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Save "Vayechi ~ From then to now to the next generation
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Vayechi ~ From then to now to the next generation

Summary

Jacob knows that he is going to die soon, so he calls Joseph to him and formally adopts Joseph’s sons Menasheh and Ephraim, saying that his descendants will bless their offspring to be like Ephraim and Menasheh. Jacob then gives blessings to all of his sons. Jacob dies and his children take him back to the land of Canaan to be buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Eventually Joseph dies after making his brothers promise to bury him in Israel when they finally leave Egypt.

WARM UP: we read in our parasha the first interaction in the Torah between grandchildren and grandparents. Share with your partner a story of a grandparent of yours, that you either experienced or heard.

יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלֹקִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה.

יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלֹקִים כְּשָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל וְלֵאָה.

Boys: May Elo-him make you as Efrayim and as Menashe.

Girls: May Elo-him make you as Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah.

(נא) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם הַבְּכ֖וֹר מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כִּֽי־נַשַּׁ֤נִי אֱלֹקים֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי׃ (נב) וְאֵ֛ת שֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י קָרָ֣א אֶפְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־הִפְרַ֥נִי אֱלֹקים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עָנְיִֽי׃

(51) And Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, for "God has caused me to forget all my toil and all my father's house."(52) And the second one he named Ephraim, for "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

1. Why do you think these two are chosen as role models for our children?

One reason is that they are the first siblings to have a normal relationship.

Another is that they are the first “Jews” born outside the Land of Israel, yet they kept their identity.

How do you balance the tension of being Jewish and living in America?

2. Knowing the source-feeling of the names Menashe and Efrayim, what does it do to your understanding of the blessing the fact that we say it on the opposite order?

(א) וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְיוֹסֵ֔ף הִנֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יךָ חֹלֶ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י בָנָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ אֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ (ב) וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה בִּנְךָ֥ יוֹסֵ֖ף בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ וַיִּתְחַזֵּק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל־הַמִּטָּֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אֵ֥ל שַׁדַּ֛י נִרְאָֽה־אֵלַ֥י בְּל֖וּז בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַיְבָ֖רֶךְ אֹתִֽי׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מַפְרְךָ֙ וְהִרְבִּיתִ֔ךָ וּנְתַתִּ֖יךָ לִקְהַ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים וְנָ֨תַתִּ֜י אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לְזַרְעֲךָ֥ אַחֲרֶ֖יךָ אֲחֻזַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם׃ (ה) וְעַתָּ֡ה שְׁנֵֽי־בָנֶיךָ֩ הַנּוֹלָדִ֨ים לְךָ֜ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם עַד־בֹּאִ֥י אֵלֶ֛יךָ מִצְרַ֖יְמָה לִי־הֵ֑ם אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ וּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן יִֽהְיוּ־לִֽי׃ (ו) וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ֛ אֲשֶׁר־הוֹלַ֥דְתָּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֖ם לְךָ֣ יִהְי֑וּ עַ֣ל שֵׁ֧ם אֲחֵיהֶ֛ם יִקָּרְא֖וּ בְּנַחֲלָתָֽם׃ (ז) וַאֲנִ֣י ׀ בְּבֹאִ֣י מִפַּדָּ֗ן מֵ֩תָה֩ עָלַ֨י רָחֵ֜ל בְּאֶ֤רֶץ כְּנַ֙עַן֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת־אֶ֖רֶץ לָבֹ֣א אֶפְרָ֑תָה וָאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ שָּׁם֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔ת הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃ (ח) וַיַּ֥רְא יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מִי־אֵֽלֶּה׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־אָבִ֔יו בָּנַ֣י הֵ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־נָֽתַן־לִ֥י אֱלֹקִ֖ים בָּזֶ֑ה וַיֹּאמַ֕ר קָֽחֶם־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַאֲבָרֲכֵֽם׃ (י) וְעֵינֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כָּבְד֣וּ מִזֹּ֔קֶן לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְא֑וֹת וַיַּגֵּ֤שׁ אֹתָם֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק לָהֶ֖ם וַיְחַבֵּ֥ק לָהֶֽם׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף רְאֹ֥ה פָנֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א פִלָּ֑לְתִּי וְהִנֵּ֨ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י אֱלֹקִ֖ים גַּ֥ם אֶת־זַרְעֶֽךָ׃ (יב) וַיּוֹצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֹתָ֖ם מֵעִ֣ם בִּרְכָּ֑יו וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ לְאַפָּ֖יו אָֽרְצָה׃ (יג) וַיִּקַּ֣ח יוֹסֵף֮ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶם֒ אֶת־אֶפְרַ֤יִם בִּֽימִינוֹ֙ מִשְּׂמֹ֣אל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ מִימִ֣ין יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּגֵּ֖שׁ אֵלָֽיו׃ (יד) וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־יְמִינ֜וֹ וַיָּ֨שֶׁת עַל־רֹ֤אשׁ אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ וְה֣וּא הַצָּעִ֔יר וְאֶת־שְׂמֹאל֖וֹ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה שִׂכֵּל֙ אֶת־יָדָ֔יו כִּ֥י מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה הַבְּכֽוֹר׃ (טו) וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הָֽאֱלֹקִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר֩ הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ אֲבֹתַ֤י לְפָנָיו֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֔ק הָֽאֱלֹקִים֙ הָרֹעֶ֣ה אֹתִ֔י מֵעוֹדִ֖י עַד־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (טז) הַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל־רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֮ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (יז) וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹסֵ֗ף כִּי־יָשִׁ֨ית אָבִ֧יו יַד־יְמִינ֛וֹ עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ אֶפְרַ֖יִם וַיֵּ֣רַע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וַיִּתְמֹ֣ךְ יַד־אָבִ֗יו לְהָסִ֥יר אֹתָ֛הּ מֵעַ֥ל רֹאשׁ־אֶפְרַ֖יִם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ (יח) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶל־אָבִ֖יו לֹא־כֵ֣ן אָבִ֑י כִּי־זֶ֣ה הַבְּכֹ֔ר שִׂ֥ים יְמִינְךָ֖ עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ (יט) וַיְמָאֵ֣ן אָבִ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יָדַ֤עְתִּֽי בְנִי֙ יָדַ֔עְתִּי גַּם־ה֥וּא יִֽהְיֶה־לְּעָ֖ם וְגַם־ה֣וּא יִגְדָּ֑ל וְאוּלָ֗ם אָחִ֤יו הַקָּטֹן֙ יִגְדַּ֣ל מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְזַרְע֖וֹ יִהְיֶ֥ה מְלֹֽא־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ (כ) וַיְבָ֨רֲכֵ֜ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ לֵאמוֹר֒ בְּךָ֗ יְבָרֵ֤ךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יְשִֽׂמְךָ֣ אֱלֹקִ֔ים כְּאֶפְרַ֖יִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־אֶפְרַ֖יִם לִפְנֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ (כא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י מֵ֑ת וְהָיָ֤ה אֱלֹקִים֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְהֵשִׁ֣יב אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (כב) וַאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ שְׁכֶ֥ם אַחַ֖ד עַל־אַחֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי׃ (פ)
(1) Some time afterward, Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (2) When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to see you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. (3) And Jacob said to Joseph, “El Shaddai appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and He blessed me, (4) 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.’ (5) 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 Manasseh shall be mine no less than Reuben and Simeon. (6) But progeny born to you after them shall be yours; they shall be recorded instead of their brothers in their inheritance. (7) I [do this because], when I was returning from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, while I was journeying in the land of Canaan, when still some distance short of Ephrath; and I buried her there on the road to Ephrath”—now Bethlehem. (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. (15) And he blessed Joseph, saying, “The God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day— (16) The Angel who has redeemed me from all harm— Bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, And may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth.” (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. (21) Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die; but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. (22) And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

What are the indications of the relationship between these two children and their grandfather? Why do you think Yaakov chooses to tell this short story in front of his grandchildren?

Let's go back to what some commentators will say about the names of Efrayim and Menashe - how do their understandings impact the messages in these two names?

(נא) ואת כל בית אבי: מה שעשו לי בית אבי (הם אחיו) ואין הכוונה ששכח ממש, כי הנושא על שפתיו זכרון דבר מה, הנה לא שכח אותו. אך הטעם נתנני אלקים במצב שלא ארגיש עוד ברעה אשר מצאתני בית אבי, כי במה נחשבת היא נגד הצלחתי וגדולתי?

And all of my father's house - What (my siblings) did to me in my father's house. And the intent is not that he completely forgot, since if one mentions anything with one's lips they have not truly forgotten it. Rather, the reason is that God put me in a position in which I do not feel what was bad in my father's house, since how can it compare to my success and my greatness [of now]?

(נא) ואת כל בית אבי. הודה ג״כ על שלא הי׳ לבו נרדף לבית אביו. כי הי׳ מתבלבל עי״ז מלעשות עסקיו הגדולים והא שלא השתדל באמת להודיע לאביו הוא משום שהיו החלומות אצלו כנבואה. ומוטל הי׳ עליו שלא לגרום ביטולם ולא יהא ככובש את נבואתו ועוד יבואר בזה לפנינו:

And all of my father's house - he was also thanking for the fact that he did not run after his father's house. This would have confused him and prevented him from doing the great dealings - and further he did not make an effort to tell his father [where he was] because of the dreams that were like prophecy to him. And it was forced upon him not to bring the dreams to emptiness, and so he shouldn't be like one whose prophecy was not seized by him. And more can be said about this.

(נב) קרא אפרים. על שם אבות אברהם ויצחק שנא' בהם אפר. אברהם שנאמר ואנכי עפר ואפר. יצחק כאפר על גבי המזבח דאפרים משמע שתי אפרות. ולכך נקראו ישראל על שם אפרים שנא' הבן יקיר לי אפרים:

(52) קרא אפרים, “he called Ephrayim.” This was a reminder of the two founding fathers of the Jewish people, Avraham and Yitzchok, both of whom had described themselves as ashes, אפר. Compare Genesis 18,27 and Yitzchok, who when bound on the altar on Mount Moriah, considered himself as soon being burned to ashes. This is why the entire Jewish nation is on occasion called אפרים, compare Jeremiah 31,19: הבן יקיר לי אפרים, “truly, Ephrayim is a dear son to Me.”(God is speaking)

(נב) בארץ עניי, שהיתה לי מתחלה ארץ עניי ועתה הפרני האל בה בבנים ובעושר ובכבוד:

(52) בארץ עניי, in the land which for me was first a land of poverty, oppression, mental anguish, and has now become the land in which my potential has come to fruition where God has granted me children, wealth and honor.

(כ) וישם את אפרים לפני מנשה. הוסיף המקרא ללמדנו עוד מלשון יעקב אבינו. שמלבד שכבר ידענו ממנו שבענין רוחני אפרים קודם וע״כ קדם בדגלי מדבר ובחנוכת המזבח. ובהליכות העולם מנשה קודם. וע״כ קדם בפקודים בפ׳ פינחס בכניסתם לארץ כמש״כ לעיל. אבל עדיין לא ידענו למי ראוי להקדים בשם. והי׳ אפשר לחשוב שד״א קדמה לתורה וכמו זבולן נזכר קודם ליששכר. ה״נ ראוי להקדים זכרון מנשה קודם לאפרים. ע״ז בא הכתוב להגיד שיעקב שם את זכר אפרים לפני זכרון מנשה. ללמדנו שראוי להקדים כבוד התורה לפני גדולת הנהגה. והוא בכלל כבוד התורה ומעלת נפש ישראל ביחוד. ואינו דומה לזבולן ויששכר. שזבולן הי׳ הגורם לתורה של יששכר. וה״ז כמו דתנן שמעון אחי עזרי׳ שהוא נתלה במי שגרם גדולתו בתורה. משא״כ מנשה ואפרים שלא הי׳ כן. וכך הדין לדור דור:

And he placed Efrayim before Menashe - The text wanted to teach us more regarding the wording of Yaakov our father. We already knew from him that in spiritual issues Efrayim is before Menashe and this is why he was before in the [order of encampment of] banners in the desert and in the dedication of the altar. Yet on wordly issues Menashe is before [Efrayim]. And therefore he comes before in the countings in Parashat Pinchas when they enter the land as I explained above. But we still didn't know who should be mentioned first in name. It could have been the order that the Torah prefers, like Zevulun before Isachar, and so Menashe would come before Efrayim. And this is why the text comes to teach that Yaakov put the mentioning of Efrayim before Menashe, and this is to teach us that it is appropriate to put Torah before greatness in leading the world. And this is under the general principle of honor to the Torah and the level of the souls of Israel, in particular. And this is not similar to Zevulun and Isachar, since Zevulun was the one making possible that Isachar studied Torah. And this is not the case with Efrayim and Menashe, and this is the rule for all generations.

We all wonder how out children and grandchildren will turn out. How is Judaism going to express itself in their lives? How important is it going to be?

The idea given by the commentators is that Torah should come first - and here I want to stress that it is not Torah just for them. Judaism is also for adults, and we could even argue that it is basically for adults. When we do Jewish things in our homes, that is definitely very important. But we also have to nourish our souls and our growth in front of our children and grandchildren, so that they will see that there is a Jewish path for adults as well. And that is a life time of work, of our own spiritual work - it does not center in the bar mitzvah. It centers on our own relationship with our tradition and with the Holy One of Blessing.

So as we begin our week, my hope is that each of us will find something to cling to as a practice for our own spiritual growth. It can be attending the minyian, it can be making it a regular practice to help in a soup kitchen, it can be starting the Daf Yomi - which restarts today - it can be starting your own cycle of learning. But it has to be in front of our children, in the square of our homes, engaging them at their own ability. It is only by planting those seeds of our own growth in them that we will see sprouting, perhaps even many years later.

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