“My father administered an oath to me, saying: Behold, I am dying; in my grave that I dug [kariti] for myself in the land of Canaan, bury me there. I will go up now and bury my father, and I will return” (Genesis 50:5). “My father administered an oath to me, saying…that I dug for myself” – when Jacob stood with Esau,20When they divided Isaac’s estate. he said to him: ‘What do you want, money or a burial plot?’
He said to him: ‘What would this man do with a burial plot? Give me money and take the burial plot for yourself, but you must heap up much money in exchange for it.’ That is what is written: “In my grave that I acquired [lakaḥti] for myself” is not written here, but rather, “that I dug [kariti]” – I heaped up [hikarti] [money] in exchange for it. “Pharaoh said: Go up and bury your father, in accordance with the oath he administered to you” (Genesis 50:6).
“Joseph went up to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, went up with him” (Genesis 50:7). “And all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. They left only their children, their flocks, and their cattle in the land of Goshen” (Genesis 50:8). “He took up with him both chariots and horsemen, and the camp was very substantial” (Genesis 50:9).
“Pharaoh said: Go up…Joseph went up…” – until this point it was for lament, from this point on it was for battle21He was prepared for potential battle with Esau. –“he took up with him both [gam] chariots and [gam]22The term gam comes to include something that is not explicitly written in the verse. horsemen…” Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The great One of the world was there, and some say: The glory of the One who lives forever.23Clearly God accompanied them as He had promised Jacob: “I will go down with you to Egypt and I will take you up again” (Genesis 46:4). The point is that the Divine Presence was visible.