"And when the days of weeping for him passed, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh saying, 'If I have found favor in your eyes, speak into the ears of Pharaoh to say: My father made me swear, saying, "Behold I am going to die. Bury me in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.'" (From this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, Genesis 50:4-5).
Wait a minute - isn't Joseph the viceroy of all Egypt? Didn't Pharaoh promise him that he would be second-in-command and the next-to-final- word in the Egyptian kingdom? Why does Joseph have to lobby Pharaoh's close aides to convince them to bring his request before the king? Why are the palace ministers closer to the king than he is? After all, this is the original Pharaoh - the "good" one - not the Pharaoh who enslaved the Jews as related in next week's Torah portion.
Some sages in Europe predicted the German atrocities while the Jews there were still enjoying their host country's wealth of culture, philosophers, musicians and poets. Pharaoh was also a "good" king and the bottom line is that he kept his promise to Joseph. But in case anybody thinks that Joseph was an equal among equals, the above verse is proof - and a reminder to our fellow Jews in the U.S., England, France and all the other democracies - that their good standing in their host countries is ephemeral. Even after years of assimilation, the Jew will always be different. From the time that G-d chose us from amongst the nations, we will never find permanent rest in foreign countries.
Pharaoh promised. So did Napoleon. But the reality of anti-Semitism is stronger than all their promises. We can build flourishing communities at the summit of a sleeping volcano. But it just may erupt sooner than we expect.
(Editor's Note: The following is a letter from one of Manhigut Yehudit's supporters.)
Here's something that happened to me around 30 years ago which, believe it or not, is so relevant!
I was being drafted into the IDF - the first day where you receive all your equipment and medical shots and army clothing etc etc.
It was being done somewhat as an assembly line where your group goes from station to station to do all these things.
Anyway, one of the very first stations was where each one of us was given a small form to sign. It basically said in Hebrew something like "I swear to to anything that my officer commands me etc. etc."
I told the officer in charge of that station that I can not sign such a statement. He looked at me, saw my Kippah and said: Oh you're dati?
(religious). In that case we are advised to replace "I swear" to "I declare" as religious may not make an oath.
I told him that even with that change, I still would not be able to sign. He asked me why not. I said that I wouldn't be able to commit to something against the Torah. He saw that this was not your regular situation and he called his supervisor - a higher officer.
After hearing my unheard of and strange objections, this officer assured me that no one in the army would give me a command against the Torah and that I was not the only observant Jew in the IDF that makes all allowances for the religious. (Shabbos, Kashrus etc).
I agreed but still objected to committing to such an open ended wording and suggested that the clause "Bitchum mitzvot Hashem" (within the boundaries of G-d's commands) be added, to assure that in writing. He told me that they are not at liberty to change this official document and that it must be signed. I appreciated his kind explanations and assurances but told him that I would not be able to sign the form as it stood.
Frustrated, he deferred to yet a higher officer. This one came and told me in no uncertain terms that I would either sign or go to jail.
I said that I certainly do not want to go to jail but I would be most willing to sign if only the simple 3 words were added "Bitchum mitzvot Hashem". That was my ultimate stand and that they should do what they had to do, because I, on my part, had no other choice.
They all went and consulted with each other and maybe with even higher ups and after a while came back with an amended form (in Hebrew) "I declare that I will obey any command that my officer gives me BITCHUM MITZVOT HASHEM" !!!
That's the form that I signed and that is what is in my IDF record!
"And when the days of weeping for him passed, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh saying, 'If I have found favor in your eyes, speak into the ears of Pharaoh to say: My father made me swear, saying, "Behold I am going to die. Bury me in my grave that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you shall bury me.'" (From this week's Torah portion, Vayechi, Genesis 50:4-5).
