The first of our five books of Torah ends this Shabbat, in the dark of winter we find that Jacob’s family fortunes have shifted as the new king makes his mark on his land. Egypt was a place of shelter for the Israelites when there was famine in Canaan but it will not always be hospitable. This week’s portion draws our focus not to the outside environment but rather to the transition of one generation to another.
At the outset of Vayechi we hear Jacob implore Joseph to take his bones and bury them in the cave of Machpelah like his parents. He asks this as “חסד ואמת” an act of gracious lovingkindness which has since come to mean any act we perform on someone’s behalf after their death. Why is Jacob so troubled by the thought that his bones will stay in Egypt? Some commentators say that it is not what will happen to him that is the issue, but rather, by whose traditions will his children honor him? Will his memory be subject to the rituals of Egypt with their beliefs in the Nile as a goddess and the Sun as a god? And if we ask ourselves the same question, how do we answer? How do we want our children to honor our memories in that far away time when we will no longer walk this earth?
While I respect and honor Jewish burial traditions, I also understand that they do not speak to everyone. As an Israeli citizen, the State will provide me with a burial service at the cemetery nearest my home at no cost, providing I accept an Orthodox, State appointed rabbi to conduct this. Even though I could take that free option, I choose not to have a rabbi who would not have called me rabbi present at my funeral, may it be many decades in the future.
This portion contains not only Jacob’s blessings for his children followed by his death and burial, but also the death of his son Joseph. Jacob’s children act upon his wishes and he is buried in the cave of Machpelah. Joseph is embalmed in Egypt. What a difference one generation makes! I encourage everyone to take the time now, today, to think what each of us leaves behind. The next step is to share that with those you love.
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Leah Benamy
