Why is the Rebbe Buried in NY?

Yaacov hoped that his burial in Eretz Yisrael would remind his children that the Land of Israel was their one and only Homeland – not Mitzrayim.

Vayechi

by Tzvi Fishman

At the beginning of the Torah portion “Vayechi,” Yaacov Avinu requests to be buried in Eretz Yisrael and not in Mitzrayim.

“When the time for Yisrael to die drew near, he called his son Yosef and said to him, ‘If I have now found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh, and deal with me with kindness and truth; please do not bury me in Mitzrayim. Let me lie with my fathers, and you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.’ And he said, ‘I will do as you have said. And he said, ‘Swear to me.’ And he swore to him…” (Bereshit 47:29-30).

Rashi cites three reasons why Yaacov did not want to be buried in Mitzrayim. Number one: Yaacov knew prophetically that the land of Mitzrayim would be stricken in the Plague of Lice and he did not want to suffer the results. Number two, Yaacov knew that the future Resurrection of the Dead would transpire only in the Land of Israel. Jews who died in foreign lands would have to undergo a painful journey of rolling underground to Eretz Yisrael in order to take part in the miracle. Reason number three: He knew that if he were buried in Mitzrayim the heathen in Mitzrayim would relate to him as a god in their idolatrous rites. Our Sages provide another reason: “Why did Jacob make such an effort to carry his bones from Egypt? So that the tribes would not settle in Egypt, saying: ‘If it were not a holy land, our father Jacob would not have been buried there'” (Mishnat Rabbi Eliezer 19).

In his book, “Maase Avot,” Rabbi Chaim Drukman writes that Yaacov feared that his children would turn a temporary furlong into their permanent dwelling – and his worry turned out to be true.  Having spent many years in Haran, he himself knew the dangers of life amongst foreigners. He had survived the difficult test and returned in peace to the Cherished Land, but nothing guaranteed that his children would have the same strength of endurance as he had shown. During the seventeen years he spent in Mitzrayim, Yaacov had ample opportunity to notice how the powerful material culture of Egypt was influencing his children in a negative fashion. He hoped that his burial in Eretz Yisrael would remind them that the Land of Israel was their one and only homeland – not Mitzrayim. Thusly, instead of assimilating and becoming the Children of Egypt, the Jews would remain the Children of Israel and return to the Land which Hashem had bequeathed them (“Maase Avot,” Vayechi).

Rabbi Shimson Raphael Hirsh explains Yaacov’s request with reference to the word “achuzah” meaning possession in the verse: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Mitzrayim, in the land of Goshen; and they took possession (“ya’achazu”) of it and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly” (Bereshit 47:27). In his commentary on the Torah, Rabbi Hirsh writes:

“During the seventeen years that Yaacov lived in Mitzrayim he certainly saw how powerfully his children became possessed by its power. They began to see it as their new habitat and not as an exile. This was enough reason for Yaacov to give them the coercive command not to bury him in Mitzrayim, but only in their true and original homeland. This was enough reason to tell them – ‘Your desire and hope is to dwell in Mitzrayim. As for me, my desire is not to be even buried here!’ This was no selfish personal wish but his exalted concern for the future of the Jewish Nation.”

With the example of our forefather Yaacov in mind, we can wonder why the Rebbe of Chabad is buried in New York and not in the Holy Land? The question becomes more pronounced when we remember that perhaps the most outstanding halachic authority in America at the time, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, chose to be buried in the Land of Israel and not in New York. Certainly the Rebbe made his decision on the basis of what he believed best for Am Yisrael. That much is certain. In trying to answer the question allow me to openly state that I am not an expert in the traditions of Chabad. From the small amount I have read on the subject, it seems that a Hasidic tradition is to bury a Rebbe in the same place where the past Rebbe was buried. Since the preceding Rebbe in the Lubavitch chain, Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Yosef Schneersohn, was buried in Queens, when Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneersohn passed away, he was automatically buried alongside his father-in-law.

In attempting to present a deeper understanding of this question, we will rely on the writings of the “Halban,” Rabbi Haim Cohen, of blessed memory, concerning the burial places of Yaacov, Rachel, and Yosef. Rabbi Cohen points out that Yaacov did not merely request to be buried in Eretz Yisrael, he made his son take a vow that he would fulfill his request. This seems strange. Couldn’t he trust his holy and righteous son to do his bidding without making him swear? Rashi suggests that Yosef held a grudge against his father for not having buried Yosef’s mother, Rachel, in the Cave of the Patriarchs. Why should Yosef do his father’s bidding when he had buried Rachel “on the way” in what Yosef felt was a less than proper fashion? Suspecting that Yosef felt this way, Yaacov demanded an oath. However, it is difficult to imagine that the righteous Yosef would not heed his father’s request because of unpleasant feelings over the past. Certainly, just as Yosef forgave his brothers from throwing him into a pit, he would excuse any seeming wrongdoing on the part of his beloved father. To comprehend the matter it is necessary to understand why Rachel was buried “on the way” and why Yosef chose to be buried in Mitzrayim.

When it came time for Yosef to die he did not follow the example of his father and request not to be buried in Mitzrayim. Rather, he tells his children that when the time of the salvation from Mitzrayim arrives they should take his bones with them to Eretz Yisrael. Thus, when Yosef dies he is laid to rest in Mitzrayim, the very opposite of his father’s example! Why?

Before continuing his commentary, Rabbi Cohen reminds us that the doings of our holy forefathers are not simple matters but rather the exalted spiritual blueprints of the life and history of Am Yisrael. The burial places of our great Tzaddikim have great influence on the nation. Thus our Sages inform us that Yaacov buried Rachel “on the way” to perform the will of Hashem who wanted Rachel to lend comfort to the Jews when they would be exiled from the Land by her tears and requests that Hashem have mercy upon them and return them to their borders, as the Prophet declares: “Thus says the L-rd: A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted for her children because they are not… (Yirmiyahu 31: 14-16). Places where Tzaddikim are buried possess a Divine blessing. The light and soul of the Tzaddik shines from the place of burial and has the power to influence the lives of those who gather there (see “Darashot HaRan,” Drush 8).

Thus Yaacov buried his wife “on the way” because he wanted the holy soul of Rachel to favorably influence the ingathering of the exiles and the return of her children to their promised homeland (see the Maharal, Netzach Yisrael, Ch.1). Rachel “Emanu” – our mother – embodies the Shechinah which is the unity of all of the souls of Clal Yisrael. This unity can only come about when all of the Jews reside in the Land of the Shechinah – the Land of Israel – and not in a state of scattered souls dispersed all over the world. Thus Rachel has the power to influence the Shechinah to guard over her children and bring them home, united in the Land.

When we understand why Rachel was buried “on the way” we can understand why Yosef chose to be buried in Mitzrayim until the time came for the Jews to begin their journey home to the Land of Israel – and perhaps understand why the Lubavitch Rebbe is buried in New York. Yosef the Tzaddik was aware of his spiritual powers and the influence he exerted in the upper worlds. He knew that his burial in Mitzrayim would serve to strengthen the Jews and keep them attached to their ancestral heritage and thus lessen their assimilation into the Egyptian culture around them until the time of their redemption arrived. Yosef puts himself aside and acts for the sake of the nation in order to preserve their identity as Jews. Like his mother Rachel, Yosef understands that his presence amongst his oppressed and enslaved brethren will guarantee, through the power of his exalted soul, that the Children of Israel will ultimately be redeemed and gathered back to the Land where their Divine Mission as Hashem’s Chosen Nation is destined to come about.

On numerous occasions the Rebbe expressed his mission as strengthening the Jewish Identity of the Jews in America and keeping them attached to Yiddishkeit. As “captain of the boat” he said that it was his mission to stay with the sinking ship of Diaspora Jewry, even in death, knowing the influence that his soul would have on the tens of thousands of people who flocked to his gravesite to pray. Indeed, the “Ohel” in Queens serves as a magnet drawing Jews closer to Judaism and Hashem, each on his or her level. One can counter that the example of Yaacov Avinu and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron are more powerful magnets, but the roles of Rachel and Yosef cannot be ignored. The Redemption of Israel is a long and winding road. A great deal of Heavenly assistance is needed along the way. May the day soon come when all of the great Tzaddikim are buried in Israel with our complete and speedy Redemption. Amen.

 

 

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Why is the Rebbe Buried in NY?

Yaacov hoped that his burial in Eretz Yisrael would remind his children that the Land of Israel was their one and only Homeland – not Mitzrayim.