“The children of Israel ascended ḥamushim,” – they ascended armed. “Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, as he had administered an oath to the children of Israel, saying: 'God will remember you; and you shall take my bones up with you from here’” (Exodus 13:19). “Moses took Joseph’s bones.” In his regard the verse says: “The wise hearted will take commandments” (Proverbs 10:8), as all Israel were engaged with silver and gold and Moses was engaged with Joseph’s bones, as it is stated: “Moses took [Joseph’s] bones….”
The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: In your regard, “the wise hearted will take commandments” is fulfilled. Joseph was obligated to his father to bury him because he was his son, but you are not his son and not his grandson, and you were not obligated to involve yourself with him, and [yet] you [have involved yourself in] his burial. Likewise, I, who have no obligation to any creature, I will tend to you and bury you, as it is stated: “He buried him in the canyon” (Deuteronomy 34:6).
How did Moses know where Joseph was buried? Some say, Seraḥ daughter of Asher showed him, and he was buried in the Nile. What did Moses do?…18The midrash elsewhere (Tanḥuma (Warsaw ed.), Beshalaḥ 2) describes how Moses cast a shard, on which “arise bull” was written, into the Nile, in order to elevate Joseph’s remains from the riverbed. In Moses’s final blessing, Joseph was described as the “firstborn bull” (Deuteronomy 33:17).
He called to him to rise to the surface, and not delay the exodus from Egypt. Some say he was buried in the palace, in the manner that kings are buried. The Egyptians crafted golden dogs through sorcery, so if a person would come there they would bark and their voices would carry throughout the land of Egypt, a distance of forty days travel. Moses silenced them, as it is stated: “But for all of the children of Israel no dog will extend its tongue” (Exodus 11:7).
Moses began screaming: ‘Joseph, Joseph, the time has arrived for what you said: “The Lord will remember you” (Genesis 50:25).’ Immediately, the coffin began rocking and Moses took it, as it is stated: “Moses took Joseph’s bones.” Joseph’s bones travelled with them in the wilderness for forty years. The Holy One blessed be He said to [Joseph]: ‘You said to your brothers: “I will sustain you” (Genesis 50:21) – by your life, you will die and your bones will travel with them in the wilderness for forty years,’ as it is stated: “There were men who were impure by reason of a corpse [nefesh adam]” (Numbers 9:6), and adam refers to none other than Joseph, as it is stated: “He pitched a tent among men [adam]” (Psalms 78:60), and it is written: “He abhorred the tent of Joseph” (Psalms 78:67).19Thus, the tent referred to earlier as “among men [adam]” was in the territory of Joseph, indicating that Joseph is referred to as adam.
Consequently, it may be determined that the individuals to whom the verse in Numbers 9:6 refers were those who carried Joseph’s coffin. It was their complaint that led to God’s command that one who is impure from a corpse, and therefore cannot bring the paschal offering, may do so one month later as the ‘minor Pesaḥ.’ ‘Thanks to your bones they perform the minor Pesaḥ.’ “As he [Joseph] had administered an oath [hashbe’a hishbia] to the children of Israel” – why twice?
It is because he took an oath that he had no grudge against them, and they took an oath to him that they held no grudge against him. Why [does the verse state:] “you shall take my bones up with you from here”? Rabbi Levi said: To what is this matter comparable? It is to a man who put his wine in the cellar.
Thieves entered, took the barrel, and went and drank it. The owner of the wine came and found that they had stolen the barrel. He said to them: ‘You drank the wine, restore the barrel to its place.’ So too, Joseph’s brothers abducted him and sold him, and when [the time] came to take his leave from the world, he administered an oath to them.
He said to them: ‘Please, my brothers, you abducted me alive from Shekhem, restore my bones to Shekhem.’ That is why it is stated: “The bones of Joseph that the children of Israel took out of Egypt, they buried in Shekhem” (Joshua 24:32).