Summary Vayechi 5762
The With the drama of Joseph and his brothers at an end, Jacob spent the last seventeen years of his life in a state of peace and tranquillity, in marked contrast to a stormy life of one tragedy following another. Now he enjoyed naches from his children and grandchildren, in particular Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Menasheh.

Jacob informed Joseph that when he died, he wished to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Although Joseph readily agreed, Jacob insisted that he take a formal oath. When Jacob felt that the end was approaching, he sent for Joseph and his sons. He declared that Ephraim and Menasheh were to be considered as two tribes, just like his own sons. Jacob also declared that the people of Israel shall bless their sons that they should be "like Ephraim and Menasheh".

Jacob summoned the rest of his sons and blessed them. He then charged them all with the responsibility of burying him in the Cave of Machpelah. Jacob recalled his grandfather Abraham's purchase of the Cave and the surrounding field. He also recalled the subsequent burial of his grandparents, parents and Leah, at that site.

When Jacob died, Joseph approached Pharaoh and requested permission to carry out his promise to his father. He chose his words carefully, omitting that Jacob had wanted to be buried with his fathers and not be buried in Egypt (Chapter 47, verses 29-30). Instead he said that his father had prepared his grave and would like to be buried in it (Chapter 50, verse 5). This would be more easily understood by an Egyptian monarch, as it was the Egyptian custom to prepare individual tombs prior to death.

The Torah then describes the funeral procession and burial, again emphasising the purchase and ownership of the Cave of Machpelah. The first ever shiva - seven days of mourning are also described (Chapter 50, verse 10).

After Jacob's death, the brothers were afraid that Joseph would take revenge on them, but Joseph responded magnanimously that he would continue to sustain them.

Before Jacob died, he told Joseph that G-d would be with the family and return them to the land of his fathers. When Joseph felt that his own death was near, he conveyed the same message to his brothers. He also made them promise that when the time came, they were to take his remains back to the Land of Israel. We see that it was left to Moses to fulfil this request, and to Joshua to carry out the actual burial.

Points to Ponder.
There are several hints in this sedra of the beginnings of the Egyptian oppression against the Israelites:

• Jacob's assurance to Joseph that G-d would return them to the Land of their fathers.
  
• Joseph's similar assurance to his brothers.
  
• The funeral procession was attended by the men, but not the women and children. They also left their possessions behind. This is reminiscent of Pharaoh telling Moses many years later that only the men may leave.
  
• Jacob's insistence that Joseph take an oath to have him buried in the Cave of Machpelah - it was not a simple matter.
  
• If freedom of movement was so easy, why didn't they return to Israel sooner?
  

Another explanation is that the Children of Israel had become too entrenched in Egypt and didn't want to leave! In which case the above assurances referred to the future time of oppression.

Shabbat Shalom