Genesis closes with a very powerful statement about Judaism. To start, it is very well written. Besides that Joseph and his father are not madly in love, Jacob's death is a reminder very much of the tomb scene in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Shakespeare and the Torah capture the same, resonant tone that paints a vivid, moving picture for the reader.
In the portion, Jacob is prepared to move on from the Earth. He knows his life has come to a nice conclusion with the reuniting of his family. Joseph and his brothers get blessed by their father. Of all twelve sons, Joseph receives the family blessing. To Jacob, the family blessing means to carry out the task of being the leader of God's people. The other leaders, Abraham and Issac, have been buried in a very specific location in Canaan. Jacob says, "Behold, I am going to die, and God will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your forefathers" (Gen. 48:21). Jacob believes Joseph will follow in his footsteps into Canaan. On the other hand, Joseph has a different vision. When Joseph moves on, "they embalmed him and he was placed into the coffin in Egypt" (Gen. 50:26). Maybe even to this day, Joseph remains a mummy in Egypt. Did Joseph get the Jews stuck in Egypt? 40 years in the desert? In the Diaspora?
Joseph had his reasons to stay in Egypt. He was pretty much a Pharaoh in this land. In Canaan, he is just a man. His brothers and entire family have food in Egypt. They must have feared returning to once-famished Canaan. Why fix something that is not broken? Joseph probably should have stayed in Egypt, but Joseph and his whole family went to bury Jacob. The Israelites were in Canaan! They could have stayed. Instead, they remained in Egypt. How could Joseph know that a new Pharaoh would force the Israelites into slavery? Perhaps, God intended the entire story of Exodus and on to happen.
Unfortunately, Joseph creates an entirely new dynamic of Judaism. The Israelites completely lost their sense of homeland because Joseph did not bring his family back. He chooses to become more Egyptian than Jewish. Having a leader of the people was just about as dead as Joseph and Jacob. Jacob entrusted Joseph with such a dignified honor. He asked to carry on the traditions of the people and join his forefathers in the Canaan burials ground. Back in Egypt, Jewish culture never was the same.
When trying to think of a non-Jewish concept to demonstrate this theme, the New York Yankees came to mind. Every Yankee win is sounded by the playing of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York". Imagine if the Yankees thought the song was not "hip" or "convenient" enough to be the trumpet of a victory. A win here or there would be missed. Then, the song is not played at all. After that, Yankees fans do not know the song or even who Frank Sinatra is. Finally, Frank Sinatra and his swell Jazz style die out all together. Traditions are powerful. Whether it is a Yankee victory song or section of Torah, enjoy and relish these customs that hopefully keep Jacob's wish alive.
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