26 Dec VAYECHI: BE STRONG – CHAZAK

It is a good omen to
finish a sefer on a
positive note, but
Chumash Bereishis
doesn’t seem to end
positively. The final
words of the sefer are
(50:26) “Yosef was
niftar at the age of one
hundred ten years, and
they embalmed him,
and he was placed into
the coffin in
Mitzrayim.” Why do
we end on this sad
note?
Even if we translate the
pasuk according to remez, the question
remains. Yosef represents the spirituality of
a Yid. “Yosef was niftar” means that the Yid
fell to very low levels. “He was placed into
the coffin in Mitzrayim” further expressing
just how low he fell. He fell so far from
kedushah, and we wonder why the Chumash
ends like this.
However, immediately following these
words, everyone listening to Kriyas Hatorah
stands up and announces “Chazak Chazak

V’Nischazek.” If a person can fall to such
low levels and still stand up and shout, “I
will strengthen myself strong and become
good again,” it marks and symbolizes a
happy ending.
This week, we say Chazak at three places.
First, it states (48:2) V’Yischazek Yisrael
Vayeishev Al Hamitah, “Yisrael summoned
his strength, and sat up on his bed.”
The second time we say Chazak is when we
finish the parashah. Everyone stands up and
says “Chazak Chazak V’Nischazek.”
The third Chazak is in the haftarah. It states
(Malachim 1,2:2-3) V’Chazakta…Laleches
B’Drachav, “You shall be strong…to walk
in His ways.”
Reb Moshe Mordechai of Boyan zt’l points
out that the first Chazak is written when
Yaakov Avinu was lying in bed and then sat
up. The second is when we sit and then
stand up. The third time while standing and
then beginning to go.
Reb Moshe Mordechai explains that this is
telling us to take one step in the right
direction. If you are lying down, sit up. If
you are sitting, stand up; if you are standing,
begin walking. Take one step towards

improvement.
This is the lesson of
Chanukah- the first
night we light one
candle. The second
night we light two. On
the third night we light
three. Growth happens
slowly, by taking small
steps. Similarly, when
we tell someone
Chazak, to be strong,
we mean that he should
take even just one step in the right direction.
That one good deed will lead to others.
Begin with something small and grow from
there.
The words Al Hamitah, “on the bed,” appear
twice in Tanach. Once, in our parashah,
parshas Vayichi, when Yaakov was ill, he
strengthened himself and sat on his bed.
The other time is in Megillas Esther (7:8)
V’Haman Nafal Al Hamitah, “Haman fell
on the bed.”
The Baal HaTurim (48:2) writes, “This
shows us that tzaddikim strengthen
themselves even when they are weak, and
reshaim collapse even when they are
strong.”
The intention is that tzaddikim make
themselves strong to serve Hashem. They
don’t say they are weak, so they can’t go to
daven, etc.
But there is another lesson here; when a
tzaddik falls from his level, he gets up
again. He strengthens himself emotionally.
He refuses to remain in that fallen state.
This is as we say in (Tehillim 20:9) “They
kneel and fall, but we rise and gain
strength.” And it states (Mishlei 24:16)
“For a righteous man can fall seven times
and rise, but the wicked shall stumble upon
evil.”