The story of Jacob's burial gives us a fascinating glimpse into those questions.
You see, Jacob, also known as Israel, had very specific ideas about where he didn't want to be buried: Egypt. It wasn't just a matter of preference; it was a deeply considered decision based on his understanding of holiness, destiny, and the relationship between his family and God.
Why Egypt? Well, for starters, Jacob was concerned about purity. He believed that the land of Egypt would eventually be overrun with, shall we say, unpleasant creatures. The thought of his body being exposed to such impurity was naturally distasteful.
But there was more to it than that. Jacob worried about the spiritual implications. He feared that if he were buried in Egypt, his descendants might mistakenly believe that Egypt was a holy land. "If our father Jacob is buried there," they might reason, "then it must be a special place!" And as Legends of the Jews, that wonderful compilation of midrashic and aggadic traditions by Louis Ginzberg, retells it, Jacob wanted to ensure his descendants did not choose Egypt as a permanent home.
And then there's the tricky question of divine justice. Jacob knew that Egypt was destined to suffer the ten plagues. What if the Egyptians, in their desperation, turned to his grave and begged him to intercede with God? According to the text, Jacob feared that if he prayed for the Egyptians, he would be advocating for the Lord's enemies. But if he refused to pray, God's name would be profaned among the nations, who might say, "Jacob is a useless saint!" It was a real catch-22.
Jacob was also concerned that God might see him, the "scattered sheep" of Israel, as a kind of sacrifice to appease the divine anger toward the Egyptians and remit their punishment. A heavy burden for one man to bear, right?
And perhaps most strikingly, Jacob had a profound understanding of human nature, specifically his own people's potential for misdirected devotion. He feared that his grave might become an object of idolatrous veneration. He knew the temptation to turn to physical objects for spiritual solace, and he didn't want to become the focus of misplaced worship. As we find in the Talmud (Megillah 25b), the punishment for worshiping idols is the same as the punishment for the idolaters themselves!
So, what does this all mean? Jacob's request wasn't just about a burial plot. It was about maintaining the purity of his lineage, ensuring the proper relationship between his descendants and God, and preventing the rise of idolatry. It’s a story that reminds us to be mindful of the places we choose to call home, the objects we choose to venerate, and the legacy we leave behind. What places and objects do we imbue with holiness, and why? And what responsibility do we have to guide future generations toward a true understanding of the sacred?