Ephraim and Manasseh

Vayechi

Gen. 47:28 - 50:26

 

Précis: As the Book of Genesis ends, Jacob lived (vayechi) in the land of Egypt for 17 years and dies after giving a final, poetic, individualized ethical testament to each of his sons. In a great funeral procession, Joseph, his brothers, and Pharaoh and his court bring Jacob’s body to Machpelah to be buried. At the end of the parasha, Joseph dies after exacting a promise to bring his remains to the land of Israel as well.

Gen. 48:20 “He blessed them that day and said, “[In the time to come] Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

   As I have mentioned before, I’ve adopted the tradition of blessing my sons with these words each Shabbat (sometimes in person, sometimes on Zoom or Facetime or Messenger). Why has this tradition persisted for thousands of years?

One traditional commentator (Yalkut Yehudah) suggested that they were the first two Jewish children born in exile, and they kept their identities (as is evidenced by their Hebrew names) and so later generations were blessed by their names, as a way to continue their identification with the Jewish People. Another suggestion is that the blessing was by a grandfather to his grandsons (the only such instance in the Bible), and while parental/child relationships may be difficult, relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren are more usually marked by love and kindness.

            There is one other interpretation which I find particularly moving. Recall that sibling rivalry is a constant theme in Genesis. When Jacob adopts his grandsons as sons and gives them blessings, he places his right hand on the younger brother, Ephraim, giving him “priority” over his older brother Manasseh. Tradition holds that Manasseh and Ephraim remained close and loving, while such a switch caused a great rift between Jacob and Esau. The sons of Joseph were the exemplars of brotherly love.

            When we bless our children, it is not only for their health and happiness. We pray that they will love each other like Ephraim and Manasseh. 

The Past Does Not Need to Define us

Vayigash

Gen. 44:18 - 48:27

 

Précis: We approach the end of the Joseph saga. Benjamin is being held by Joseph as the alleged thief of a gold cup. Judah comes near (vayigash) Joseph, and begs for his brother’s life, offering himself as a substitute. Joseph is overcome and reveals himself to his brothers, forgiving them for selling him into slavery, stating that it was all part of God’s plan. Joseph sends them back home to bring Jacob and their families down to Egypt to survive the upcoming famine. They comply, and Joseph arranges for them to reside in the land of Goshen, living off “the fat of the land” at Pharaoh’s insistence. During the remainder of the famine, Joseph purchases land and cattle for Pharaoh, making serfs of the Egyptian people in exchange for the grain stored during the seven years of plenty. The Israelites prosper and multiply.

Gen. 45:14-15 “Then he [Joseph] threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.”

Vayigash teaches us that reconciliation is always possible. At the outset of the tale, Joseph’s brothers could not speak peaceably to him. They were on the verge of killing him before selling him into slavery. Can one imagine any more hateful actions among siblings? Can one imagine the feelings of their father when he eventually learned of their hatred and their awful lies about Joseph’s death?

            Here, some would say that Joseph was being merely magnanimous. But there is much more at play here. He is not stuck justifying his own painful story. This seemingly happy reunion still contains serious elements of doubt among the brothers. The older brothers need more time to renegotiate their relationship with Joseph, especially after their father Jacob dies. Only through years of effort and confidence building does true reconciliation occur.

This is a truth which most families will face at one time or another. Reconciliation is not achieved by a single step or by some grand gesture. It is a process. The past does not need to define us.  With hard work, we may be blessed so that the past is no longer the present.