VBM The Pillar at Rachel’s Tomb By Harav Yaakov Medan

I. Introduction Our matriarch Rachel died on the way from Bet-El to Bet-Lechem, and she was buried along the way. Yaakov was unable to bring her to burial in the Makhpela Cave. According to the midrash, he deliberately buried her along the way so that she would argue in favor of her children as they went out into exile. Yaakov himself later asked that he be buried in the Makhpela Cave, where Leah was also buried (Bereishit 49:29-31). Yaakov cast the responsibility for his burial primarily on Yosef, viceroy of Egypt, and he charged him with an oath to carry out his wishes. It would appear that the oath was necessary owing to Yosef's natural desire to bury Yaakov alongside his mother, Rachel. Yaakov therefore made him take an oath that he would bury him with his fathers and with Leah.