English: “And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt” — Why is this parsha closed (setumah) more than all the parshiyos of the Torah? Because once our father Yaakov passed away, the bondage of Egypt began upon Yisrael. Another interpretation: Why is it closed? Because Yaakov our father sought to reveal the end, and it was closed off from him. Another interpretation: Why is it closed? Because all the troubles were closed off from him.
In context: The midrash notes that Vayechi begins without the usual open paragraph break and offers three reasons for the “closed” form of the parsha.
Type of Learning
Midrash on the form of the parsha (setumah).
What Is Learned
The closed opening of Vayechi is explained by the onset of the Egyptian bondage, by the withholding of the keitz from Yaakov, or by the sealing-off of troubles from him in his final years.