The scene: Jacob is on his deathbed. He summons his beloved son, Joseph. This isn't just a goodbye; it's a moment of profound importance. Jacob says, "O my son! Swear to me by the covenant of circumcision that thou wilt take me up to the burial-place of my fathers in the land of Canaan to the Cave of Machpelah." Before the Ten Commandments, before the full codification of Jewish law, the covenant of circumcision – the brit milah – served as a powerful, binding oath. As Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer points out, the ancients would swear by this covenant prior to the giving of the Torah. We even see this alluded to in Genesis 47:29, when Jacob says to Joseph, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh," and then, "he sware unto him" (Gen. 47:31). This act, placing the hand beneath the thigh, was understood as an oath connected to the covenant.
And Joseph, being the righteous son that he was, honored his father's request. "And he said, Swear unto me" (Gen. 50:5), confirming the oath. What follows is a grand procession. All the mighty men of the kingdom, Egyptians and Israelites alike, went up with him to bury Jacob, showing honor and chesed – loving-kindness – to the patriarch. As it says, "And Joseph went up to bury his father" (Gen. 50:7).
Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer tells us that the Israelite camp numbered 5040 people! And because of the famine, people from all over the land were bringing food to Joseph’s camp.
And then, a divine promise. The Holy One, blessed be He, sees their act of chesed towards Jacob, His servant. He says to them, "Ye have shown loving-kindness to Jacob… I also will give you your reward, and also unto your children in this world."
What does this reward look like? Well, consider the Egyptians who eventually perished in the Reed Sea, the Yam Suf. The text makes a striking claim: they did not simply drown. Instead, "they were deemed worthy to be buried in the earth." God says, "Ye have submitted yourselves to the divine punishment; I also will give you a place of burial, as it is said, "Thou stretchedst forth thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. 15:12). This is a fascinating interpretation, suggesting that even in their demise, the Egyptians received a measure of divine grace because of the kindness they had shown to Jacob.
So, what can we take away from this story? Perhaps it’s a reminder that acts of kindness, no matter how small they may seem, have ripple effects that extend far beyond what we can imagine. And that even before the formalization of religious law, the core values of compassion and honoring one's commitments were deeply embedded in the hearts of our ancestors. It also reminds us of the enduring power and significance of the covenant, even before it was explicitly commanded. It was a symbol of identity, commitment, and connection to something greater than oneself.