Parashas Vayechi

Our Parsha this Shabbos is Parashas Vayechi.
This Parsha is the last Parsha in the First Book of the Torah , Bereishis .
In this Parsha , we sadly take leave of our beloved Yaakov .
Yaakov had stayed 17 years in Egypt, and at the age of 147 years, his time approached,so he called his son Yosef , knowing his son Yosef would have the power to get Pharaoh to allow Yisrael / Yaakov , after passing, to have his body out of Egypt, and transported back to Canaan.Yaakov did not want his body idolized by the Egyptians , for after Yaakov came to Egypt, the land received a Blessing, and also didn't want his body to be , in the future plague of lice which he foresaw, to be part of the dust of the earth that became lice.He also wanted to be in Israel, as the ones in Israel will be the first to Resurrect at Techias Ha Meisim , after Moshiach comes, for those in Chutz La Aretz, outside Israel, will be rolled there in Mashiach's time in underground tunnels. So Yosef swore to this.
Yosef did not spend that much time with his Father , while his Father was in Egypt and there are Rabbis who feel, Yosef never even saw Yaakov in the time after their first meeting in Egypt . The reason for this is, because Yosef wanted to protect his brothers honor to their Father ( who may then have asked Yosef where he was all this time and how he got there ) and Yosef didn't want to get them into trouble .Yosef had obviously learnt not to tell on his brothers to their Father . So Yosef stayed away from his Father , yet his son Ephraim went constantly to learn by Yaakov , and so it was Ephraim who came to tell Yosef that his Father was unwell.Yosef brought his two sons Menasseh and Ephraim to be recognized and Blessed by their Father. Yosef also questioned his Father as to why Yosef's Mother, was not buried in the Cave of Machpeila, but by a road-side in Beis Lechem . Yaakov explained that the time will come when the Jews would go into Bavel for 70 years ,and on the way into exile, The Jews would pass Rachel's place of burial, and so , it would be Rachel who would plead for us to be released and Rachel's prayers would be accepted on our behalf,because she proved she was calm in giving her sister to her beloved Yaakov , and so she would be the right one to pray when HaShem would get angry with us for our unfaithfulness. 
Yaakov chose to Bless the younger of Yosef's children , for out of his line was to come our mighty hero Joshua,thus the younger would supersede the elder , but they would both be taken as one of Yaakov's children.
The time came for Yaakov to pass on, so he called his children and gave them tribe by tribe a specific Blessing for that tribe .
As Yaakov was about to start Blessing his sons, he saw the exact time of the Redemption, and was about to tell the date, when he was made to forget it, as this time must remain hidden, for in case it is a long way off, people would get despondent and stop trying to be holy , Chas Ve Shalom .
It is interesting in Chapter 49 that just as Yaakov was about to reveal the 'Ketz,' - ' The End Date ' the word " Hei'Asfu," - " is used in this very verse talking of the time of the 'Ketz' and Mashiach. Thus, here we have a hint of what can bring Moshiach, and that is when all Jews 'Assemble ' together and are at peace with one another , Mashiach can come . When Yaakov was made to forget this End Time date , he worried that one of his sons was not worthy, and so he questioned his sons' holiness and they answered with the first verse of the Shema ," Shema Yisrael HaShem Elokeinu, HaShem Echad ," - " Hear O Yisrael ( Yaakov ) , HaShem Is our G-D , HaShem is One . This pleased Yaakov that his sons. Were holy and Yaakov responded to them with the next line of the Shema , " Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuso Le'Olam Va'Ed ," - "Blessed be Your Holy Name , Whose Kingdom is Forever.
Then in turn, Yaakov Blessed his sons. Each one's Blessing spoke of future events in that particular Tribe.
When Yaakov finished Blessing his sons,he again adjured them to not bury him in Mitzrayim - Egypt ( a word that means borders for Egypt put up figurative borders , not allowing those living there to return or leave Egypt to go where they came from, thus is Egypt's name a reference to 'borders .' It is then that dear Yaakov passes away. Yosef embalmed his Father, to the disagreement of some Rabbinical opinions , saying that Yosef might have had the faith that the body would not decay. 
Yosef got permission finally from Pharaoh , who had to be reminded that Yosef knew one more language than Pharoah, even though all Pharoahs had to know all the languages of the World at that time . A major procession led Yaakov back to Canaan, where Yosef put his crown on the coffin, while the brothers took turns carrying their Father . People along the way who knew of Yaakov's Name, also followed in the procession, also placing their crowns on Yaakov's Father's coffin, making it 36 crowns altogether .
As Yaakov was being put in the cave of Machpeilah , Eisav came and contested the Cave and so , Naphtali had to swiftly run back to Mitzrayim to get the contract signed previously by Yaakov and Eisav, stating quite clearly that Eisav had sold his birthright . Chushim, Dan's son ( grandson of Yaakov ) , who was born hard of hearing, did not fully understand the contents of Eisav's aggressive discussion, and wanted his Grand-Father Yaakov to be buried in peace , so Chushim, lifted up a heavy branch and hit Eisav hard enough to kill him ( some say Yehudah did the final blow ) . So was Rivka ,their Mother's prophecy words fulfilled, that she doesn't want to be bereaved of both of them ( her two children ) on the same day Bereishis 27:45 ) . 
When they were all returning to Egypt, on the way, Yosef passed the place and pit his brothers had thrown him into . They thought he was bearing a grudge against them , Chas Ve Shalom , but he wasnt , for his sole reason, was to go to a place a miracle had happened and to bless that place . This is Halachic Jewish Law. So when the brothers got back to Egypt,they decided they would tell Yosef a story that wasn't true, that their Father had asked of Yosef , that he forgive them .
Yosef bore no grudge against them and so, Yosef said he would sustain them and their children .
Yosef remained viceroy for close on 40 years and then that Pharaoh passed on as our Midrash shows and Yosef ran the country for again another close on 40 years .Yosef passed on before his brothers did , possibly because of letting his Father be referred to as 'servant' while the brothers and Yehudah were pleading with Yosef before ,while they stood in front of him as viceroy . Levi was the last of the brothers to pass away .
Yosef passed on at 110 years old , and before he passed away,he adjured his brothers to ensure that when they left , they would take his coffin with them to Canaan .
Yosef's body was embalmed and placed at the bottom of the Nile . Yosef also told his brothers that they would be redeemed eventually from Egypt and that the redeemer will utter the words "Pakod Yifkod ," - " Surely Remember you ," , ( Bereishis 50:24 ) , and then the people at that time would know that this was a future prophecy of how to recognize a true redeemer. Our Parsha and first book of the Torah ends at the passing of Yosef at 110 years old.
It is interesting that a Parsha that talks of the passing of Yaakov, calls it "Vayechi," - " Lived ." 
The Time Yaakov spent in Egypt with no heartache, were his happy years and it is as though he " Vayechi." Happiness is so important in a life - to live each day in sweet happiness and harmony- that is true 'Living.' 
We also often see the word "Vayechi," to do with a Patriarch's passing. We see the same in discussing Sarah's passing .
The fact is that our Patriarchs had the truest form of life, and that is , working to be close to HaShem . That is True Living , one can take with one as the soul transmigrates. Every day that we gain Torah Knowledge and become more Holy , That is True Living .Also, when a Righteous person passes away Chas Ve Shalom , they continue living within us and the Jewish people as a whole .
There is another explanation too about using the word "Lived" in this Parsha about the passing of Yaakov. If we take the Hebrew word " Vayikra," and break it up into its parts, we get " Va " (And) ," Yi" ( My ), [ in reference to HaShem ] and "Chai" ( which means life ) . Putting this together, we get , " And HaShem Lives within me . This is the case with a holy person. This is what HaShem Wants - To Live within us and Be At One With us and Carry us to heights of holiness. The more we learn of Torah , the more we learn what to do in Torah and life, till we eventually open up ourselves to HaShem to let Him in .That is true " Vayechi ," - " Living ." This is what every human being is to strive for, to make a place for HaShem within . That way, one truly lives , even after one's passing , Chas Ve Shalom . We literally take HaShem in and we can carry HaShem within, for centuries, through the travelling of the soul's physical journeys on the way to G-D .
Thus proper " Vayechi ," is that part of "Living " that is real living and never spiritually dying, but taking one's Torah holiness and lessons with one . So, Yaakov continues to live in each and every Jew, helping us carry Jews to HaShem . Thus even though Yaakov passed away very long ago, we can help him , by studying HaShem's Holy Word .
May the time come , when we have the Eternal Shabbos in Moshiach's time with HaShem . This too is in the word "Vayechi," that has a Gematriah of 7 ( 6+10+8+10 =34 and 3+4 = 7 ) and the Gematrical value of Moshiach is also 7 thus , True Spiritual Living , and Learning Torah , carries us over to ' Olam Habah ' the ' World to Come . '
I wish HaShem with Love , a Sweet Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love , and to all my fellow Jews with love , a sweet and holy Shabbos Kodesh with love .