Parsha Corner: Parshas Vayechi – Commitment
Have you ever agreed to fulfill a request from a friend or relative, only to find that you never followed through?
What might explain this phenomenon?
At first glance, it’s easy to assume that sometimes our commitments lack sincerity. Perhaps, even as we agree, we don’t truly intend to carry out the task.
But what about cases where we are genuinely sincere, where we fully intend to honor our commitment? Could it still be possible to fall short?
In this week’s parsha, Yaakov Avinu makes a heartfelt request of Yosef: to ensure he is buried in Eretz Yisroel. Yosef immediately agrees.
Now, let us consider—was Yosef sincere in his commitment?
Undoubtedly, the answer is yes. Yosef deeply revered his father, was bound by the mitzvah of honoring his parents (kibbud av), and understood the gravity of fulfilling the final wishes of a person on their deathbed. He also recognized the sanctity of being buried in Eretz Yisroel and the importance of ensuring Yaakov’s burial site would not become a place of idol worship in Egypt.
If Yosef’s sincerity was unquestionable, why then did Yaakov insist that Yosef swear an oath to fulfill this request? Surely, Yosef—second only to Pharaoh in power—had the authority and determination to ensure it would happen.
From this, we learn a profound lesson: never underestimate the power of the yetzer hara. The Chovos Halevavos teaches that the yetzer hara is humanity’s greatest adversary—more dangerous than any oppressor in our history. Its sole purpose is to lead us astray and cause us to falter. Like a cunning spy, it operates behind the scenes, infiltrating our thoughts and decisions so subtly that we often fail to notice its presence.
Yaakov understood this truth and knew that even Yosef, with all his greatness, was not immune to the yetzer hara’s influence. By binding Yosef with an oath, Yaakov provided him with an additional layer of strength—a renewed sense of responsibility and resolve to combat any obstacle the yetzer hara might place in his path.
This episode reminds us that even the sincerest intentions can be thwarted without vigilance. The yetzer hara is relentless, but with conscious effort and proactive safeguards, we can rise above its influence.
Hava a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Anton
Download the PDF -> Vayechi-Commitment