Vayechi. The Keys to Redemption

The belief in the Redemption is a central axiom of Jewish Faith. If we listen closely to our parsha we might discover its origins.

As Joseph neared death at age 110, he asks his family take an oath:

"“I am about to die. God will surely remember you and bring you up from this land to the land that He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” So Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will remember you (pakod yifkod); and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Genesis 50:24-25)

Out of all Jacob’s sons, Joseph is probably the most acculturated to Egypt, and yet it is specifically Joseph who requests that his bones be returned to his birthplace - Eretz Yisrael. From where did he draw this longing, this commitment to his homeland?

The first factor would be the oath that his own father made him take, when Jacob was dying. Jacob asked Joseph to swear that he would not be buried in Egypt, and Joseph internalized the powerful message; that Israel, Canaan, is home, whereas Egypt is foreign soil. This cultivated a deep emotional commitment within