בראשית, פרק נ׳, פסוק כ״ו

The book of Genesis concludes with the passing of a great leader, leaving his people in the heart of the Egyptian exile. While this ending might feel heavy with sadness, it actually carries a profound message of hope and future redemption. After eighty years of ruling in a foreign land, Joseph passed away with his Hebrew identity and original name completely intact, setting a powerful example of spiritual strength for his people [פרדס יוסף].

Following local custom, Egyptian doctors embalmed his body. This forty-day process involved removing internal organs, washing the body, and applying specific spices to prevent decay, ensuring his physical form would remain preserved for generations to come [אבן עזרא, העמק דבר, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מחוקקי יהודה].

Whether his body was laid to rest by others [רשב״ם, שד״ל, חזקוני], or positioned following his own active instructions before death [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג], Joseph was placed in a specific, familiar coffin that he had prepared for himself during his lifetime [אבן עזרא, חזקוני]. The primary approach among commentators is that he was not buried in the earth. Instead, his wooden coffin was kept above ground as a temporary trust [ספורנו, שד״ל]. This stood in sharp contrast to his father Jacob, who was immediately carried back to Canaan for burial. Joseph kept his coffin above ground for both practical and spiritual reasons. He wanted it to remain visible to the Israelites, allowing them to easily take it with them on the day God would finally redeem them [ספורנו, העמק דבר, בכור שור]. A minority view, however, suggests he was buried in the ground, but strictly with the intention of being unearthed in the future [רשב״ם].

The fact that his remains were kept in Egypt takes on another layer of meaning through Jewish tradition. The Egyptians deeply admired Joseph for the prosperity he brought them, viewing him almost as a higher power of blessing. Desperate to prevent the Israelites from ever leaving, the Egyptians constructed a metal coffin for him and sank it into the depths of the Nile River, assuming his brothers would never be able to find him [רבנו בחיי]. Some even note that in ancient times, the local word for Egypt was synonymous with the Nile itself, indicating that he was literally hidden in the river waters [אם למקרא]. Ultimately, it was Moses who took on the immense effort to raise the coffin from the water, earning great spiritual reward for honoring Joseph's remains [רבנו בחיי].

Throughout the long, bitter years of slavery, the presence of Joseph's coffin served as a constant source of inspiration rather than a symbol of despair. Just as Joseph governed his surroundings and never allowed the exile to break his spirit, the knowledge of his resting place reminded the Israelites that they were not alone. It gave them the strength to rise above the darkness of their oppression and look forward to their ultimate redemption [חומש קה״ת].