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Commentary on the Weekly Torah Reading for 23 Tevet, 5760 (January 1, 2000)

by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Chief Rabbi of Efrat


EFRAT, ISRAEL,  Yom Revii (Fourth Day - "Wednesay"), 20 Tevet, 5760
(December 29, 1999):  Moses is the major personality throughout the Book of Exodus.  Joseph is the major personality at the conclusion of the Book of Genesis.  There is a fascinating interaction between these two historic giants, albeit only with the bones, or remains, of Joseph many generations after his death, which has profound ramifications for all future Jewish history.  The point of their intersection provides an inspiring lesson in faith for the children of Israel.

Joseph rose to greatness in Egypt, even to the extent of his ascendancy as Grand Vizier, second only to Pharaoh.  The Egyptians certainly claimed him as one of their own, fully expecting him to identify with Egyptian nationality and culture.  Nevertheless, his very last request to his family before his death reveals his essential identity as an Israelite, his root connection with the land and destiny of Israel:

"And Joseph made the children of Israel take an oath, saying 'the Lord will remember, certainly remember you, and you shall bring out my bones from this (place)'".  [Genesis 50:25]

Therefore, the Bible records in the Book of Exodus:  "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him (when he left Egypt), because he (Joseph) had made the children of Israel swear, certainly swear, saying 'the Lord will remember, certainly remember you, and you shall bring out my bones from this (place)'".  [Exodus 13]

The scenario is a difficult one to picture.  It is the night of the fifteenth of Nissan, the first born of the Egyptians are being slain by G-d, the taskmasters are terror-struck and they force the Israelite slaves to leave the country of their bondage.  In the midst of the tumult and turmoil, Moses - who must first and foremost direct an orderly exodus of his people - is concerned with locating and exporting the remains of Joseph.

The Midrash records what transpired in the following way:

"Who informed Moses as to where Joseph was buried?  Serah, the daughter of Asher was from that (original) generation (which came to Egypt).  She came and said to Moses:  'Moses, my Master, Joseph is buried in the Nile River'.  Moses went and stood at the front of the Nile.  He said: 'Joseph, Joseph, the time has come for the Holy one Blessed be He to redeem His children, but the Divine Presence is being held back because of you. If you shall reveal yourself, it will be well.  If not, I shall then be considered innocent of the oath which I have sworn.'  Immediately, the casket/ark of Joseph floated to the top.  Thus it was that when the Israelites went out of Egypt two arks accompanied them in the desert:  the Torah/ark of the Eternal Giver of Life and the casket/ark of the bones of Joseph.  The nations of the world then said:  'What is the nature of these two arks?  Is it then the manner of a casket/ark of the dead to go together
with the Torah/ark of the eternal Giver of Life?'  And the Israelites said to them:  'the corpse who is buried in this casket/ark fulfilled whatever is written in this Torah/ark'".

Do the words of this Midrash make sense?  It is difficult to see how Joseph actually fulfilled the 613 commandments of the Bible while living under the pressures of a demanding and aristocratic position in Egypt!  Joseph and Moses seem to be contrasting, even antithetical, personalities.

Joseph came from within the Abrahamic family, and wandered outside of it. Moses came from the outside, and entered deeply within.   Joseph brought the Israelites down into Egypt.  Moses took the Israelites up into Israel.

Can we really say that the corpse in the casket/ark fulfilled the verses in the Torah/ark?

I would suggest that Joseph did understand - and profoundly believe - the one Divinely guaranteed promise of the Bible, declared by G-d in His covenant with Abraham and reiterated throughout the five Books of Moses: after a slave-affliction experience in a strange land, the Israelites would eventually return to Israel and to world redemption.  The young Joseph was nourished by this faith commitment as a child sitting on his father Jacobs's knee.

An older Joseph was never vanquished - and his optimistic spirit was never extinguished - despite near death in a pit, despite having been sold into slavery, despite imprisonment for false charges - because his belief in ultimate restoration and return never flagged.

At the end of the day, Joseph does not punish or even blame his brothers for the cruel acts which they perpetrated against him.  He understood that it was all part of a Divine plan.  Everything had occurred in order for the children of Jacob-Israel to survive, to become slaves in Egypt, and eventually to be redeemed in Israel.  So profound was Joseph's faith that at the risk of Egyptian displeasure he made his brothers swear to take out his bones and bury him in Israel.

"The Lord will remember, certainly remember you."
    
Is it any wonder, then, that Moses could never leave Egypt without taking Joseph's bones with him?  Joseph's bones were the symbol of Jewish eternity, the proof of the Divine covenant, the expression of faith in Israel despite prestige and poverty, power and penury, in a foreign country of Exile.  No matter how good or how bad life in a country of Exile may be for Jews, we must never think that the host country is our ultimate resting place.

"The Lord will remember, certainly remember, you".  Israel is our only true home.  The Jew must never be too comfortable in the Exile, nor may he despair from the suffering in the Exile.  This is the message of Joseph's bones.

When Moses blesses the twelve tribes of Israel, he says about Joseph:

"The sweetness of the land its fullness, the will of the one who dwells in the bush, shall come upon Joseph's head, (shall come) on the brow of the elect of his brothers".  [Deuteronomy 33:16]

Joseph prefigured and instinctively understood the lesson at the burning bush.  The children of Israel may be burned by the fires of persecution and programs, of slavery and genocide, but they will never be consumed or destroyed.

"The Lord will remember, certainly remember you".

The bones will be returned to Israel.  The dry bones will live again, will develop blood and skin and will be restored to life!

Joseph who was buried in the casket/ark believed in the fulfillment of the works of promise written in the Torah/ark.  The Book of Genesis and Jewish history confirm the vision of the Covenant of Abraham.  We carry the bones of Joseph, seared in the auto-da-fes, inquisitions and Holocaust, when we walk the streets of Dizengoff and King George streets.

Serah the daughter of Asher, according to the Midrash, not only revealed to Moses the whereabouts of Joseph's bones, of Joseph's casket/ark.  According to the Midrash, Serah the daughter of Asher was the one who whispered into Jacob's ear, into the conscious and sub-conscious mind of Yisrael Sabba (Grandfather Israel):  "Joseph still lives" (Ode Yosef hai).

Joseph the child still lives.  Our Father still lives (ode avinu hai). Because our Father in Heaven still lives, our children on Earth, like Joseph, shall live eternally.

Shabbat Shalom from Efrat,

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

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