What then is the connection between this week's Parshah (Vayechi), the final Parshah in the Book of Bereishis, and the Parshah/Book of Shemos

The last Parshiyos in Bereishis were plagued with what seemed like the worst tragedies and challenges imaginable. In each instance, the circumstances looked bleak and It's victims could have easily felt that Hashem had abandoned them. Three such instances are:

 1. After Yehuda was ousted from power by his brothers, he fell victim to the story with Tamar and, through admitting his connection with her, was publicly humiliated to the highest degree. Can you imagine what people must have said when Yehuda, one of the leaders of the city, admitted that his daughter-in-law was bearing his child? Yehuda probably felt that this was the worst fate that could possibly befall a man! 

 2. When Yosef was sold by his brothers and reported to his father as having been killed, he and his father must have thought it was the very worst tragedy in the world. How could Hashem have allowed such an evil act to take place? 

 3. Yaakov worked 7 long years to earn Rachel's hand in marriage. When Lavan tricked Yaakov on his very wedding day and had the audacity to switch his intended wife Rachel for Leah, Yaakov could have been crushed. He justifiably could have felt that Hashem allowed an evil act to befall him and that there couldn't possibly have been Divine Providence in such a heinous crime. 

Yet, in this week's Parshah we are granted a rare glimpse of Hashem's Master Plan and instantly it becomes clear that EVERY single "mishap" was really orchestrated by Hashem all along and was not only necessary but even extremely beneficial for its "victim":

1. In this week's Parshah Yaakov explains to Yehuda that the act of admitting his guilt in public was his life's greatest accomplishment and that this merit will endure forever; indeed, in the merit of this very act of integrity, Yehuda earned the right for all of his descendants to be the kings of the Jewish nation! Additionally, because Yehuda had displayed such incredible honesty despite even the toughest of circumstances, Yaakov blessed Yehuda that every Jew would associate themselves with their heritage via his name by calling themselves "Yehudee" (Jew). (Targum Yonasan ben Uziel). The very event that caused him to be publicly humiliated was what earned him eternal greatness!

2. In this week's Parshah, as Yaakov and Yosef sat peacefully in Goshen finally reunited, and with Yosef as ruler, they realized that EVERY aspect of those challenges was an act of kindness from Hashem. They now understood that Yosef being sold as a slave was integral to the survival of the entire Jewish nation (Seforno 50:19,20).

3. In this week's Parshah it all became clear that even the act of Rachel being switched for Leah was for the very best and orchestrated by Hashem's kindness all along. For Yaakov explained to Yosef that he knew through prophecy that one day the Jews would sin so greatly that they would have the audacity to bring an idol into the Bais Hamikdash itself! At that point Hashem would consider utterly destroying them. All of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs would try to dissuade Hashem's decision but to no avail. Finally Mama Rachel would come before Hashem and give the following powerful plea: "Hashem, I had mercy on my sister and allowed her to become a rival wife in the home that I was destined for. If I could have mercy and allow a rival to enter my home, how could you not have mercy on your children despite the fact that they allowed a rival into Your home?". It was only after Hashem heard this winning plea that He promised to Rachel that the Jewish nation would be saved. Yaakov concluded that in the end, the "evil" act of Lavan had been orchestrated by Hashem all along in order to afford the Jewish nation one of the most incredible merits of their national history (see Rashi 48:7 and Be'er Yosef parshas Vayeitzei). 

Living Inspired

There were so many hardships at the end of the book of Bereishis that looked like tragedies but then, in this week's Parshah, it became clear that all of those hardships were really the greatest gifts and cause for the greatest merits in history. It is for this reason that Hashem purposefully placed our Parshah before the Parshah/Book of Shemos, the Parshah/Book that discusses and represents Jewish exile. By doing so Hashem is making a statement. He is telling us: "the nature of exile is to be extremely challenging and difficult. When in exile you will have challenges and ultimately you may question Me. You might wonder whether I am involved in every challenge and hardship that you face and how it could possibly be beneficial. Sometimes you will think it is simply IMPOSSIBLE for every difficulty to be for your best. Each time this happens, study this week's Parshah and recognize that Yaakov and the Shevatim may have had similar questions and feelings. They too may have felt abandoned. Yet, as you read Parshas Vayechi and are afforded a very rare glimpse of "the big picture" notice how suddenly it becomes clear that I was guiding EVERY single detail all along, all to ensure their greatest benefits and accomplishments. When you see this understand that within each and every circumstance that you find yourself in there is a similarly intricate spider web of details and history connecting it all. Please learn from this that you are my children and I am your Father, and that I love you more than you love yourself. EVERYTHING I do is solely for your benefit. When you internalize that I'm always with you and that I will always care for you, it will give you the strength required to overcome the long and tough exile that, while sometimes brutally challenging, will be the catalyst to your greatest happiness and blessings".

May we utilize the juxtaposition of this week's Parshah and Parshas Shemos for it's intended purpose: to supply us with the knowledge that even during the darkest periods of exile Hashem is intimately orchestrating EVERY detail solely for our benefit. May we use that knowledge to give us the strength necessary to accomplish all that we can in this long exile that will soon come to an end.