B"H
Wednesday, Tevet 15, 5784 / December 27, 2023
In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, which is the last Parsha in the Book of Genesis (Breishis), we read how Yaakov (Jacob) asked his son, Joseph, that after his passing in Egypt he will take him back to the Land of Canaan to be buried in the family burial plot in Hebron. Joseph tells his father he will do so. Yaakov is not satisfied and makes him swear. Only after he swears that he will be taken out of Egypt to be buried in Hebron, is Yaakov pleased.
In return for this favor, Yaakov gives Joseph the city of Shchem in the land of Canaan. Joseph is buried in Shchem (Nablus). Before his passing, Joseph makes his family swear that they will also take his body out of Egypt to be buried in the Land of Canaan.
The Torah tells that when Yaakov died, at the age of 147, all of Egypt mourned his death. After 70 days, Yaakov’s children carried him out of Egypt to be buried in Hebron. Joseph’s body stayed in Egypt until the Jewish people left Egypt, at the time of the Exodus. Then they took Joseph’s bones with them and later buried him in Shchem, the city which his father gave him as a gift.
Q. How many years passed from Yaakov's moving to Egypt until the Exodus?
A. Two hundred and Ten years.
Q. How old was Joseph when he passed away? How many years later was he taken out of Egypt?
A. Joseph lived 110 years. The Exodus took place 139 years after Joseph passed away. Thus, Joseph’s bones were taken out of Egypt 139 years after his passing. Jews stayed in the desert for 40 years before coming into the Promised Land when they were able to give Joseph a proper burial.
Q. We understand Yaakov’s family mourning after his passing, but why did all the Egyptians mourn for Yaakov?
A. In Pharaoh’s dream he saw that there will be seven plentiful years in Egypt and then seven years of great famine. Yaakov and his family moved to Egypt at the end of the second year of famine. When Yaakov was introduced to Pharaoh, he blessed Pharaoh and as a result, the famine stopped. Instead of seven years it only lasted two years! The Egyptians realized how holy a man Yaakov was and that his blessing saved them from five years of famine. Thus, they all mourned his passing.
Q. Why was Yaakov afraid of being even temporarily buried in Egypt until Jews left Egypt, as was the case with Joseph? Why did he want to be carried out of Egypt immediately after his passing?
A. After all that he did for the Egyptians, as mentioned above, Yaakov was afraid that the Egyptians will declare him a god, and would worship him, as they did their many other Gods. This is why he made Joseph swear that he will not bury him in Egypt even for a while.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
WITH SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISRAEL