role as the link to continue the
transmission of the Torah from Moshe to the
nation. He also was the one who led the
people of Israel into the land of Israel.
The underlying theme of these two stories is
that the selling of Yosef set the stage for
Yaakov’s descent to Egypt, a step deemed
necessary by Chazal to prepare the nation for
receiving the Torah and entering the land of
Israel. Simultaneously, the tragic tale of
Dinah brought forth the leader through whom
the Torah would continue and the one who
would guide them into Israel, thus
intertwining both events to complement each
other. Now that Am Yisrael understands the
aftermath of these stories—where Yaakov,
despite his sorrow, realized that from each
tragedy, Hashem brings forth salvation—
they are left with a positive outlook. This
understanding instills in them a sense of
confidence, encapsulated in the chant “Am
Yisrael Chai” where “Yisrael” signifies joy.
This expression conveys that even in times of
sadness, they maintain the belief that
goodness will emerge.