Parsha of the Week

Jacob lived in Egypt for 17 years (2238–2255). At the end of this period, Jacob’s days, i.e., the years of his lifetime, totaled 147 years. Thus, Jacob did not live as long as his grandfather Abraham (175 years) or his father Isaac (180 years).

When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph (who was still viceroy of Egypt at the time and thus had the authority to carry out his father’s last requests) to come to Goshen. When Joseph arrived, Israel said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and swear that, upon my death, you will do for me the following act – which is one of genuine kindness – since I will be able to neither thank you for it nor repay you for it in this lifetime: Please do not bury me in Egypt.

For I am going to soon lie down with my fathers, i.e., die, and then you must carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph replied, “I will do as you say.” He promised, but he did not swear, for he felt that his promise was sufficient surety.

He said, “Swear to me that you will fulfill my request.” So Joseph swore to him. Israel prostrated himself toward the head of the bed.

Joseph’s son Ephraim studied the Torah regularly with Jacob in Goshen. When Jacob took ill some time after these above-recounted events, Ephraim went and told Joseph, “Your father is ailing.” So Joseph took his two sons with him: Manasseh, who was 25 years old, and Ephraim, who was 24, to be blessed by their grandfather.

When Joseph arrived, Ephraim told Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” so Israel, in deference to Joseph’s position as viceroy, summoned his failing strength and sat up in bed.

Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me in Luz, in Canaan, and blessed me.

He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous and, besides the family you already have, I will make of you a nation,’ referring to my then-unborn son Benjamin, ‘and a community of peoples,’ referring to the fact that one of my sons already born would be the progenitor of two tribes instead of only one. Although this privilege should rightfully be given to Reuben, my firstborn, I have elected to give it to you instead. God further told me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants after you as their permanent estate.’

Now, your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to live with you, to Egypt, will be considered mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be to me like my own sons, Reuben and Simeon, in that each of them will found their own tribe that will possess its own unique portion in the Promised Land, have its own prince, and be mustered under its own banner. Thus, in this regard, I am transferring the firstborn’s right to receive a double portion from Reuben to you. Reuben, however, will retain the other privileges of primogeniture: inheriting a double portion of my estate, serving as the priest, and being counted first in the order of my sons.

Any offspring born to you after them, however, will be considered yours; when they inherit their portion of the Promised Land, they will be included under their brothers’ names as part of their tribes.

I selected you for this distinction for the following reason: When I was coming from Padan Aram, your mother Rachel died on me in Canaan; as you know, I did not bury her in our ancestral burial plot in Hebron, although I could easily have done so, for we were still only a stretch of land equal to one day’s plowing, or 2000 cubits [just under a kilometer, or 0.6 mile] short of reaching Efrat, which is not all that far from Hebron. The rain also did not prevent me from bringing her to Hebron for burial, for it was still so dry then that the ground was riddled with potholes. Moreover, I did not even bury her in the city of Efrat itself; I buried her instead right there, where she died, along the road to Efrat, which is Bethlehem.”

So Israel saw Joseph’s sons and prepared to bless them, but just then, his Divine inspiration left him. He understood that this meant that they were not worthy of being blessed, and therefore asked Joseph, “Who are these sons of yours, whom I thought I knew so well? Why are they unworthy of my blessing? Is it perhaps because they were born and raised in this country, which is infamous for its lechery?”

Joseph replied to his father, “They are my sons, whom God gave me in this country.” Jacob said, “If you would, bring them to me so that I may bless them.”

Israel’s eyesight was impaired due to old age and he almost could not see, so Joseph brought his sons near him and positioned them between Jacob’s knees. Jacob kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph, “I dared not even hope to see your face, yet now God has even shown me your children.”

Joseph then withdrew them from between his father’s knees in order to later position them to Jacob’s right and left so he could place his hands on their heads and bless them. Joseph stepped back from his father and prostrated himself toward him, with his face to the ground.

Joseph then took them both – Ephraim with his right hand, to stand at Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to stand at Israel’s right – and brought them close to him. Since Manasseh was the firstborn, he deserved the primary blessing, which Jacob would convey through his right hand.

Israel extended his right hand and rested it on Ephraim’s head, even though he was the younger son, and rested his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He crossed his hands deliberately, even though he knew that Manasseh was the firstborn.

He blessed Joseph and said, “May God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked – God, who has been my shepherd from my earliest days until this day

and has always sent me the angel who delivers me from all harm – bless the lads. May they bear my name, together with the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they propagate like fish – who propagate without danger of incurring the evil eye because they are hidden from sight underwater – among humanity on earth.”

When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was displeased – since he knew only too well what can result from a parent favoring one child over the rest – so he lifted his father’s hand in order to move it from Ephraim’s head onto Manasseh’s head.

Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head.”

His father demurred, saying, “I know, my son, I know that he is the firstborn. He too will become a nation, and he too will rise to greatness through his descendants. But his younger brother will surpass him, for his descendant will lead our people in their conquest of the Promised Land and instruct them in the teachings of the Torah, and the renown of his same descendant will spread and fill all the world’s nations when he makes the sun stand still.”

On that day, he blessed them and said, “With your names will the Israelites invoke God’s blessings on their sons, saying to them, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh,’” mentioning Ephraim’s name before that of Manasseh. By having mentioned Ephraim first, Jacob gave him precedence over Manasseh in all tribal enumerations and in the tribal marching order.

Israel then said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Moreover, in consideration of your efforts in burying me, I am giving you the city of Shechem as a specially designated burial place – this land-inheritance being one portion beyond what you will receive on an equal par with your brothers – which I conquered from the Amorites with my sword and bow by helping Simeon and Levi fend them off when they came to the Hivites’ defense. By making Ephraim and Manasseh into tribes, I award you the birthright – i.e., an extra portion beyond that which your brothers will receive – that I took from my elder brother Esau (who did not deserve it, for he sinned and then deceived our father into thinking he was righteous) by means of my cunning and my prayers.”

Jacob then called for his other sons and said, “Gather together, and I will tell you what will befall you at the End of Days.” But God did not want Jacob to divulge this information, so He withdrew it from him.

So instead, he said, “Gather together around me and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel, and I will tell you about the events that will befall your progeny in the future.

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, and the very first seed of my virility. As such, you should receive all the privileges of primogeniture. You should have been foremost in rank and foremost in power.

But you showed yourself to be impetuous as running water. Therefore, you will not be foremost in either of these areas, for it was as if you had mounted your father’s bed. You then profaned the Name of God, whose Presence ascended and rested upon my bed.

Simeon and Levi acted as partners in plotting together against the inhabitants of Shechem and against Joseph. Their skill with weapons is a craft stolen from Esau, who was blessed by my father to live by the sword; such behavior does not befit my sons. Wherever they went, they used weapons of violence.

Let my soul not enter, i.e., let my name not be mentioned as their ancestor, in the account of their progeny’s conspiracy.” Here, Jacob was referring prophetically to the conspiracy of Zimri, prince of the tribe of Simeon, against Moses. “Similarly, let my honor have no part, i.e., let my name not be mentioned as their ancestor, in the account of their progeny’s assembly.” Here, Jacob was referring prophetically to the assembly of Korach, Levi’s great-grandson, who challenged Moses’ authority. In neither of these incidents is Jacob’s name mentioned in their central characters’ lineages. “For in their anger against the inhabitants of Shechem, they killed all the city’s men as matter-of-factly as if they were killing just one man, and their anger did not abate until they had killed every last man. By right, they should have only killed Shechem himself, since he alone actually committed the crime; they should have left the other men – who were guilty only by implication – to be sentenced to death by the regional legal authorities. And they wanted to maim Joseph, who is like an ox.” Here, Jacob was referring prophetically to Moses’ parting blessing to the people, in which he calls Joseph an “ox.”

“Cursed be their rage, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is harsh.” Even when Jacob was reproving Simeon and Levi, he only cursed their rage and not them. “In order to prevent them from doing any more harm, I will separate them from one another by removing Levi from the count of the 12 tribes of Jacob. In this way, he will have no land inheritance. I will also scatter them both among Israel by making their descendants wander throughout the land to earn their livelihood. Nonetheless, the dispersion that I am imposing on Levi’s descendants will be more honorable than Simeon’s, for Simeon’s descendants are destined to earn their living mainly as itinerant scribes and teachers, whereas Levi’s descendants will earn their livelihood by collecting dues from the populace in exchange for serving in the Temple.”

Having heard his father rebuke his three older brothers, Judah assumed that Jacob would now rebuke him for the dubious incident with Tamar. When Jacob noticed Judah shying away, he said, “You need not worry, Judah, for you are not deserving of such rebuke. On the contrary, your brothers will praise you. Your descendant’s hand will be figuratively holding onto the neck of your fleeing enemies, i.e., he will vanquish them.” This prophecy was fulfilled in King David, when his enemies fled from him. “You are to be the progenitor of the royal line, so the descendants of your father’s sons – i.e., of all your brothers – will bow down to the kings who are destined to issue from you.

Although Judah’s descendant will begin his royal career as a young cub, subordinate to another king, upon assuming the throne he will fight like a lion.” This prophecy was fulfilled in King David, who began his royal career as a subordinate of King Saul, a descendant of Benjamin. “I am conferring upon you the honor of the royal line as a reward for your exemplary behavior in two incidents. Firstly, when I suspected you of having killed Joseph, I later found out that in fact you raised yourself, my son, above treating him like prey – by refusing to participate in your brothers’ plot against him and thereby saving his life. Secondly, you raised yourself, my son, above the infamy of letting Tamar fall prey to the accusations leveled against her, even though your doing so entailed publicly repenting and thereby shaming yourself. As further reward for your concern for your fellow, during the reign of one of your descendants, our people will figuratively crouch and lie down like a lion, dwelling securely and in peace, and like a fearsome lion that no one would dare rouse.” This prophecy was fulfilled during the entire reign of King Solomon, which was undisturbed by wars.

“Even when the Jewish people no longer have an independent kingdom, the scepter of regency will not depart from Judah.” This prophecy was fulfilled beginning with the Babylonian exile, when the descendants of King David continued to serve as the acknowledged rulers of the Jewish people. “Nor will lawgivers – scholars who render rulings in Jewish law – cease from among his descendants.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the presidents of the Sanhedrin, who also were descended from King David. “Judah’s preeminence will continue until the coming of Shiloh – one of the names for the Messiah, who will also be a descendant of Judah – before whom nations will assemble to hear his teachings.

Your portion of the Promised Land will be so fertile that your typical descendant will tie his donkey to a single vine, loading up the donkey with the grapes of only one vine. Furthermore, he will tie his donkey-foal to a single vine branch, loading it up with the grapes of only one branch. Wine will be so plentiful that he will launder his clothes in wine and his cloak in the blood-colored juice of grapes. In the future, the Messiah will bring all the Israelites (symbolized by the vine) to surround Jerusalem, where they will build the Temple. The righteous (symbolized by the vine) will surround the Messiah, who will enter Jerusalem astride his donkey, and those who teach the Torah will study with him. His garments will be dyed fine purple, and his clothes will be of wool dyed crimson and other colors.

The eyes of your typical descendant will be flushed from drinking so much wine; his flocks will produce so much milk that his teeth will be white from drinking milk. His mountains will appear red from being covered with vineyards, and his winepresses will drip with wine; his valleys will appear white from the abundance of grain growing in them and flocks grazing in them.

The tribe of Zebulun will dwell by the seashores of the Promised Land. It will be constantly busy at its harbor, where its ships load and unload their merchandise. It will donate part of its income to support the Torah scholars from among the tribe of Issachar. Its northern border will reach Sidon.

The tribe of Issachar will ably bear the rigors of Torah study, as a strong-boned donkey ably bears its load. It will study assiduously, forsaking the comforts of luxurious living, similar to how a pack-donkey, having no permanent stable, rests only between the towns along its journeys.

It will choose a place to rest in the Promised Land that is good, suited to produce an abundance of fruits, and a land that is pleasant. It will bend its shoulder to accept the burden of rigorous Torah study, and thereby do its duty to the other tribes like a faithful laborer, rendering legal rulings and calculating when to intercalate the year. But when the time comes to wage war, it will bend its shoulder to take up arms in battle, since it lives on the border, and conquer the enemy, making it into a servant paying tribute.

The tribe of Dan will avenge its people of their enemies; the other tribes of Israel will unite behind it.” This prophecy came true with regard to Samson, who vanquished the Philistines. “Through this leader, the tribe of Dan will avenge its people as ably as will the most distinguished of the tribes of Israel – Judah – under the king from their tribe.” The king to whom Jacob was prophetically referring here was King David.

“Let the tribe of Dan be to its enemies like a snake on the road, a viper on the path, biting the horse’s heel so that the rider falls backward off the horse and dies without the snake ever having touched him.” This prophecy, too, came true with regard to Samson, for when he toppled the temple of Dagon, those standing on the roof fell off and died without Samson ever having touched them.

When Jacob foresaw that God would have to restore Samson’s lost strength in order for him to be able to topple the temple, he prayed, “I hope for Your salvation, GOD!

Although Gad himself might be weak, his descendants will be valiant. Troops will march forth from the tribe of Gad, and they will return on their same tracks after conquering their enemies without having suffered any casualties.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the men of the tribe of Gad who, after having taken possession of their inheritance to the east of the Jordan River, accompanied the other tribes to its west bank and helped them conquer and settle their territories, only afterward returning to their own lands.

“From the territory of the tribe of Asher will come forth the richest foods, because its land will be blessed with many olive trees, whose oil they will use to prepare food. Therefore, this tribe will provide the king’s delicacies.

The fruit growing in the territory of the tribe of Naphtali will ripen as fast as a deer set loose; for this, the tribe of Naphtali will be the one who offers words of praise and thanks to God. When the time comes to wage war, the tribe of Naphtali will rush to do battle as fast as a deer set loose; for its decisive help in the battle, the commander of the army will be the one who offers words of praise and thanks to God.” This prophecy was fulfilled when ten thousand men from the tribe of Naphtali quickly answered the call of Deborah and Barak to fight Sisera, and Deborah composed a song of praise after the battle was won. “Even Naphtali himself will prove to be as swift as a deer set loose, providing choice words as soon as the need arises.” This prophecy came true when Jacob’s sons arrived in Hebron to bury him and sent Naphtali to bring the deed of ownership of the Machpeilah Cave, as will be related presently.

“Joseph is a charming man, charming to the eye; I know that the Egyptian girls used to walk along the wall in order to gaze upon his beauty. When I met my brother Esau, Joseph stood in front of his mother Rachel and drew himself up to his full height to protect her from the covetous eye of Esau. As a reward for rising to his full height to protect his mother, he rose to greatness as viceroy of Egypt. Thus his charm became well-known, and whenever he went forth to oversee the affairs of the country, the Egyptian girls used to walk in order to gaze upon his beauty. The descendants of Joseph will be as prolific as a grapevine planted near a spring; they will be so prolific that two tribes, both comparable in size to the other tribes, will issue from them. Nonetheless, they will be immune to the evil eye.

Joseph’s brothers embittered his life and became his assailants; they hated him – even though they were his brothers, destined to share my estate with him – mocking him with their arrow-sharp tongues. Potiphera and his wife embittered his life as well, by accusing him falsely and incarcerating him.

His prophecy concerning his brothers was fulfilled because he relied on God’s might. His power was authoritatively established when one of the hands of his arms was bedecked with Pharaoh’s gold ring, by the agency of God, the Mighty One of Jacob. From then on, he became a shepherd of me, his father, the founder of the people of Israel, by providing for my welfare.”

Addressing Joseph directly, Jacob continued, “You succeeded in resisting Potiphera’s wife’s overtures thanks to the help you received from the God of your father, who will continue to help you in the future. He came to your aid because your heart remained with Him, the Almighty, loyal to Him when she tried to seduce you. He will bless you with blessings of dew from heaven above and blessings of springs flowing from the depths that lie below, as well as with blessings of fertile insemination for your male progeny and of wombs that do not miscarry for your female progeny.

The blessings that God bestowed upon me, your father, have surpassed the blessings He bestowed upon my forebears, for whereas He blessed Abraham only to inherit the Land of Israel and then repeated this same blessing to Isaac, He blessed me to spread out beyond its borders, to the utmost bounds of the world’s hills. These were the blessings that my mother longed for me to receive. May these blessings rest upon the head of Joseph, upon the head of the one who was separated from his brothers.

The tribe of Benjamin will be like a wolf that grabs.” This prophecy came true in the incident involving the concubine at Giv’ah, in which the other tribes went to war against the tribe of Benjamin over a moral issue. After the conflict, the tribe of Benjamin, instead of stubbornly refusing to relent, quickly “grabbed” the opportunity to repent. In order to survive, those remaining from the tribe of Benjamin then needed to marry women from other tribes in order to replenish their numbers, but the other tribes had sworn not to allow their women to marry into the tribe of Benjamin. So the other tribes allowed the tribe of Benjamin to “grab” wives for themselves. Jacob continued, “At a later date in the future, a descendant of Benjamin will fight his enemy like a wolf that grabs its prey away from its owners, ‘grabbing’ this unsavory form of conduct and appropriating it for holy purposes. In the morning, i.e., the early period of the Jewish people’s monarchy, this descendant of Benjamin will devour the plunder.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Benjamin’s descendant, King Saul, Israel’s first king, who fearlessly vanquished the fledgling kingdom’s enemies. “In the afternoon, i.e., at the end of this period, another descendant will distribute the enemy’s spoils.” This prophecy was fulfilled in Mordechai and Esther, who lived after the destruction of the First Temple, when they foiled Haman’s plot and were given his estate. “The altar of the Temple, which will be located in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, will be like a wolf that mauls, consuming the sacrifices offered up on it: In the morning and afternoon, it will consume the daily sacrifices, and in the night the priests will distribute their portions of the sacrificial food among themselves.”

All these are the tribes of Israel, 12 in all. This is what their father said to them, and even though it appears that he did not bless Reuben, Simeon, or Levi, he actually blessed them all, giving each one the blessing appropriate to what would happen to him and his tribe in the future, and giving them all the blessings that he had given each one individually. Thus, they all received Judah’s lion-like strength, Benjamin’s wolf-like rapacity, Naphtali’s deer-like speed, and so on, although each tribe’s dominant blessing was the one Jacob mentioned specifically with reference to it.

He then commanded them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered unto my people in the afterlife. Bury me with my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite –

in the cave in the Field of Machpeilah, facing the plains of Mamrei, in Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial property.

There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah; there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebecca; and there I buried my wife Leah.

The purchase of the field and the cave within it was from the Hittites.”

When Jacob concluded giving his instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed. He breathed his last and was gathered unto his people. But because all his children had remained loyal to his religious heritage, he did not “die”; rather, his body entered a state of deep slumber only resembling death.

Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

Joseph then ordered his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father, so the physicians embalmed Israel.

His 40 days passed, for that was the time required for embalming. In recognition of the fact that Jacob was responsible for having brought the famine to an early end, the Egyptians mourned him during an extended period: during the 40 days of embalming and then for an additional 30 days, i.e., for a total of 70 days.

When the days of weeping for him were over, Joseph, following court protocol, addressed Pharaoh’s court, saying, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please speak to Pharaoh as follows:

‘My father bound me by an oath, saying, “I am about to die. In the grave that I purchased at great expense from my brother and dug for myself in Canaan, there you must bury me.” From this you see how important it was for him to be buried there: he expended a large sum to purchase the site and he dug the grave himself. So allow me now to go up to Canaan, bury my father, and then return.’”

Pharaoh replied, “Go up to Canaan and bury your father, as he had you swear.”

So Joseph went up toward Canaan to bury his father, and with him went up all of Pharaoh’s courtiers, the elders of his court, and all the elders of Egypt,

followed by all of Joseph’s household, his brothers, and his father’s household. They left only their small children, their flocks, and their cattle in Goshen.

Chariots and horsemen also went up with him – a very sizeable retinue.

They came to Goren haAtad [“The Threshing Floor (surrounded by a hedge) of Thorns”], which is across the Jordan River. There they conducted a great and solemn ceremony of lamentation, and Joseph ordained a seven-day mourning period for his father.

When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning in Goren haAtad, they said, “This is a grievous outpouring of mourning for the Egyptians.” The place was therefore called Avel-Mitzrayim [“Egypt’s mourning”], which is across the Jordan River.

The sons of Jacob did for him just as he had instructed them:

The sons and grandsons whom he had specified carried him to Canaan in the formation he had specified. Jacob’s sons buried him in the cave of the Field of Machpeilah, the field facing the plains of Mamrei, which Abraham had bought as a burial property from Ephron the Hittite.

And after he buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt together with his brothers, followed by all those who had gone up with him for his father’s burial. Whereas the Egyptians had preceded Joseph’s brothers on the way up from Egypt to Canaan, once they witnessed the great honor paid to Jacob by the Canaanite kings, they respectfully let his sons take the lead on the journey back.

While Jacob was alive, Joseph regularly invited his brothers to dine with him and fraternized with them in other ways as well, as a sign of respect for his father. After Jacob died, however, Joseph did not see any reason to continue fraternizing with them in these ways. When Joseph’s brothers perceived this change in his behavior now that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph is nursing hatred towards us. If so, he will surely repay us for all the wrong we did to him!”

So the sons of Leah, with whom Joseph had originally been in conflict, had this message conveyed to Joseph via the sons of Bilhah, with whom he had always been more friendly: “Before he died, your father gave this instruction:

‘This is what you must say to Joseph: “Please now forgive your brothers’ crime and their transgression of having treated you harshly.”’” In fact, Jacob had never issued any such instruction, because he never suspected that Joseph harbored any animosity toward his brothers. The brothers said this in order to promote peace in the family. The brothers continued: “So now, please forgive this crime of ours. If you will not forgive us in deference to your father’s command, because he is gone, then forgive us because we, like you, are the servants of the God of your father, who is eternal.” As the messengers spoke to him, Joseph wept.

After the sons of Bilhah delivered their message, his other brothers and also his stepmother Bilhah went in, and they all threw themselves at his feet and said, “We are hereby your servants!” Bilhah thereby fulfilled her part of Joseph’s second dream.

But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in place of God?!

Although all of you together intended me harm, God intended it for the good, in order to bring things to their present state and to save the lives of many people. How, then, can I, who am only one person, harm you, when it is clear that God wants to do you well? If ten lights cannot extinguish one light, how can one light extinguish ten lights?

So now, have no fear. I will provide for you and your young children.” He thus comforted them. He also spoke to them reassuringly, saying, “Look. Before you came here, people used to say I was born a slave, but when you came, it became clear that I was of high birth. If I kill you, everyone will say that you are not really my brothers – for no one kills his own brothers – and that I just pretended you were my brothers in order to deceive everyone about my lineage.”

Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s household, and Joseph lived to be 110 years old.

Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim’s great-grandchildren, and even longer still, for the children of Machir son of Manasseh – Manasseh’s grandchildren – were not only born during Joseph’s lifetime – Joseph also lived long enough to teach them, as he sat them between his knees.

Joseph was the first of Jacob’s sons to die. Before his death, he said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely remember you and take you up from this land, to the land that He promised by oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

And Joseph bound the sons of Israel by an oath to bind their descendants by an oath, saying, “God will surely remember you and your descendants, and when He does, you must have them take my bones, together with yours, up from here.” Joseph had heard this prophetic expression (“God will surely remember you”) from Jacob and now passed it on to his brothers, who in turn passed it on to their progeny. Joseph did not enjoin his brothers to bury him in the Land of Israel, as his father had enjoined him, for he knew that Pharaoh would never allow this. Since Joseph had been viceroy of Egypt, Pharaoh had to respect the oath he made to his father. The brothers, however, were only resident aliens, and as such had no prestige of office. They told their progeny to take their remains with them when they would eventually leave.

Joseph died at the age of 110 years, and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. The Egyptians sunk the coffin into the Nile River, thinking that its presence in the river would bring blessing to its water. Be strong, Be strong,And let us strengthen each other!