Vayechi: Is Happily Ever After a Fairytale Fantasy?

    Yaakov’s final years were a brief period of tranquility inan otherwise tumultuous life. Chazal explain that this was the only period inwhich he can be called ‘’alive’’ (‘’Vayechi’’). Yet, thissame phase of seeming respite was actuallythe beginning of Golus Mitzrayim. So, was it really happily ever after? Moreover,and in truth, is there ever happily ever after in Olam Hazeh?