50:25 “וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל לאמר, פקד יפקד אלקים אתכם והעליתם את עצמתי מזה”
“And Yosef adjured the B’nei Yisroel saying: When Hashem will indeed remember you, then you must bring my bones up out of here.” This Posuk foretells that there will be a Geulah – as the Lashon of פקידה represents Geulah. Why is there a double Loshon of פקידה? The following Divrei Torah will expound on this topic and support the P’shat offered in the closing paragraph.
אברבנאל - 50:24
“ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אנכי מת, ואלקים פקד יפקד אתכם והעלה אתכם מן הארץ הזאת אל הארץ אשר נשבע לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב” – Yosef was Mekabel from his father the knowledge that their children would be left in Mitzrayim as slaves. Yosef was consoling Klal Yisroel that he was going to be passing away soon, and will not be able to help them. Nonetheless they should not despair, “כי פקוד יפקוד” that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will most certainly remember you, and take you out of the land of Mitzrayim, as He promised.
ר' משה הדרשן - 50:24
“ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אנכי מת, ואלקים פקד יפקד אתכם והעלה אתכם מן הארץ הזאת אל הארץ אשר נשבע לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב” – Yosef told his brothers that there was a Siman, a sign, given to Avrohom Avinu, and passed it to Yitzchok Avinu, who passed it to Yaakov Avinu, who passed it to him – Yosef. At the time of Yaakov Avinu’s passing, the Torah tells us, “ויאמר ישראל אל יוסף הנה אנכי מת...והשיב אתכם” – this was Yaakov Avinu telling Yosef of the Siman that the Geulah would be coming. The code words were, “פקוד יפקוד” – whoever would say those words, it would be a proof that he would be the one to redeem them – Moshe Rabbeinu.
יצב אברהם - 50:24
“ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אנכי מת, ואלקים פקד יפקד אתכם והעלה אתכם מן הארץ הזאת אל הארץ אשר נשבע לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב” – Rashi in Shemos 3:18 says that the Siman that Yosef was given from Yaakov was that the one who would say a double Loshon of פקידה, is the proof that he is the true redeemer. Where do we see that Yaakov gave this sign to Yosef? The Sefer Toldos Yaakov Yosef says that the double Loshon of פקידה represents two parts of the Geulah: the Geulas HeNefesh and the Geulas HaGuf. Yaakov Avinu said, “הקבצו ושמעו בני יעקב ושמעו אל ישראל אביכם”. It says in the דבש לפי that the name “Yaakov” represents the Guf, while the name, “Yisroel” represents the Neshama. Thus, when Yaakov Avinu said, “הקבצו” – refers to the קיבוץ גליות, and two L’shonos are used, both Yaakov and Yisroel, both the Guf and the Neshama, and that is the double Loshon of פקידה.
רבינו יואל - 50:24
“ויאמר יוסף אל אחיו אנכי מת, ואלקים פקד יפקד אתכם והעלה אתכם מן הארץ הזאת אל הארץ אשר נשבע לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב” – “And Yosef said to his brothers: I am about to die, but Hashem will surely remember you and bring you up out of this land that He swore to Avrohom, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov.” Yosef said to the brothers, “Just as I ruled for eighty years, so too the redeemer who will redeem you will be eighty years old” – as the Posuk in Shemos 7:7 says, “ומשה בן שמונים שנה”.
בן יהוידע – Sotah 13a – 50:25
“וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל...והעליתם את עצמותי מזה” – Yosef had B’nei Yisroel swear that they would take his “bones” out of Mitzrayim. The Gemara in Sotah 13a asks why was Yosef called, “bones” even in his lifetime, as it says that Yosef requested that his “bones” be taken out of Mitzrayim? He was called “bones” because he did not protest for the honor of his father. When the brothers were speaking to the viceroy of Mitzrayim, not knowing Yosef’s true identity, the brothers said, “Your servant, our father” – saying to Yosef that their father, Yaakov Avinu, was Yosef’s servant, and Yosef said nothing to them in protest of this. The Maharsha says based on the Gemara in Nidah 31a that the “עצמות” – the “bones” of a child comes from his father, thus they called Yosef, “bones.” While we may be able to understand why the Torah called Yosef, “bones” – it still does not explain why Yosef called himself “bones”, as the Posuk here is telling us what Yosef said. From here we see the praise of Yosef Hatzaddik, and perhaps his words also allude to why he did not protest when the brothers called Yaakov his servant. Don’t think that Yosef did not protest because he did not care about the honor of his father, but on the contrary, he did not protest due to the great respect he had for his father. Yosef did not protest for he feared that if he did, his brothers would know immediately that he was Yosef, and it was not yet the proper time for him to reveal himself. He made like it was not relevant to him who Yaakov was, and certainly did not mean to infringe on the honor of his father. In order to make it known that in fact the honor of his father was very important to him, he called himself, “עצמות” – “bones” – for that is the portion he received from his father. Even while Yosef was alive, he was demonstrating that he was nothing more than bones compared to his father; he was an extension of his father, and nothing more.
בניהו על התורה - 50:25
“וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל לאמר, פקד יפקד אלקים אתכם והעליתם את עצמתי מזה” – “And Yosef adjured the B’nei Yisroel saying: When Hashem will indeed remember you, then you must bring my bones up out of here.” The Torah is speaking about the Geulah of Klal Yisroel, and the Torah uses a double Loshon of “פקד יפקד”. When Hakodosh Boruch Hu told Avrohom Avinu about the decree of Klal Yisroel being enslaved in Mitzrayim, the Posuk also used a double Loshon of “כי גר יהיה זרעך ידוע תדע” – implying that there is a double knowledge, the same way there is a double decree. The way Hakodosh Boruch Hu runs this world is with two basic Hanhagos: the Midas Hadin and the Midas Harachamim. There are times that Hakodosh Boruch Hu judges the world while sitting on the כסא הדין והמשפט and there are times that He judges the world while sitting on the כסא הרחמים. Generally speaking, the punishments and decrees come forth from when He is judging from the כסא הדין, while the goodness that comes to the world, and the forgiveness comes from when He is judging from the כסא הרחמים. However, the decree of Klal Yisroel’s servitude in Mitzrayim did not stem from the Midas Hadin! It was not a punishment, rather Klal Yisroel needed to go through the servitude of Mitzrayim as a purification process so that they could reach higher levels of Ruchniyos. It is similar to one who is sick and takes very bitter medicine, which heals him and makes him strong. Thus, while the Midas Hadin was needed, for it was ultimately a decree, it was also done with the Midas Harachamim. This was what Hakodosh Boruch Hu was letting Avrohom Avinu know by the Bris Bein Habsorim, when He used a double Loshon of “ידוע תדע” – know that the decree is coming from both the Midas Hadin and the Midas Harachamim. Hashem was telling Avrohom Avinu that he should not think that it was going to be a punishment, like other punishments which come from the Midas Hadin, rather it was from both. This also explains what many wonder as to why Avrohom Avinu was quiet when he heard the decree. Why didn’t he Daven to Hashem to annul the decree? Were his descendants worse than the people S’dom, for we know that when Avrohom Avinu found out that S’dom was going to be destroyed, he did everything in his power to save them. Rather, Avrohom was told that this was not a punishment, but it was a purification process in order to prepare Klal Yisroel to be the Chosen Nation and receive the Torah. Thus, Avrohom certainly did not want to be Mispalel for it to be annulled, for it was good for Klal Yisroel.
גאולת עולם – 50:25
“וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל לאמר, פקד יפקד אלקים אתכם והעליתם את עצמתי מזה” – “And Yosef adjured the B’nei Yisroel saying: When Hashem will indeed remember you, then you must bring my bones up out of here.” The word, “פקד” is the Gematria of, “קץ”, which means that Hakodosh Boruch Hu will remove, “קץ” – 190, years from the Golus that Klal Yisroel were supposed to be in. They were supposed to be in Mitzrayim for 400 years, and were only there for 210 years (400-190=210). Yosef was telling Klal Yisroel that it was because of him, because he had been sold into slavery, that Klal Yisroel received a Kapparah for 190 years. Being that it was in his Zechus that they were freed 190 years earlier, it is only proper that they at least do him this one favor, and take his bones out with them.
נחל קדומים - 50:25
“וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל לאמר, פקד יפקד אלקים אתכם והעליתם את עצמתי מזה” – “And Yosef adjured the B’nei Yisroel saying: When Hashem will indeed remember you, then you must bring my bones up out of here.” The decree was that Klal Yisroel would be in Golus Mitzrayim for 430 years, K’neged five times the Shem Elokim (5x86=430), which is the Shem Hashem of Midas Hadin. However, Klal Yisroel were only subjugated with hard labor for 86 years, one time the Shem Elokim, and the other four times were turned into Rachamim. Klal Yisroel were only in Golus Mitzrayim for 215 years, and of those years, only 86 years were hard labor. The Torah is alluding to this here, when it says, “פקד יפקד אלקים” – that Hakodosh Boruch Hu would remember Klal Yisroel, and make two things less from Elokim, from the Midas Hadin. He would lessen the amount of years from 430 to 215, and from the 215 years, would only make 86 years of hard labor. The Shem Elokim spelled out in the full form (אל"ף, למ"ד, ה"י, יו"ד, מ"ם) is equal to 300, the same Gematria as, “ברחמים” – for even with the Shem Elokim, the Midas Hadin, it is “ברחמים” – with Rachamim.
מהר"י שטייף – Melachim 1:2:1,2
“ויקרבו ימי דוד למות, ויצו את שלמה בנו לאמר. אנכי הלך בדרך כל הארץ, וחזקת והיית לאיש” – “The days of Dovid drew near to die, and he instructed his son Shlomo saying: I go the way of all the earth, be strong and become a man.” When one is alive in this world, he has the opportunity to make himself “whole”, to elevate himself from level to level in Ruchniyos. Thus, as the Gemara in Brochos 64b says that when one departs from another living person, he says to him, “לך לשלום” – meaning that you are telling him that he should continue to elevate himself in Ruchniyos to reach “שלם” – completion. However, when one departs from the non-living, he says, “לך בשלום” – one is saying go in Sholom, for hopefully one is already complete, but there is nothing further that he can do, and he no longer has the opportunity to complete himself. Shabbos 30a – Once one passes from this world, he is free of Mitzvos, and we therefore say to the Niftar, “לך בשלום” – for with whatever he has accomplished in his lifetime, that is what he will receive his reward, and can no longer elevate himself. However, all of this is only if one performed Mitzvos in his lifetime for himself, and others did not learn from him. But if others did learn from his positive actions, then the dead person lives on, and has a share in all the Mitzvos that others perform whom he had an effect on. All the more so, if one has children who follow in the ways of their fathers, then the deceased father is called a “הולך” – one who is moving, even though he is not technically alive, he lives on through his children, and can continue to climb to greater heights in Ruchniyos. This was the last will and testament of Dovid Hamelech to his son, Shlomo. Shlomo should follow in the ways of his father; he should learn all the good things that his father did, and follow through on them, so that his father, Dovid Hamelech can continue to be a “הולך” – one who keeps being elevated in Ruchniyos. This is also the purpose in a Matzeivah, that the Matzeivah will generally have some praises of the Niftar. This way, when the children and others come to the Kever, and read from the Matzeivah about the good deeds of the Niftar, how he was a Ba’al Chesed, how he heeded the Mitzvos, and so on, this way his children will learn from that and seek to follow in his ways. This will cause the Niftar to be a הולך despite his not being alive.
Now we can understand why there is a double Loshon of Geulah, a double Loshon of פקידה. There were two parts to the Geulah: The Geulah of the Nefesh and a Geulah of Guf. Moshe Rabbeinu took us out physically, while Hakodosh Boruch Hu Himself took out our Neshomos. Everything that Hakodosh Boruch Hu does is Nitzchiyus, everlasting, and thus we will never be spiritually subjugated again. It may at times seem as if we are, but we have the choice – as we are not spiritual slaves. However, being that Hakodosh Boruch Hu did not physically take us out of Mitzrayim, it was not an eternal freedom, and thus we are in Golus Edom. If we utilize our time in this world properly, we will have the opportunity for our Neshomos to be elevated even after we have passed on from this world. We must strive to make the greatest impact on this world, through our actions, so that we can have an eternal Aliyah in Ruchniyos. While we were taken out of Mitzrayim, we await the final Geulah, the one which physically will be eternal. May we be Zoche to see it speedily in our days!
