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yosef

Spiritual Guarantor

Rabbi Heshie Billet

ccording to the Midrash, Unfortunately, after Yosef’s death, people: “Go and assemble the elders
the sukkah represents the the people did not always follow his of Israel and say to them: Hashem,
protection G-d provided the guidance. “And the children of Israel the G-d of your fathers, the G-d of
AJewish people in the desert were fruitful, and increased abun- Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, has
in the form of miraculous pillars of dantly... and the land was filled with appeared to me and said, ‘I have taken
clouds that surrounded the Israelite them.” (Shemot 1:7) According to the note of you and of what is being done to
camp. At the same time, the people Netziv, these words imply that the you in Egypt’” (Shemot 3:16).
also required physical huts to protect Jewish people built homes all over the Ramban explains that Yosef gave his
their bodies from the extreme weather country, among the Egyptians. “The brothers this phrase to pass on to
of the desert. Children of Israel violated the dictum future generations, indicating that
During their forty years of wander- of Yaakov, who wanted them to be a when the redeemer comes, he will use
ing, these safe barriers shielded them nation apart from the Egyptians. That this phrase.
from the dangerous spiritual environ- was part of their downfall in Egypt!” Maimonides (Laws of Lulav 5:12)
ment they encountered among the At the end of his life, Yaakov gathers his writes that while we are commanded
surrounding nations. This heavenly children, blesses them, and reminds to rejoice (ה ָח ְמ ִׂש) on all holidays, we
assistance gave the people strength to them of his desire to be buried in the are commanded to experience “extra
ׂ
persevere and ascend to Eretz Yisrael. family’s ancestral cemetery in the Cave joy” (ה ָר ֵתְי ה ָח ְמ ִש) on Sukkot. This extra
The Netziv writes that Bilaam’s of Machpelah. This was after Yaakov joy is due, in large part, to Yosef’s con-
description of Israel’s social isolation had already made Yosef swear that he, tributions, for he guaranteed our reli-
in the desert conforms with Yaakov’s Yosef, would make this happen and gious survival in exile and inspired our
desire that his offspring be separated attend his father’s funeral in person. yearning and commitment to return to
Israel. What a joy to welcome him as
from intellectual and social interac- Yosef learned an essential lesson
tion with alien cultures: “I see them from his father. Despite the affluence an honored guest in our sukkah!
atop rocky crags, and from cliffs I and comforts that he and his family
behold them; a nation that lives alone enjoyed in Egypt, Egypt was not the
and is oblivious to the other nations” ultimate destination. Eretz Yisrael was
(Bamidbar 23:9). where they belonged! And so Yosef, at
Similarly, Yosef wisely kept the Jews the end of his life, conveyed the same
apart from the Egyptians in Egypt. It message to the Jewish people: “Yosef
was Yosef who suggested that they said to his brothers, ‘I am about to die.
live in Goshen. He guided his broth- G-d will surely take notice of you and
ers on how to speak with Pharaoh to bring you up from this land to the land
ensure the Egyptian king would grant that He promised in an oath to Avra-
them this land. He built a “sukkah” ham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov.’ So
around them to protect them from Yosef made the sons of Israel swear,
the decadent Egyptian culture. More saying, When G-d has taken notice of
than anyone, Yosef fulfilled Yaakov’s you, you shall carry up my bones from
wish that his family be separate from here” (Bereishit 50:24–25).
Egyptian society. At the same time, In both of these verses, Yosef uses the
he taught his people that Egypt was term “take notice” (דֹק ְפִי דֹק ָּ פ) to indi-
merely a stop on the road back to cate that Hashem will remember the Rabbi Heshie Billet is a past president of the
Canaan, and promised them that G-d’s Jewish people and take them out of Rabbinical Council of America, and served as
presence would protect them on their Egypt. Indeed, G-d tells Moshe to use rabbi of Young Israel of Woodmere before
journey home. these very words when speaking to the making Aliyah.

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