Musar su Genesi 46:4

When Israel sinned and as a result the Temple was destroyed, the שכינה went into exile with the Jewish people, seeing that it was a pledge G–d had entrusted to them. This is the mystical dimension of the verse: אלה פקודי המשכן, משכן העדות, "These are the "pledges" of the Tabernacle, the "pledges" of the "Testimony" (Exodus 38,21). This is the basis for the Rabbinic statement in Megillah 29 that Israel is beloved (by G–d) since wherever the people of Israel are exiled, the שכינה is exiled with them. When they were exiled to Egypt the שכינה was with them, as we know from Genesis 46,4, where G–d told Jacob: "I shall go down to Egypt with you." When the Jewish people went into exile in Babylonia the שכינה accompanied them, as we know from Isaiah 43,14: "For your sake I sent to Babylon." When Israel was exiled in Elam the שכינה accompanied them, as we know from Jeremiah 49,38: "I will set My throne in Elam." When the Jewish people went into the Roman exile the שכינה also went with them, as we know from Isaiah 63,1: "Who is this coming from Edom,…..it is I who contend victoriously, powerful to give triumph." When the people of Israel return to their land from exile the שכינה will also accompany them as we know from Deut. 23,35: ושב ה' אלוקיכם את שבותך ורחמך, "G–d will come back with your imprisoned ones and have mercy on you." We would have expected the Torah to say: והשיב, "He will bring back," instead of "He will come back." We also have a verse in Song of Songs 4,8: "With Me from Lebanon O bride, come with Me!" Rabbi Meir explains this as a parable: It is like a king saying to his servant "if you need to seek me out, I shall be with my son." This is the meaning of "who dwells with them in their defilement," which we have quoted earlier. All this although G–d had warned Israel not to defile their encampments or the land they would live on, for it is the land G–d Himself has His abode in.

In my humble opinion this latter tradition need not contradict the statement that Rabbi Akiva was the re-incarnation of Joseph. Inclusion of the שכינה in the brothers' conspiracy of silence is equivalent to including Joseph, whom we have described as a junior מרכבה, carrier of the שכינה. Rabbi Akiva was the reincarnation of Joseph, and this is demonstrated by the former's close association with the שכינה. Joseph was the carrier of the שכינה when he descended to Egypt, which was the beginning of Jewish exile according to the Zohar. We also have the tradition that when the Jewish people descended into Egypt the שכינה accompanied them (Mechilta Beshalach on Genesis 46, 4). Something similar occurred before every other exile; in this particular instance, G–d inspired Joseph before the rest of his father's family came to Egypt. We see that Joseph's essence was a Divinely inspired one, which made him a partner of the שכינה for he was the מרכבה. If Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph breathed his last by saying “אחד,” this means that his soul departed while it was immediately "below" the שכינה.

The issue raised in Ketuvot 111 is raised by the Zohar (Sullam edition Vayechi page 106) in an even more drastic manner. To those who have died in חוצה לארץ and whose body is being transferred to ארץ ישראל, Rabbi Yuda wants to apply the verse from Jeremiah 2,7: ותבאו ותטמאו את ארצי ונחלתי שמתם לתועבה, "You have come and have defiled My land and made My inheritance an abomination!" Rabbi Yuda answered that Jacob was an exception to this rule; the שכינה had accompanied him on his descent to Egypt and had never left him. This is the reason G–d had said to him in 46,4: אנכי ארד עמך מצרימה, ואנכי אעלך גם עלה, "I shall go down with you to Egypt and I shall also go up with you." The message to Jacob was that, in spite of the fact that his soul would depart on foreign soil, it would remain close to G–d, whereas his body would be buried with those of his ancestors.

It states, “Thus said Hashem, for your sake I have sent you into Babylon and I have sent them all down in boats” (Yeshayahu 43:14). [The Zohar comments (Parashas Shemos 2b), “‘I have sent you into Babylon’ — This alludes to the Holy One Blessed is He.”] This illustrates the great love of the Holy One Blessed is He for Israel, on account of which He shares in their afflictions and descends with them into exile. Similarly, regarding the descent into Egypt it is stated, “These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt with [es] Yaakov” (Shemos 1:1). Wherever the word את appears it includes something not mentioned in the verse. In this case it includes the Shechinah, which went down with Yaakov into Egypt, in keeping with the verse, “I will descend with you into Egypt and I will bring you up” (Bereishis 46:4). Regarding the Babylonian exile, however, not only does it state, “For your sake I have sent you into Babylon,” but, “In all their afflictions He is afflicted” (Yeshayahu 63:9). The succeeding exiles were more difficult to bear than the Egyptian exile.