This Torah portion is written in the Torah scroll in a way that apples to no other portion. It is a "parashah s'tumah" - a "closed" portion. This means that, unlike every other Torah portion, it does not begin on its own line or with a large empty space before its first word. Rather, there is a blank space the size of a letter separating it from the end of the previous portion. Our Sages explained that this was a graphic expression of the "closed" or unfathomable nature of this portion. They suggest that Jacob, before he died, had wanted to divulge to his children how the future would turn out for them. But, as he lay on his death bed, the Divine inspiration left him and his vision was "closed."

As we bid the secular year goodbye and prepare for a new year we are swamped with reviews of the past year and decade, as well as with attempts to look into the future.

But as far as future-forecasting goes - Father Jacob could not do it and I doubt that others will be more successful.

It is interesting, therefore to juxtapose the "closed" beginning of our portion with its ending. The last verse tells us that Joseph died at the age of 110 and was embalmed. "And he was put into a coffin in Egypt." This seems to be another, even starker, image of closure. Yet the previous verse teaches us to read that  last verse, not as a closure, but as an inviting preparation for the future. This is because, in a profound way, Joseph succeeds in telling the future much better than Jacob did. "And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, 'God will definitely remember you.' And you shall bring my bones up from this place."

The usual interpretation of this verse is that Joseph makes his brothers swear to him that they will take Joseph's bones with them when they return to Canaan. But it possible to read the verse differently. It can be translated: Joseph made [his brothers] swear that they would keep saying to one another, 'God will surely remember you.' For Joseph was confident that if they did that, they would be able to bring his bones back with them. 

With this in mind, the last verse is not a closure at all. Rather, it leaves us waiting to see whether the brothers will follow Joseph's guidance. Will they raise up Joseph's bones? Joseph felt that they would, if they did as they swore to do. The key to Joseph's predictive powers is his charge to his brothers to keep telling each other that God would remember them. The key to the future is to keep on hoping and to keep on encouraging others to keep on hoping.

 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi David Greenstein