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Why does Parshas Vayechi have no paragraph break (Parsha Stumah)? Rashi (רש"י) explains that the eyes and hearts of the Jewish people became "sealed" (nistamu) when Yaakov died. The shiur develops that this refers to psychological denial—the slavery began, but Klal Yisrael refused to acknowledge it for 77 years, until Levi's death, even as discriminatory decrees mounted around them.
Rabbi Zweig opens by examining the first Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Vayechi, which asks why there is no paragraph break (Parsha Stumah) in the Torah (תורה) text at the beginning of this parsha. Rashi explains: "Because when Yaakov died, the eyes and hearts of Israel became sealed (nistamu) from the troubles of the slavery, for it began to enslave them." The shiur probes a fundamental difficulty: if "Parsha Stumah" is not a technical halachic term (since this is not actually a separate parsha), what does Rashi mean by using this language? Rabbi Zweig proposes that "Parsha Stumah" describes a psychological state of denial. The text appears continuous, with no break, just as the Jewish people perceived their situation as unchanged even though everything was changing. They refused to acknowledge the beginning of slavery. "Stumah" (sealed) means they went into denial—they saw the decrees but did not let what they saw register emotionally or practically.
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Bereishis 47:28 (Parshas Vayechi)
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