Parshat Vayechi:
Ephraim and Menasheh:
A Worthy Pair for Our Blessings
Rabbi Aaron Frank, Associate
Rabbi
Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
In a popular TV commercial, appearing on the screen are images of kids, young and old, with basketballs in hand singing out loud, "If I could be like Mike."
They want to be like Mike, Michael Jordan that is. He’s incredibly talented, athletic, rich and famous. So it is obvious why people would want to be like Mike. We are told to strive to emulate two people who, at first glance, aren’t the most obvious choices as heros. In this week’s parsha, in Breishit 48:20, Yaakov says to his grandchildren, "With you, you shall bless Israel saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh, yeshimcha Elokim c’Ephraim u’c’Menasheh"" This famous blessing has become a part of our weekly Shabbat ritual as parents bless their sons each week with Yaakov’s words.
And even though we have dileneated a special blessing for daughters as well, yeseemech elokim c’Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, v’Leah, "may God make you like Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel and Leah," the verse here in our parsha does not specify only males.
So, why is it Ephraim and Menasheh whom all of Israel
should strive to emulate, boys and girls alike? We know very little about them.
Out of all the laudable characters in Breishit, from Avraham to Yosef, we want our
children to be like them? What is it about them, that gives these young boys, born
to the daughter of Potiphar in Egypt, the right of receiving this eternal privilege?
And furthermore, how can we identify with these children about whom we know so
little, as we give children the blessing that they be like them?
Although it may seem that Ephraim and Menasheh are odd choices, upon closer examination we
see that in fact Yaakov’s words had enormous wisdom. The first quality that we
should follow is their appreciation of being happy with one’s lot in life. The
Iggra D’Cala quoted in the Ma’yana Shel Torah (p. 218) tells us the following.
"The whole point of the Torah is to teach us that a person should not pride
oneself too much and should not be jealous of others.
When Ephraim, the younger, went first, he did not brag
about it and Menasheh did not show jealousy toward him, they were as they always were..
and it didn’t cause any evil feelings." Yaakov’s actions of giving
the younger Ephraim the first blessing over the older Menasheh would have made other sets
of brothers tandems in Breishit like; Cain and Abel, Yitzhak and Yishmael, Yaakov
and Esav and, of course, Joseph and his brothers go crazy. Ephraim and Menasheh are
unique in that they are satisfied with their lots in life. Menasheh accepts without
complaint that Ephraim received his blessing first and Ephraim did not lord his good
fortune over Menasheh.
Therefore, when we bless others with "Yeshimcha Elokim c’Ephraim u’c’
Menasheh" we should have in mind that they be blessed with an ability to be happy
with their lot in life. While we should certainly treasure them, we should not show
haughtiness about the gifts God has granted us. Indeed, according to many,
Yosef’s downfall was not understanding how to act toward others with respect to his
unique talents. The hope is that, like Ephraim and Menasheh, children will
understand that each person in this world has a role. As the first Mishnah from the
fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot says, eize hu ashir, ha sameach b’chelko "who is
rich? One who is happy with his/her lot in life,".
The Slonomer Rebbe, R. Shalom Noach Berzovsky in his Netivot Shalom, gives us another significant insight into the lessons of "Yeshimcha Elokim c’Ephraim u’c’Menasheh". Throughout his discussions of the Yosef narrative, he often says that Yosef has two main characteristics. They are both based on the fifteenth verse from Tehilim Lamed Daled, Psalm 34. The verse is sur meyra, shun evil and the other half says aseh tov, do good. These two important characteristics are embodied in each of his sons.
When Menasheh, Yosef’s first son was born, Yosef
chose his name to represent the idea of sur meyra, shun evil. As the Torah tells us
in Mikets, 41:51, "Yosef called the name of his firstborn Menasheh ki nashanee
Elokimn et kol amalay v’et kol beyt avee, for God has made me forget, all of my toil
and all my father’s house." I have left evil of my brothers, I have
survived the negative experiences in my life, I have forgotten that ugly chapter, sur
meyra. The Slonomer adds that Menasheh’s name also stands of the concept of
overcoming the Yezer HaRah, conquering the evil inclination to go on the wrong path.
When Yosef’s second son was born, he took another approach. In 41:52 we learn
that Yosef named his second son Ephraim, "for God has caused me to be fruitful,
heefrahnee Elokim be’erets on’yee, I have blossomed in the land of my
affliction." I have succeeded in a positive way, aseh tov, do good. The
Slonomer adds that Ephraim’s name also stands for kedusha and taharah for sanctifying
and purifying things that are permissible to us.
Both of these aspects are what we hope for in the ones
we love most. Our lives are full of challenges to stay away from things that prevent
us from reaching our potential. In the spirit of Menasheh, we must sur meyra.
But, says the Slonomer, by blessing Ephraim first, we learn that the task to elevate
everything we do to holiness is even more important, avodah b’ inyanei heter hee
gvohah yoter. One could look at life in two ways. We can either emphasize all
the negative forces that we must stay away from, or look at the world as a place where we
must sanctify everything that we do. Ephraim and Menasheh not only help us to understand
the two tasks of life. The placement of Ephraim first in the blessing teaches us
that we should primarily look at life not as a mine field where we walk around trying to
avoid evil, but that we should look at life as a garden with the potential to sow seeds of
holiness.
The final idea that we learn from the blessing of Ephraim and Menasheh emerges from two
statements made by Yaakov in this event. In 48-5, Yaakov embraces Ephraim and Menasheh so
much that he basically adopts them. He says to Yosef, "And now, your two sons
Ephraim and Menasheh, who were born to you in Egypt, before I came to you in Egypt are
mine, li hem, as Reuven and Shimon, they shall be mine." Yaakov, their
zayde, says to them, you are mine. As the Pirkei d’Rebbe Eliezer points out,
"bnei banav shel adam k’banav, one’s grandchildren are like one’s
children." When one blesses a child with the blessing of Ephraim and Menasheh, they
are saying, ‘its Shabbat. Let’s reconnect, you are mine once again.’
But, the message seemingly turns sour in verse 8.
As Yaakov, referred to here as Yisrael, sees Yosef’s sons, he asks a bizarre
question, he says, "mi eyle, who are these people?" How can Yaakov ask
such a thing after saying, li hem, they are mine?
Many meforshim try to answer this puzzling question. Rashi tells us that
"Yaakov wanted to bless Ephraim and Menasheh, but the Shechinah left him because
idolators and evil people descended from Ephraim and Menasheh." The Chizkuni simply
tells us that it was a physical problem – Yaakov couldn’t see so well and
couldn’t recognize his grandsons’ voices. Yet, I think that there is
something else going on.
Between his telling Yosef of his close feelings toward Ephraim and Menasheh, and the puzzling mi elyleh of verse 8, Yaakov recalls the death of his beloved Rachel which takes him back to his roots in Kna’an. His statement of li hem, they are mine was part of this reconnection to his past with the hope that these grandchildren will reconnect and fully continue his legacy. Yet, when he sees them walk in, and the Torah says he sees them, vayar, they do not look like good yeshivah boys. Avivah Zornberg brings out a midrash that says that they were beyond recognition in their Egyptian fashion. (Genesis: The Beginning of Desire, p. 371) These boys did not look the part of children who Yaakov would want to adopt. Their baggy jeans and earrings were not what Yaakov had in mind. Yet, after Yosef reassures him, Yaakov, in a forgiving, unconditionally loving way of a grandfather, blesses them anyway.
This is the final message of why we bless the youth
with being like Ephraim and Menasheh. In our own world, we, as adults are tempted to
want to possess our children and almost claim them as our own, li hem, but this story
tells us that this may not always happen. Our children can take their own paths,
dress their own way, be who they are, even to the point of us asking "mi eyleh, who
are you?" yet we still must bless them.
Children will go in their own direction, but as parents and teachers, we always still owe
them a blessing. We should bless our daughters and sons and tell them,
"Yeshimcha Elokim c’Ephraim u’c’Menasheh, be like Ephraim and Menasheh
-- be who you are and accept your strengths and weaknesses. Be like Ephraim and
Menasheh-- understand that we must look at the world as a place we must sanctify, and let
the story of Ephraim and Menasheh always remind us that no matter who we are, kid or
adult, no matter how far the ones we love have strayed, we should still bless them with
our full hearts.
Shabbat Shalom
MORE THOUGHTS FROM RABBI AARON FRANK
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