The Orchos Tzadikim begins The Gate of Happiness with describing the ultimate state of happiness: “The trait of happiness comes to man through the enjoyment of great tranquility in his heart unmarred by mishap. A person who attains his desires and never experience anything that saddens him, will always be happy, his face will shine, his countenance will be radiant, his body will be healthy, and old age will not come quickly upon him, as is written, ‘A happy heart is as healing as medicine’ (Mishley 17:22).” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
There is a picture-perfect depiction of the ideal state of happiness in this week’s parsha. This week’s Torah portion, Vayechi, is the last of Sefer Breishis. Normally a Torah portion is delineated by starting off on a new line or at least having a space of nine letters from the last verse of the previous portion. But there is no space at all between the end of the Torah portion of Vayigash and the beginning of Vayechi. The new Torah portion abruptly begins with “Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt…” (Breishis 47:28).
The Medrish Rabbah, in the opening of this parsha asks, “Why of all the portions of the Torah is this portion ‘closed’? It is because once our forefather Yaakov passed away, the Egyptian subjugation of Israel began. Another interpretation: why is this portion ‘closed’? Because Yaakov our forefather sought to reveal [to his sons] the End [the date of the Final Redemption], but it was closed off (concealed) from him. Another interpretation: Why is this portion ‘closed’? Because Hashem closed off from him all the troubles in the world [during his sojourn in Egypt]” (Breishis Rabba 96:1).
The Maharz”u wonders why the first two reason of why the parsha starts off ‘closed’ is even here, because according to the first answer it should have the ‘closure’ in perek 49, pasuk 33 where it discusses Yaakov’s death and the second one could have been by perek 49, pasuk 1 where the pasuk says straight out that Yaakov was planning on revealing the date of the End of Days to his children? He answers that we find spaces and closures all throughout the Torah, but every other beginning of a parsha definitely has a space or starts on a new line; this one doesn’t, so it must be to highlight something. The medrish gives 3 reasons for the highlighting. Either because of the impending servitude; when the beginning of the portion writes “Yaakov lived” it means when Yaakov lived 17 years in Egypt and reached the age of 147 and was close to death. Then fear fell upon his children, from the exile in Egypt, even though the servitude didn’t actually start until all 70 people who came down to Egypt had died. The second reason was that he wanted to reveal the End of Days when he was about to die, and this was hinted to by the closure. The third interpretation was the closure of his suffering. In Eretz Canaan he was open to suffering and in Egypt he was closed. True, it would have been better to have the “closure” in their respected places as mentioned above, but the third reason was why the closure was by this pasuk. (Click here for Hebrew text)
Similarly, the Matnos Kehuna explains this 3rd opinion, of why the parsha begins without any space between it and the previous parsha; that Yaakov Avinu forgot all his suffering when he was in Egypt. Those 17 years were the main part of his life, without suffering.
It makes a bit of sense why the Torah would go out of its way at the beginning of this portion to do something which is different than any other beginning of a parsha. This is in order to hint at a message that is so important that it can affect an entire generation or so, such as hinting to the advent of the enslavement or something that would have an impact for generations to come, such as revealing when Moshiach would finally come at the End of Days. But what is so special about hinting to us that Yaakov’s suffering was done and over with, and his last 17 years were lived in bliss and tranquility; who cares? Why does it make for a difference and why is it worth changing the rules of Torah portions, how they start; especially since it was really only because of this 3rd reason why the hint was put specifically here at this place, as the Maharz”u point out in the end of his piece?
However, we must appreciate what the Orchos Tzadikim says at the beginning of the Gate of Happiness; what the ultimate state of happiness is. A state of peace and tranquility without any issues and problems in one’s life. This is something transformative that could literally “add years,” radiance, and youth to one’s life. This is exactly what happened to Yaakov, in fact; Yaakov’s shine did come back, and in the last 17 years of his life Divine Inspiration and prophesy was imbued inside him on a constant basis, which had left him when he was suffering in sorrow when Yosef had disappeared.
The Torah is teaching us a lesson, that we have to really focus in and really, really appreciate the chance of living a life of true happiness without any suffering. It is worth changing the rules of how to set up the portions in the Torah, just to bring this message across! Therefore, it must be a very important lesson that one must contemplate and imbibe in oneself emotionally and intellectually.
It doesn’t even mean that one has to go his whole entire life without any problems. But even a segment of one’s life as Yaakov had, it is worth appreciating the gift that Hashem gives you of a life of peace, tranquility, and bliss, even if it is for a short amount of time. Yaakov forgot all the woes and sorrows he had in the past, because of the wonderful state he was in during the last 17 years of his life, and it was deeply appreciated. So too, we have to recognize, appreciate, and especially be joyous for the good that Hashem gives us, especially a chunk of time without any worries, problems, and tribulations.