That guy totally just used the parsha to say rebbe is Mashiah. I'm not cool with that.
LKZ,
I have watched this twice and do not see anywhere that Moshiach is mentioned. Is it possible you have misunderstood the lesson he is teaching? Either you have misunderstood or it seems you may have prejudice against what is being said.
What Ronnen said is 100% backed up by what the sages and commentators on the portion have taught. In Vayechi it is taught that Jacob never died. I will bring material which explains why this is said. This is further enhanced with the teaching of the Talmud (Brachos 18a-b) which explicitly teaches 'the righteous are considered alive even when they are dead, while the wicked are considered dead even when alive".
Once again we are talking about Tzadikim (the righteous Jew) and not about Moshiach.
The righteous live through their 'children' either physical or spiritual children. It is the belief of many that the Rebbe was a Tzadik, and the effect of his work can be seen to this very day (years after his passing). I believe he is still alive in the way that this Talmud page describes, that through his students his righteous deeds are still kept alive.
http://www.dafyomi.co.il/taanis/insites/tn-dt-005.htm2) YAKOV AVINU DID NOT DIE
QUESTION: Rebbi Yitzchak says that Yakov Avinu did not die. Rav Nachman asks how could Yakov Avinu not have died -- the Torah says that the people eulogized him, embalmed him, and buried him (Bereishis 50:1-15). Rebbi Yitzchak answers with an inference from the verse which compares Yakov to his children. Just as his children are alive, so, too, he must be alive.
How does Rebbi Yitzchak's response address the fact that the Torah describes Yakov Avinu's burial?
ANSWERS:
(a) The CHOCHMAS MANO'ACH explains that Rebbi Yitzchak does not mean that Yakov is still alive today. Rather, it means that he was still alive when he was returned to Eretz Yisrael for burial in the Me'aras ha'Machpelah. The people mistakenly thought that he was dead and thus they eulogized him and embalmed him (just with fragrances, as Rashi points out in Bereishis 50:2).
The reason he remained alive until his return to Eretz Yisrael is because Hash-m promised that He would bring him back to Eretz Yisrael. In fulfillment of His promise, Hash-m ensured that Yakov Avinu was brought back to Eretz Yisrael before his Neshamah left his body. Similarly, the Gemara in Sotah (13b) says that Yakov and Esav died on the same day. When Chushim ben Dan killed Esav just before they were about to bury Yakov, Esav's head rolled onto Yakov's lap and Yakov smiled.
(b) The KLI YAKAR (Bereishis 47:29) explains Rebbi Yitzchak's statement based on the principle that "Tzadikim are called alive even in their deaths, and Resha'im are called dead even when they are alive" (see Berachos 18a-b). When the Gemara here says that Yakov "did not die," it means that even though he died he was considered still alive because he was a Tzadik. The Gemara specifically mentions Yakov, and not Avraham or Yitzchak, because he was a Tzadik and all of his children were Tzadikim (in contrast to Avraham and Yitzchak, who each had a son who was not a Tzadik). Since children are considered a continuation of their father as long as they are alive, their father is considered alive as well. If, however, one's child is a Rasha, his father is not considered alive because "Resha'im are called dead even when they are alive."
This is also the intention of Rashi (in Bereishis 18:19) when he says that one who dies and leaves behind a child who is a Tzadik is considered alive. Indeed, Rebbi Yitzchak derives his teaching from an inference in the verse which compares Yakov to his children. Yakov Avinu is considered alive because he lives on through his children, who are Tzadikim.
http://www.kabbalaonline.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/1723981/jewish/Embalmed-Alive.htmBut wait! Rabbi Yitzhak says that Jacob never died! (Taanit 5b) However, Rabbi Nachman retorts, "How could Jacob not have died? The Torah says that the people eulogized him, embalmed him, and buried him." Rabbi Yitzhak answers by quoting the verse which compares Jacob to his children: just as his children are alive, so, too, he must be alive.
But how does Rabbi Yitzhak's response address the fact that the Torah describes Jacob's burial?!
The Keli Yakar (Gen. 47:29) explains Rabbi Yitzhak's statement is based on the principle that "Tzadikim are called alive even in their deaths, and the wicked are called dead even when they are alive". (See Gen. 18a-b) so too, even though Jacob died, he was considered still alive by the Talmud because he was a Tzadik.
...children are considered a continuation of their father as long as they are alive...The Talmud specifically refers to Jacob, not Abraham or Isaac, because he was a Tzadik and all of his children were Tzadikim as well (in contrast to Abraham and Isaac, who each had a son who was not a Tzadik). This is the intention of Rashi (in Gen. 18:19) when he says that one who dies and leaves behind a child who is a Tzadik is considered alive. Since children are considered a continuation of their father as long as they are alive, their father is considered alive as well. If, however, one's child is wicked, his father is not considered still alive because "the wicked are called dead even when they are alive."
Indeed, Rabbi Yitzhak derives his teaching from the verse which compares Jacob to his children. Jacob is considered alive because he lives on through his children; we the Children of Israel are all Tzadikim, as Isaiah said: "Your people also all are all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I glory." (Is. 60:21)
Jacob's physical body died, according to the verse in the Torah, and was preserved/mummified by the Egyptians and buried in the Land of Israel: "Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. And the physicians embalmed Israel." (Gen. 50:1-15) Nevertheless, he, like King David, certainly lives forever in us, his descendants, the nation of Israel. Hai Hai VeKayam!
Ephraim.... A+ for learning this lesson..
See also :
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/796399/jewish/Jacob-Our-Father-Never-Died.htm