In His glory, Hashem buried Moshe Rabbeinu. The Midrash relates how it happened that Moshe merited for Hashem to personally take charge of his burial. During the final days prior to the exodus from Egypt, while everyone was occupying themselves with “relieving” the Egyptians of their money, Moshe sought to fulfill the promise made many years earlier to Yosef: that his bones would be taken out of Egypt. Moshe spent three days and nights searching throughout the country, looking everywhere in the hope that he would locate Yosef’s coffin. According to one tradition, Serach bas Asher approached Moshe to ask him why he was so fatigued. Moshe explained that he had been searching for Yosef’s coffin for three days. She said, “Come with me, and I will show you where he is buried.” She took him to the Nile, whereupon Yosef’s coffin rose from the depths. Moshe took it and personally carried it. When Hashem saw Moshe’s devotion to the middah of chesed, He declared, “Moshe! You might think that you performed a simple act. By your life, the kindness that you performed was very significant. You carried Yosef’s coffin while the rest of Klal Yisrael were occupied with carrying their gold and silver. For this, you will merit that I will be personally involved in your burial.”
If we note the text of the Midrash, we infer that Chazal question the reason for Moshe’s unique merit. Is it any wonder that Moshe was worthy of this distinction? Perhaps he did not do enough. Does not mesiras nefesh, self-sacrifice, on behalf of Klal Yisrael for forty years carry its own merit? His willingness to have his name erased from the Torah, if Hashem would not forgive Klal Yisrael for their participation in the Golden Calf, should be significant. He rose to become Adon ha’Neviim, Master of All Prophets, the quintessential leader of Klal Yisrael. He became the vehicle through whom Hashem gave the Torah. This fact alone should warrant a unique relationship with, and reward from, the Almighty.
Horav Chaim Elazary, zl, feels the Midrash is emphasizing another aspect of Moshe’s character and avodas Hashem, service to the Almighty. Had Moshe turned to any of the Zekeinim, Elders, or Yehoshua, Nadav, Avihu or Aharon Ha’Kohen to take care of Yosef’s bones, that individual certainly would have fulfilled his request. Moshe did not delegate this mitzvah to anyone else. Moshe personally undertook to perform this final chesed for Yosef. While an agent might have performed the same task, it was a “mitzvah bo yoser m’bishlucho,” a greater mitzvah if one acts personally, rather than delegate the deed to an agent. “Emptying out” Egypt was also a mitzvah. Yet, Moshe chose the mitzvah that did not accord him additional benefits. He personally searched, he alone carried the coffin, a task for which he received no benefit other than the pure mitzvah itself. This was chesed shel emes, pristine kindness of the highest order. It was pure altruism. This G-d – like activity, behaving in a manner in which only Hashem acts, earned him the reward middah k’neged middah, measure for measure. Thus, when the time would come for Moshe to pass from this world, the Almighty would personally attend to his needs.
