Vayechi: The Silence of Tzaddikim

Context within the Parsha: Yaakov is in Mitzrayim, on the 147th and last year of his life, he calls on Yosef and his sons. He is about to tell each tribe their job when they enter Israel and foretell the prophecy of returning to Eretz Yisrael (where he wants his bones to ultimately be buried).

בראשית מ״ט:א׳-ה׳

(א) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃ (ב) הִקָּבְצ֥וּ וְשִׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְשִׁמְע֖וּ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֲבִיכֶֽם׃ (ג) רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז׃ (ד) פַּ֤חַז כַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אַל־תּוֹתַ֔ר כִּ֥י עָלִ֖יתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ {פ}
(ה) שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

Genesis 49:1-5

(1) And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come. (2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob;
Hearken to Israel your father: (3) Reuben, you are my first-born,
My might and first fruit of my vigor,
Exceeding in rank
And exceeding in honor. (4) Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer;
For when you mounted your father’s bed,
You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted! (5) Simeon and Levi are a pair;
Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.

רש"י על בראשית מ״ט:א׳

(א) ואגידה לכם. בִּקֵּשׁ לְגַלּוֹת אֶת הַקֵּץ וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה וְהִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים אַחֵרִים:

Rashi on Genesis 49:1

(1) ואגידה לכם THAT I MAY TELL YOU — He wished to reveal to them the end of Israel’s exile but the Shechinah departed from him and he began to speak of other things (Genesis Rabbah 98:2).

Why did Yaakov become silent?

משנה אבות א׳:י״ז

(יז) שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה. וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר, אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים, מֵבִיא חֵטְא:

Pirkei Avot 1:17

(17) Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.

משנה אבות ג׳:י״ג

(יג) רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, שְׂחוֹק וְקַלּוּת רֹאשׁ, מַרְגִּילִין לְעֶרְוָה. מָסֹרֶת, סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה. מַעַשְׂרוֹת, סְיָג לָעשֶׁר. נְדָרִים, סְיָג לַפְּרִישׁוּת. סְיָג לַחָכְמָה, שְׁתִיקָה:

Pirkei Avot 3:13

(13) Rabbi Akiva said: Merriment and frivolity accustom one to sexual licentiousness; Tradition is a fence to the Torah; Tithes a fence to wealth, Vows a fence to abstinence; A fence to wisdom is silence.

Where is it said that Torah the ultimate source of Wisdom? (Hint: A lot of places but here's a few)
Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7, Proverbs 31:26, Perkei Avot 4:10, Ecclesiastes 1:13, Deutoronomy 32:6, Psalms 72:1, Mishneh Torah, Berakhot 10a:12, Sanhedrin 98a:10

משנה אבות א׳:א׳

(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:

Pirkei Avot 1:1

(1) Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.

We must make guards to protect the most precious aspects of our life. What is the ultimate guard in Judiasm?

דברים כ״ז:ט׳

(ט) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים הַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֶ֥ל כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הַסְכֵּ֤ת ׀ וּשְׁמַע֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ נִהְיֵ֣יתָֽ לְעָ֔ם לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

Deuteronomy 27:9

(9) Moses and the levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying: Silence! Hear, O Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God:

ויקרא י׳:ב׳-ג׳

(ב) וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן הוּא֩ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ לֵאמֹר֙ בִּקְרֹבַ֣י אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־הָעָ֖ם אֶכָּבֵ֑ד וַיִּדֹּ֖ם אַהֲרֹֽן׃

Leviticus 10:2-3

(2) And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of^-a the LORD. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said:
Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
And gain glory before all the people.”
And Aaron was silent.

רש"י על ויקרא י׳:ג׳:ב׳

(ב) וידם אהרן. קִבֵּל שָׂכָר עַל שְׁתִיקָתוֹ, וּמַה שָּׂכָר קִבֵּל? שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד עִמּוֹ הַדִּבּוּר — שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרָה לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁתוּיֵי יַיִן (ויקרא רבה י"ב):

Rashi on Leviticus 10:3:2

(2) ‎וידם אהרן AND AARON WAS SILENT — He received a reward for his silence. And what was the reward he received? That the subsequent Divine address was made to him alone and not to Moses also — for to him alone was spoken the section (vv. 9—11) dealing with those who are intoxicated by wine (see v. 8) (Zevachim 115b; Leviticus Rabbah 12 2).

Is silence more than just not speaking? What is silence, really?

ספר הזהר, בראשית ד׳

(ה) וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְגו', הָיְתָה (ל''ט ב) דַיְיקָא מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, תַּלְגָא גּוֹ מַיָיא. נַפְקָא מִנָּהּ זוּהֲמָא בְּהַהוּא חֵילָא דְּתַלְגָא בְּמַיָּיא, וְאַקִּישׁ בָּהּ אֶשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא וְהֲוָה בָּהּ פְּסוֹלֶת, וְאִתְעֲדִיאַת וְאִתְעֲבִידַת תֹּה''וּ מֵאֲתַר (נ''א מדורא) דְּזוּהֲמָא. קִינָא דִפְסוֹלֶת. וָבֹה''וּ בְּרִירוּ דְּאִתְבְּרִיר מִגּוֹ פְּסוֹלֶת וְאִתְיַישַׁב בָּהּ חשֶׁךְ, רָזָא דְּאֶשָׁא תַּקִּיפָא. וְהַהוּא חשֶׁ''ךְ דְחָפֵי (חפי) עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא תֹּה''וּ עַל גַּבֵּי הַהוּא פְּסוֹלֶת וְאִתְתַּקָּנַת מִינֵיהּ.

Zohar, Bereshit 4

(5) Darkness is the secret of the powerful fire and this darkness hovers above the formlessness, over that refuse, and is structured from it. In other words, darkness does not mean only the absence of light that is, emptiness but rather the aspect that produces emptiness, like a strong fire that burns and consumes everything it touches and leaves emptiness in its place. The reason why it is called darkness and not fire is that the burning force is not from the fire itself, but from the refuse, which is without form, over which it hovers, and from which it receives.

What does this mean for us?