B"H

Wednesday, Tevet 11, 5776 / December 23, 2015 – HAKHEL YEAR

In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, the final Parsha in the Book of Genesis, we read how Yaakov (Jacob) asked his son, Joseph, that after his passing in Egypt he will take his body back to the land of Canaan to be buried in the family burial plot in Hebron. 

Joseph tells his father he will do so. But, 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 as Joseph’s burial place. Years later, before his passing, Joseph makes his family swear that they will 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. After Joseph died, his body stayed in Egypt until the time of the Exodus. Joseph was later buried in Shchem, the city which his father gave him as a gift.

Q.  Why did Yaakov make Joseph swearthat he will bury him in Israel?

A.  Yaakov was revered in Egypt which is why all of Egypt mourned for him after his passing. Yaakov was afraid that when Joseph will experience great opposition from Pharaoh and the Egyptians who will want him to be buried in Egypt, he will give up on the idea and will agree to have him buried in Egypt. By making Joseph swear, he felt assured that he will make every effort to fulfill his oath. 

Q.Why was Yaakov so revered by the Egyptians that they all mourned for him?

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? Why did he want to be carried out of Egypt immediately after his passing and not at the time of the Exodus, as was the case with Joseph?

A.  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