Parashat Vayechi 5783

(8) Noticing Joseph’s sons, Israel asked, “Who are these?” (9) And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” “Bring them up to me,” he said, “that I may bless them.” (10) Now Israel’s eyes were dim with age; he could not see. So [Joseph] brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. (11) And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and here God has let me see your children as well.”

(12) Joseph then removed them from his knees, and bowed low with his face to the ground. (13) Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim with his right hand—to Israel’s left—and Manasseh with his left hand—to Israel’s right—and brought them close to him. (14) But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head—thus crossing his hands—although Manasseh was the first-born....

(17) When Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it wrong; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s. (18) “Not so, Father,” Joseph said to his father, “for the other is the first-born; place your right hand on his head.” (19) But his father objected, saying, “I know, my son, I know. He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great. Yet his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall be plentiful enough for nations.” (20) So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying: God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

The primary intent of Scripture is to inform us that the firstborn was at the right of Israel, and the younger at his left. Is it not, then, redundant to tell us that they were respectively, at the left and right, of Joseph?

I believe that Father Jacob’s main purpose was to perpetuate God's grace (shefa) and blessings for the people of Israel. Jacob sought to do this by means of these two zaddikim (righteous leaders), Ephraim and Manasseh, as he said, "By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying, “God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh” (Gen. 48:20).

Why through these two zaddikim? Because the world is always in need of two types of zaddikim, one who will always contemplate the higher worlds and meditate on mystical unifications (yihudim), in order always to augment light in the higher spheres, and the other to think about the needs of this world, the people in need of sustenance and blessing and life, and other such necessities.

By means of these two kinds of zaddikim the world exists, and Jacob therefore sought to achieve this through his two grandsons. For Manasseh, as the firstborn, was by nature desirous of always rising spiritually from level and not thinking about mundane matters at all. But Ephraim was younger than his divine service as well. He did not indulge so much in these spiritual ascents. Rather, he always pondered how to draw down the divine grace (shefa) upon the people of Israel. Our Father Jacob considered this extremely important, for his main purpose was to draw down goodness upon Israel.

Now, Joseph’s intention was just the opposite. He reasoned that Manasseh was more important because of his great concentration and his spiritual ascent, and that is why he placed Ephraim at his own right. For Joseph too wanted the people of Israel to receive blessings through these two zaddikim. But he felt that the power of his own right hand was sufficient for Ephraim to achieve blessings for the people of Israel. However, Jacob considered Manasseh as more important, for he served God through great spiritual attainments, and therefore he placed him to the right of his father Jacob.

But our Father Jacob disagreed. He took the opposite view, and since Ephraim was younger, he crossed his hands in order to bless Ephraim with his right hand. For the primary function of Jacob was to do good to the generations after him, that they prepared for every good effluence and mercy. This was symbolized by Ephraim.