What a Man's Bones Can Tell Us
By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

(January 18) "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and 
took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and 
bore a son..." (Ex. 2:1-2) 

Moses, the major personality throughout Exodus, and Joseph, 
the major personality at the conclusion of Genesis, interact 
in a fascinating way. 

They seem, on the surface, to be mirror versions of each other, 
perhaps 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. 

However, through Moses' relationship with the bones of Joseph, 
the children of Israel learn an inspiring lesson in faith. 

Joseph rose to greatness in Egypt, becoming second only to 
Pharaoh. The Egyptians claimed him as one of their own, 
fully expecting him to identify with Egyptian nationality 
and culture. Nevertheless, his last request to his family 
reveals his essential identity as an Israelite, his root 
connection with the land and destiny of Israel: "And Joseph 
took an oath of the children of Israel, saying 'God will 
surely remember you, and you shall bring out my bones from 
this [place].' " (Genesis 50:25) 

Therefore, the Bible records in Exodus: "And Moses took the 
bones of Joseph with him [when he left Egypt]; for he had 
straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying 'God will 
surely remember you; and you shall bring out my bones from 
this [place] with you.'" (Exodus 13:19) 

In the midst of the tumult and turmoil of the night of the 
15th of Nisan, 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 by 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.'" 

How are we to understand the words of this midrash? After all, 
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. 

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 God in His covenant with Abraham and reiterated 
throughout the Five Books of Moses: after enslavement 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 Jacob'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 they perpetrated against him 
because he understood that it was all part of a Divine plan. 
So profound was Joseph's faith that he risked Egyptian 
displeasure, but made his brothers swear to take out his bones 
and bury him in Israel. 

Is it any wonder, then, that Moses could not 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 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. 

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. 

Joseph 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 bones will be returned to Israel, and the dry bones will 
live again. We carry the bones of Joseph, seared in the autos 
da fe, Inquisition and Holocaust, when we walk the streets of 
Dizengoff and King George. 

Yes, Joseph the child still lives, and our Father still lives. 

Because our Father in Heaven still lives, our children on Earth 
shall live eternally. 

Shabbat Shalom