Going Home, Going Home (Hunter, Garcia-"Brokedown Palace")

Well, we are in the first week of 2012. On my way to the gym this week, I was listening to the local news radio station. Interestingly enough, there was a little story about News Year’s resolutions. The most frequently made resolution? Losing Weight. Good thing I was on my way to the gym as I begin taking the first steps of my New Year’s Resolution – Losing Weight. Several psychologists were interviewed explaining that the number one cause for people’s failure to fulfill their resolution is that the resolution itself was unrealistic. Instead of setting a goal of losing 50 pounds over the course of a year, maybe a more realistic goal would be 25-30 pounds. I thought about what this psychologist said and thought that maybe a more realistic goal, a goal that I still needed to work for, but realistic nonetheless, would be a much better idea. BY aiming for something more realistic there would be no negative sense of failure and quitting that would invariably follow from the sense of failure. As I was on the elliptical machine, I began to think about resolutions in general and specifically a resolution’s close proximity to a vow or a promise. The biggest difference of course is that a resolution does not seem to be binding like a vow or a promise. Nevertheless, a resolution does indicate a conscious decision focused upon one’s self as opposed to a promise or a vow to another.

This morning we read from parshah Vayechi. This is the final Parshah in the book of Breishit. The parshah begins with Yaakov calling Yosef and making him swear an oath that he will not be buried in Egypt. He also blesses his grandson’s Ephrayim and Menashe. He gathers his sons together and offers each son a blessing or a prophecy. Yaakov dies and his sons take him out of Egypt and fulfill their vow. They bury their father in Hevron alongside Avraham and Yitzchak and Sarah Rebecca and Leah. Afterwards, the brothers fear that Yosef will finally take vengeance for their mistreatment of him. Yosef doesn’t, and the brothers and their families continue to grow and prosper in Goshen. As Yosef prepares for his death, he makes his brothers vow to take his bones out of Egypt and bury his bones in Eretz Canaan.

Yaakov’s final dying wish is to be buried in Canaan, in the Caves of the Machpela with his ancestors, Avraham/Sarah, Yitzchak/Rivka and Leah his wife. Yaakov shares this wish with Yosef. Given his position within Egypt, Yosef would be the most likely of the son’s who would be able to arrange this final wish. After sharing his final wish with his beloved son Yosef; Yaakov asks Yosef to swear to him that he will carry out this final wish. To demonstrate one’s “swearing a vow” Yaakov tells Yosef: Im Nah Matzati Chein M’Einecha If now I have found grace in your eyes Sim Nah Yadcha Tachat Yereichi put, I pray of you, your hand beneath my thigh v’Asita Imadi Chesed v’Emet –,and deal kindly and truthfully with me. However Yosef does not do as his father asks; Yosef does not put his hand beneath his father’s thigh as an indication of swearing and oath. Rather, Vayomer [Yosef] said, Anochi Eseh Chidvarecha – I personally will do as you said. The text clearly conveys that Yosef did not make a “vow” to Yaakov. Yosef did not put his hand beneath his father’s thigh as an indication of making a vow. Rather his said that he would take care of the matter personally. Rabeinu Chananel, a tenth century Egyptian Talmudic commentator, briefly and succinctly explains Anochi Eseh M’Atzmi – I will take care of it myself hence there is no need for swearing an oath. Rav Ovadia Sforno – the 16^th Italian Renaissance Torah Commentator adds a more in depth comment regarding Yosef's hesitancy to swear an oath to Yaakov’s final request. Anochi Metzad Atzmi Eseh Kidvarecha B’Chol Chai – As far as I am concerned, I will do as you say with all my power. Yosef’s response suggests an excuse in case he cannot fulfill the dying father's wish. “I will do everything in my power” suggests that if Yosef entreats Pharaoh to let him bury his father in Canaan, and Pharaoh refuses; then Yosef still fulfilled his father’s final wish since Yosef did everything he could. Yaakov senses he hesitation and tells Yosef: Hishava Li – Swear to me, Vayishava Lo – and He [Yosef] swore to him [Yaakov]. Yaakov does not want any excuses nor does he want Yosef to have to rely solely upon his own relationship Pharaoh. Pharaoh will understand a son’s swearing an oath to his dying father and would never refuse a request of that nature.

Clearly the commentators saw something in Yosef’s hesitancy. Why would Yosef hesitate about taking swearing an oath to his father? How could the favorite son hesitate and not swear an oath to his dying father? The last time we saw an old man asking someone to “swear an oath” to him in the Torah was Avraham asking his servant to put his hand beneath Avraham’s thigh and swear that he would bring back a girl from Avraham’s tribe in order to marry Yitzchak. The servant unhesitatingly swore the oath to Avraham. The Midrash explains the difference between Avraham’s servant’s behavior and Yosef’s behavior: HaEved Asa K’Avadoto Uven Chorin asah K’Chiruto – Rabbi Yitzchak said: The servant acted like a servant and the free man acted as a free man, The servant acted like a servant, as it is says ‘And the servant put his hand beneath his [Avraham’s] thigh; While the free man acted as a free person: ‘And he said, I will do as you said’’ As a free individual, Yosef is only bound by his conscience. He is free to question. The servant on the other hand, has no such ability. He is bound to fulfill his obligations whether forced or unforced. The Malbim, the 17^th century commentator explains that Yosef was acting like a son should. Yosef was trying to act out of filial responsibility, based upon his own free will rather than a servant who is bound by oaths.

However there are moments where one’s own volition is not enough in fulfilling a final wish. So Yaakov makes Yosef swear the oath so that way when dealing with Pharaoh it is clear that he is acting as a servant to his father. Yaakov wanted Yosef to be completely powerless and act solely on behalf of his father. Under normal circumstances, according to our ChaZaL – our Talmudic sages, we are already bound by Torah; there is no need to accept artificial/external bonds. The bonds of Torah and mitzvot should be enough. The bonds of Torah and mitzvot are designed to be reachable goals, objectives that require a little effort but are all within the realm of the possible. There is no need to pile on and make observance more difficult and more taxing.

So I finished my first workout of the year feeling better about myself knowing that my goal for weight loss will and maintaining the weight loss is much more attainable, and more possible. Now I just need to have the resolve to observe it.

Peace,

Rav Yitz