Crying for Yaakov vs. Moshe: Dependence, Independence, and the Legacy of Leadership

Rabbi Zweig analyzes the striking difference between the mourning periods described in Parshas Vayechi for Yaakov Avinu and for Moshe Rabbeinu. The Torah (תורה) states that Egypt cried for Yaakov for seventy days, with the crying continuing beyond the formal mourning period ("vayavru yemei bechiso"), while for Moshe, the crying ended precisely when it was supposed to end ("vayitmu yemei bechi"). This linguistic distinction—"vayavru" (passed) versus "vayitmu" (completed)—raises a fundamental question about the nature of their leadership and its impact. The shiur begins by noting an apparent paradox: Moshe Rabbeinu, who took the Jewish people out of Egypt, gave them the Torah, split the sea, and provided the manna, seemingly generated less emotional attachment than Yaakov. The Midrash cited by Rashi (רש"י) expresses the people's initial resistance to Moshe's death, yet after thirty days, the mourning was complete. By contrast, the Egyptians—who were not even Yaakov's children—cried continuously, with their grief extending beyond the prescribed mourning period.