A Thought on Parshas Vayechi

"...al na tik'bereini b'Mitzrayim..." "...please do not bury me in Egypt..." (47:29) Yakov devotes time and energy to persuading Yosef to bring him out of Egypt for burial. Yosef asserts that he will do this. Nonetheless, Yakov extracts a strong oath from Yosef, pledging him to follow through with burying him in the tomb of his own father and grandfather. Yosef agrees to this as well. Ibn Shu'abi now opens up this passage with some lesser known midrashim and sources. What worries Yakov so much that he needs assurance that Yosef will take him out of Egypt? On the one hand, practically, we can understand that Yakov is aware that Yosef is viceroy and committed to the laws of Pharaoh. He is not free to travel without the king's approval. This may explain why he must insist that Yosef commits to finding a way to "get away from work" long enough to bury him in the Cave of the Patriarchs. Ibn Shu'aib cites a midrash which offers this logical interpretation. However, he offers a deeper layer of interpretation. Yakov is aware that he is dying prematurely. He has forfeited some of his years as a consequence of not expressing more positive gratitude. This is a midrashic interpretation based on the 33 words employed in Yakov's conversation with Pharaoh about his life of suffering (47:8-9). The 33 words in that exchange led, according to the midrash, to Yakov's loss of 33 years of his life. That's a midrash. Ibn Shu'aib continues: what is the connection between Yakov's realization that his life is ending early, and his insisting that Yosef take him out of Egypt? He answers that Yakov was concerned that his brother Esav would not have his own life span shortened, and that he would outlive Yakov. This might mean that upon the sons of Yakov attempting to bury their father in Chevron, the jealous and vindictive Uncle Esav would show up with his legions once again, and attempt to claim the inheritance, and attempt to wrest the tomb for himself, to assert that he, and not Yakov, was the rightful heir to the blessings of Avraham and Yitzchak. So, reasons Ibn Shu'aib, Yakov concluded that the only way to assure that he be buried properly despite the interference of Esav would be for Yosef to accompany his body to Chevron. Yosef was the viceroy to Pharaoh and anywhere he would travel, he would bring the king's royal guard (50:9). That way, if Esav attempted a confrontation, Yosef would have the Egyptian troops stand up to them. ibn Shu'aib supports his interpretation by citing an account from "Sefer Ben Gurion and related volumes from early scholars" that Esav did dispatch a legion, under the leadership of Tzefo the son of Elifaz the son of Esav" (see 36:11,15) to protest the burial of Yakov. Fortunately, Yosef was protected by his vanguard of Pharaoh's soldiers, who vanquished the combatants. According to this legend (the Torah Sheleimah says it is also an authentic Midrash Agadah), Tzefo was taken into custody and brought as a prisoner back to Egypt for his role in the attack on Yosef. He remained in prison the rest of Yosef's live, but then escaped and fled to Carthage. From there he went to Italy and eventually ruled Rome, and was the first to establish massive shrines there. And the conflict continues. Good Shabbos. D Fox