RAV KOOK ON Vayech Part 1: Jacob Did Not Die
Third-century scholar Rabbi Yochanan made an astounding claim regarding Jacob:
“Rabbi Yochanan stated, ‘Our father Jacob did not die.’ Rabbi Nachman asked, ‘Was it in vain that they eulogized Jacob and embalmed his body and buried him?’ Rabbi Yochanan responded, ‘I derive this from a verse: ‘Fear not, Jacob My servant... for I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity’ (Jeremiah 30:10). The verse likens Jacob to his offspring: just as his offspring lives, so too, Jacob lives.'” (Ta’anit 5b)
What did Rabbi Yochanan mean that Jacob did not die? If he intended to say that Jacob’s soul is still alive, that requires no verse — the souls of all righteous people are eternal. And if he meant that Jacob’s body did not die, several verses explicitly state that he died (for example, “Joseph’s brothers realized that their father had died” (Gen. 50:15)).
The medieval Talmudic commentary Tosafot explains that, when describing Jacob’s death, the Torah only says that he ‘expired', not that he ‘died’ (Gen. 49:33). We need to examine the difference between these two verbs.
Also, why did Rabbi Yochanan make this claim of eternity only for Jacob, and not for Abraham and Isaac?
Third-century scholar Rabbi Yochanan made an astounding claim regarding Jacob:
“Rabbi Yochanan stated, ‘Our father Jacob did not die.’ Rabbi Nachman asked, ‘Was it in vain that they eulogized Jacob and embalmed his body and buried him?’ Rabbi Yochanan responded, ‘I derive this from a verse: ‘Fear not, Jacob My servant... for I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity’ (Jeremiah 30:10). The verse likens Jacob to his offspring: just as his offspring lives, so too, Jacob lives.'” (Ta’anit 5b)
What did Rabbi Yochanan mean that Jacob did not die? If he intended to say that Jacob’s soul is still alive, that requires no verse — the souls of all righteous people are eternal. And if he meant that Jacob’s body did not die, several verses explicitly state that he died (for example, “Joseph’s brothers realized that their father had died” (Gen. 50:15)).
The medieval Talmudic commentary Tosafot explains that, when describing Jacob’s death, the Torah only says that he ‘expired', not that he ‘died’ (Gen. 49:33). We need to examine the difference between these two verbs.
Also, why did Rabbi Yochanan make this claim of eternity only for Jacob, and not for Abraham and Isaac?
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