Drash on Vayechi 2025
Rabbi Sam Zwarenstein
Emanuel Synagogue
As Jacob nears the end of his life, he is given a number of opportunities to bid farewell to his loved ones and bestow his personal blessings upon them. When Joseph brings his own two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim to their grandfather, Jacob reflects on his journey and the blessings bestowed upon him.
He recalls; “El Shaddai, who appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, blessed me – and said to me, ‘I will make you fertile and numerous, making of you a community of peoples; and I will assign this land to your offspring to come for an everlasting possession’. Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Menasheh shall be mine no less than Reuven and Shimon.” (Genesis 48:3-5).
The flow of the narrative through these three verses defines Jacob’s determination to ensure that there will be continuity throughout the generations, so that each will be blessed in accordance with and in recognition of those who have come before them. Jacob specifically mentions Reuven and Shimon to remind Joseph that Menasheh and Ephraim will be no less important to him than his own eldest sons.
When the time comes for Jacob to bestow blessings upon his grandsons, Jacob engages in one of the key themes of the book of Genesis, he shows preference to the younger sibling, not the older one, by placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left on Menasheh’s head. Even though Joseph tries to correct the “error” inferring Jacob had made a mistake, Jacob assures him that he knows what he is doing, declaring that the younger brother will be greater than the older one. Jacob then says; “ ‘By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying: God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh.’ Thus he put Ephraim before Menasheh.”(Genesis 48:20).
Jacob had intentionally placed Ephraim before Menasheh, through action (placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head) and through words.
The words of the blessing offered by Jacob form part of the blessing we bestow upon our children, when we bless the male children with those very words; “May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh”.
Some scholars explain that Jacob’s favouring of the younger sibling over the older is a continuation of a divinely-inspired plan, where the sibling most suited to the overall plan is given higher prominence and ends up having the story continue mainly through them.
We could spend days, perhaps even years discussing why it was necessary for our narrative to be told in a particular way, examining the lessons learned (or not learned), the character of our ancestors, nature versus nurture, and so on.
Perhaps a more favourable way to look at the blessing Jacob bestows on his grandchildren is to appreciate it from a perspective of hope and change. Ephraim and Menasheh are the first siblings whose focus is not on jealousy and dominance. They maintain a harmonious relationship, they serve as a beacon of light and provide connections for all families to aspire to.
They are also the first siblings to enjoy a multi-generational relationship in their family. While it wasn’t one that spanned many decades, they got to know their grandfather, Jacob. This further enforces the blessing that Jacob offered them as it includes the recognition of that multi-generational relationship.
Jacob’s blessing serves as a model for building connections that go beyond the familiar, encouraging us to bless others in meaningful, even unconventional ways, honouring our heritage as well as seeking to establish greater meaning for future generations.
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