in
jews
the d
spirit
section
torah portion
F INE C HINESE D INING
“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin
Blessings And Heritage
A
s I write this, we have just
God make you like Ephraim and
completed the holiday of
Manasseh.’” [Genesis 48:20] To this
Chanukah. Our congrega-
day, we use these words to bless our
tion has held its annual Chanukah/
sons.
Shabbat dinner and our social hall
You may wonder why we offer
was overflowing with chil-
blessings in the names of
dren, parents, grandparents
Ephraim and Manasseh, two
and members of our con-
biblical figures about whom
gregational family and com-
we know next to nothing. You
munity.
would be in good company.
We began, as always, with
Throughout the ages, our
the blessing of the children.
scholars have asked this same
Rabbi Amy
To listen to so many parents
question.
Bigman
bless their children with the
Two main reasons are
words of our tradition was
offered by our commentators.
Parshat
beautiful and heart-warm-
The first is that Ephraim and
Vayechi:
ing.
Manasseh were the first sib-
Genesis
The idea for blessing
lings who did not fight with
47:28-50:26; each other. There are many
children comes from the
I Kings
blessings that Jacob offered
instances of sibling rivalry
2:1-12.
to two of his grandsons
found in the Book of Genesis,
and sons (in that order) in
but the rabbis say that these
this week’s portion. After 17 years
two brothers did not fight. (Since we
of living in Egypt, Jacob is on his
do not know anything about them,
deathbed. He blesses his son Joseph
other than their births, which are
through the blessing of Joseph’s
noted in Genesis 41 and the bless-
sons, Manasseh and Ephraim: “And
ing offered in this text, I find this
he blessed Joseph, saying: ‘The God
reason difficult to understand.) The
in whose ways my fathers Abraham
other reason that is given is that
and Isaac walked, the God who
while they were born in Egypt, to
has been my shepherd from my
Joseph and his Egyptian wife, they
birth to this day, the angel who has
remained faithful to their father’s
redeemed me from all harm, bless
Israelite faith. Although they lived
the boys. In them, may my name
in the diaspora, they remained, in
be recalled and the names of my
modern terminology, faithful Jews.
fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may
We know well the challenges of
they be teeming multitudes upon
living as Jews in a non-Jewish world.
the Earth.’” [Genesis 48:15-16]
Especially at this time of year, it can
Joseph does not receive a direct
be difficult to remain faithful to our
blessing from Jacob as do his broth- own traditions; but as Manasseh
ers; through his sons, Joseph is
and Ephraim are credited as having
blessed by his father. The portion
done, we, too, must remain true to
continues: “So he (Jacob) blessed
ourselves and our heritage. ■
them that day, saying: ‘By you shall
Amy B. Bigman is rabbi at Congregation
Israel invoke blessings, saying,
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December 20 • 2018
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