Do I Count ?

A rather radical transition takes place for the Jews in this week's parasha. They go from royal kin to a rather low caste in Egyptian society.

Both Yaakov and Yosef foresee this downshift and prepare for it in their own ways.

Yaakov, before going down to Mitzrayim, sacrifices "zevachim" in Beer Sheva [see Bereshis 46:1]. And Yosef, on his deathbed, commands his children with the following haunting message.

" .... V'E-Lokim Pakod Yifkod Eschem ...." [Bereshis 50:24]

Literaly, "Hashem will surely remember you ...". But the word "Pakod" isn't just remeber - that would be "zachor". The word "pakod" means remembering enough to count. It's as if Yosef is telling the Jews that they will not only be the subject of divine nostalgia, so to speak, they will actually currently matter to Hashem.

This is Yosef's command to the Yidden descending into galus and this is the heralding cry we still need to march to. The much spoken about "Jewish Continuity" isn't an issue of whether future generations will be Jews. Yosef Hatzaddik taught us that in reality, the issue is whether we are Jews. If we live our lives so our children can be Jewish we are actually showing our kids that we are "setting them up" into a system. But, if we live life as Jews because we believe that we count as Jews then our children will, be'ezras Hashem, be filled with same strong self identity as Yidden as we are.

Hatzlacha !