Yosef Essence

וְהַֽעֲלִיתֶ֧ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם.  The meforshim ask why is the detail of Moshe carrying the bones of Yosef mentioned here, it should have been recorded last week as part of the description of the exuit from Egypt?  What kind of person says take my bones, a person would say carry me to Eretz Yisroel? Yosef was saying take my עצמיות, my essence together with you.  Klal Yisroel was about to enter a new form of existence, life in the desert.  A place with dangers both in terms of gashmious and in terms of ruchnious.  וַיַּסֵּ֨ב אֱלֹהִ֧ים | אֶת־הָעָ֛ם דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יַם־ס֑וּף, it would be a long, roundabout journey.  What would give Klal Yisroel the power to survive through this arduous journey?  It is by clinging to the power of Yosef Hatzaddik.  He is called Yosef because Rachel prayed יֹסֵ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י בֵּ֥ן אַחֵֽר.  The Tzemack Tzedek explained Yosef has the capability of making from an אחר a בן.  Even one who is in a situation where he seems distant from Hashem, or he is in a hard predicament, feels that he is a אחר, he still remains a בן to Hashem.  That's why its Yosef who can go into the strange land of Egypt and retain his pure faith.   This is the essence, the power of Yosef to help Klal Yisroel through their journey into the difficult times of the desert.   Today is the yom helula of the Riyatz, Yosef Yitzchak.  He was the Yosef of the generation leading the Jews through the spiritual desert of the Soviet Union.  By establishing underground yeshivos, mikvaos and chaderim, he made sure even those living in times of אחר could remain a בן (based on Likutay Sichos volume 26.)
The michelta asks on the possuk וַיַּֽאֲמִ֨ינוּ֙ בַּֽיהֹוָ֔ה וּבְמשֶׁ֖ה עַבְדּֽוֹ that its a kal v'choma, if they believed in Moshe, for sure they believed in Hashem, why does it have to say they believed in Hashem?  It answers that by believing in the "faithful shepard" its as if one believes in Hashem.  How do we know how to have proper faith in Hashem?  By clinging to "the faithful shepard," the leader of the flock, by having proper faith in their words that is how a person will have proper faith in Hashem.
May we merit to have faith in the leadership of the Riyatz and learn from his ways.