Torah Portion

Family Relationships
And The Need For Harmony

In Abraham's immediate family,
there were two wives/mothers (Hagar
and Sarah), each compering for the
recognition and role of their sons
(Ishmael and Isaac) as future leader of
the clan. Isaac had only one wife,
Rebecca, but he and she differed in
their attitudes towards their twin sons,
acob said to Joseph, "Your
Esau and Jacob, and the boys fought,
two sons, who were born to
aware that their parents did not view
you in the land of Egypt
them equally.
before I came to you in Egypt,
In Jacob's time, four mothers (Leah
shall be mine. Ephraim and Menasseh
Rachel,
Bilha and Zilpa) each support-
shall be mine no less than Reuben and
ed
their
children
within the family.
Simeon"... Israel's eyes were dim with
arguments
and contention
age;
e. he could not see. So
that played out in the
[Joseph] brought them close
strained relationships
to him, and he kissed them
between "the children of
and embraced them ...
Israel." But Joseph, his wife,
Joseph took the two of them,
Asnat,
and their sons,
Ephraim with his right hand
Menasseh
and Ephraim,
— to Israel's left — and
were
spared
from the envi-
Menasseh with his left hand.
ronment
of
sibling
rivalry;
to Israel's right — and
their
agreement
must
have
brought them close to him.
been to treat the boys equal-
"But Israel stretched out
ly.
RABBI
his right hand and laid it
And Jacob/Israel, in meet-
NORMAN T.
on Ephraim's head, though
ing
his grandsons for the
ROMAN
he was the younger, and his
first
time, must have imme-
Special to The
left hand on Menasseh's
diately
sensed the difference.
head — thus crossing his
Jewish News
For
the
first time in his
hands — although
memory
(and most likely,
Menasseh was the firstborn.
even
in
the
very
story
he knew of his
And he blessed Joseph, saying, 'The
father
and
grandfather),
Jacob wit-
God in Whose ways my fathers
nessed sibling harmony, unconditional
Abraham and Isaac walked — bless
brotherly love. How did the aging
the lads. In them may my name be
grandfather "see" this in his grandsons?
recalled, and the names of my
Jacob realized his error — or was
fathers." When Joseph saw that his
it
a
test? — out of his own bitter
father was placing his right hand on
experience.
But in learning from
Ephraim's head, he thought it
Menasseh's
respect
for his brother,
wrong; so he took hold of his
Ephraim,
he
was
inspired
to bless all
father's hand to move it from
of
the
people
Israel
in
their
name.
Ephraim's head to Menasseh's. But
"Through you will the people of
his father objected, saying, "I know,
Israel find blessing from God if they
my son, I know" ... And he blessed
follow
the path like Ephraim and
them that day, saying, "By you shall
Menasseh."
Brothers (and sisters)
Israel invoke blessings, saying, 'God
who
can
work
together and live
make you like Ephraim and
together
in
peace.
Menasseh.' " Thus he put Ephraim
before Menasseh. (Genesis 48:3-20)
As the first of the Five Books of
Moses draws to a close, we realize that
much of our ancestors' history has
Have there been times when you
been marked with tension and rivalry
placed your on individual
between brothers, fighting over
dreams and goals secondary to
birthrights, parental love and com-
the needs of the family? How do
peting claims for blessing. Yet in this
),
you feel when "someone else
week's account of Jacob's final bless-
gets. the credit or reward you
ing, indeed in the very phrase
thought was coming to vou?
through which to this day, Jewish
Which characteristics do you
parents bless their own sons,
look for in the lives of those that
Menasseh and Ephraim are given a
will follow after you and carry
unique position.
on your name? What do you
wish them?
Norman Roman is rabbi at Temple

Shabbat Vayechi:
Genesis 47:28-50:26•
I Kings 2:12.

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