Transcript
Good morning, בוקר טוב Boker Tov, and welcome back to our פרשה Parsha perspectives for today, our weekly analysis of the פרשה Parsha, the סדרא Sedra, that week's Torah portion, with an emphasis on extracting the lessons that are relevant for us in contemporary times. We have many sponsors for today. I want to express our gratitude to them all. First of all, today's Day of Learning at Boker Torah Synagogue is sponsored by Rona and Dr. Sid Cohen in honor of the birth of their granddaughter to Zahava Kaplan, daughter of Alyssa and Nachman Kaplan, sister to Dvora. מזל טוב, מזל טוב Mazal Tov, Mazal Tov on that wonderful שמחה simcha. You should have a lot of נחת nachas. The פרשה Parsha series is generously sponsored for the year by Becky and Avi Katz and family in loving memory of David Grossman, לעלוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מנוש l'iluy nishmas David ben Menachem Manush. So grateful to our dear friends the Katzes for their generosity in this area and in so many others. Thank you so much. Also, this morning's class is sponsored by Liz and Dr. Michael Michelle, in honor of her father, Dr. Rabbi Irving Levy, הרב יצחק הלוי בן בנימין HaRav Yitzchak HaLevi ben Binyamin, whose יארצייט yahrzeit is on י\"א טבת yud aleph Teves. May his נשמה neshama have an עליה aliyah. And sponsored by Carol Wald, in honor of the יארצייט yahrzeit of her beloved mother, Clarice Pressner. Thank you all for your generosity and for your sponsorship. מזל טוב Mazal Tov on the שמחות simchas, and the נשמות neshamos of those for whom it is sponsored should have an עליה aliyah. We are up to the final פרשה Parsha of the book of בראשית Bereishis. We are closing the book. The curtain is coming down on the story of the formation, the development of the first family. A complicated story, a rollercoaster story, a story of ups and downs, a story that hopefully goes from dysfunction to function, though we'll talk about this morning whether in fact it did that. Does the story, does the curtain come down with joy and happiness? Is there closure and reconciliation? Or is that wishful thinking? Have they never fully really reconciled? Yosef and his brothers, are they still in some ways at it? Not only when בראשית Bereishis closes, but even until this very day. That is part of our subject for this morning. פרשת ויחי Parshas Vayechi can be found in the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash on page 268. If you have an Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash for those who want to follow inside. ויחי יעקב בארץ מצרים שבע עשרה שנה ויהי ימי יעקב שני חייו שבע שנים וארבעים ומאת שנה. Vayechi Yaakov b'eretz Mitzrayim shva esrei shana, vayehi yemei Yaakov shnei chayav sheva shanim v'arba'im u'me'as shana. יעקב Yaakov lived in מצרים Mitzrayim for 17 years. רש\"י Rashi tells us in some ways, these were the best years of his life. He had some peace, he had some closure, he had some degree of happiness. His family was back intact. Everyone was safe, secure. They're living and thriving in the suburb of גושן Goshen, where they've set up a ישיבה Yeshiva and a שול shul. And for 17 years, יעקב Yaakov is able to have the שלוה shalva, the peace, the serenity that he had wanted before. ויחי יעקב Vayechi Yaakov, those words, ויחי Vayechi, יעקב Yaakov lived. יעקב Yaakov lived 17 years. But the word ויחי Vayechi means even more than יעקב Yaakov lived. See רש\"י Rashi. ויחי יעקב, Vayechi Yaakov, says רש\"י Rashi, למה פרשה זו סתומה? lama parsha zu stuma? כיון שנפטר יעקב אבינו נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל מצרת השעבוד שהתחילו לשעבדם. keivan she'niftar Yaakov Avinu nistemu eineihem v'libam shel Yisrael mitzaras hashibud she'hischilu l'shabdom. רש\"י Rashi tells us that normally if you look in a ספר תורה Sefer Torah, normally if you look in a חומש Chumash, you'll find that there's a space left in between פרשיות parshios. That a פרשה Parsha ends and there's a space, there's margin, there's empty קלף claf between the words that close the previous פרשה Parsha and the words that open the next פרשה Parsha. And yet, פרשת ויחי Parshas Vayechi is the one and the one and only פרשה Parsha in the Torah which is סתומה stuma, in which it continues on one line, it continues one into the next, there is no space between פרשיות Parshios ויגש Vayigash and ויחי Vayechi. Why is there no space? Why is there no break? What is the message that that seeks to communicate? So רש\"י Rashi tells us, what it's communicating, it's סתומה stuma because, כיון שנפטר יעקב keivan she'niftar Yaakov, once יעקב Yaakov died, נסתמו nistemu, just like the פרשה סתומה parsha stuma, it's a closed פרשה Parsha. Once יעקב Yaakov dies, נסתמו nistemu the eyes and the hearts of the Jewish people became closed. What does it mean they became closed? The eyes and hearts became closed because of the צרה tzara, because of the burden, because of the persecution, the oppression, because of the suffering at the hands of the Egyptians, when יעקב Yaakov died, this was the close of the Jewish people's serenity, prosperity, this was the close of the Jewish people's peace in מצרים Mitzrayim and now they began to feel the שעבוד shibud. ר' וואלבה Reb Volbe, רב שלמה וואלבה זצ\"ל Rav Shlomo Volbe zatzal, the great משגיח Mashgiach of מיר ירושלים Mir Yerushalayim asks a very compelling question. Again, so many of us have learned this רש\"י Rashi so many times and we gloss right over it. But if you stop and you think about it for even a moment, ר' וואלבה's Reb Volbe's question is very compelling. We know that שעבוד מצרים shibud Mitzrayim, the צרות tzaros of מצרים Mitzrayim, as רש\"י Rashi calls them, did not begin when יעקב Yaakov died. When יעקב Yaakov died, his sons, the שבטים shvatim continued to outlive him. And we know that from the end of our פרשה Parsha, because in the end of our פרשה Parsha, the brothers and יוסף Yosef continue to have a conversation. Is there reconciliation? Have they moved on? They, they brothers ostensibly are communicating and transmitting a message from their father, that relationship continues. So if that relationship continues, then it means that the brothers continued and the שעבוד מצרים shibud Mitzrayim did not begin yet. So when did the שעבוד מצרים shibud Mitzrayim, when did the harshness of the exile first begin? When did it first begin? It began after the שבטים shvatim, after all the tribes were gone, after the tribes died, not with the death of יעקב Yaakov. So what's רש\"י Rashi telling us that once it was סתום sasum? So listen to the insight, listen to the insight of ר' וואלבה Reb Volbe. ר' וואלבה Reb Volbe in שיעורי חומש Shiurei Chumash on our פרשה parsha, פרשת ויחי Parshas Vayechi. He says that the bondage that חז\"ל Chazal are referring to is not the physical enslavement. We're not talking about the physical oppression and suffering. But we're talking about a spiritual one. When יעקב Yaakov, their guide and their mentor, when יעקב Yaakov, that role model disappeared, the שבטים shvatim, his children began to feel the influence of the Egyptian culture. As soon as יעקב Yaakov was gone, as soon as יעקב Yaakov left the scene, when יעקב Yaakov was there, he was successful in this barrier. יעקב Yaakov was a throwback, a connection to the past. יעקב Yaakov was able to give them what they needed in order to have a sense of confidence, a sense of identity, even as they lived among a foreign entity, even as they lived among the Egyptians. But once יעקב Yaakov died, once יעקב Yaakov left the scene and now the שבטים shvatim, his children were on their own, they were struggling. And therefore רש\"י Rashi, therefore the ר' וואלבה Reb Volbe explains רש\"י Rashi, they felt the bondage, not the physical bondage. The slavery and oppression, the servitude didn't kick in until all the שבטים shvatim died. But once יעקב Yaakov has gone, נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל nistemu eineihem v'libam shel Yisrael. Their eyes and their hearts were closed, the role model, the person they could point to, the person they could see was gone. And now the influence of מצרים Mitzrayim, the influence of this foreign culture, this foreign nation, this foreign people could be felt, could be felt. Those living in חוץ לארץ chutz la'aretz are more susceptible to the influence of a non-Jewish culture. But it doesn't matter where you live in the world. If you don't attach yourself to a role model, if you don't have a יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu, if you don't connect to somebody who is a link in the chain to the past and who is a model and a precedent for a life of faith, for a life of devotion, for a life of מסירות נפש mesirus nefesh, for a life of unwavering commitment to wanting to fulfill the רצון השם ratzon Hashem, the will of God and to give him נחת רוח nachas ruach, it is so easy to fall prey. It is so easy to assimilate, it is so easy to become confused and distracted. That's what it means נסתמו עיניהם ולבם של ישראל nistemu eineihem v'libam shel Yisrael was not referring to the physical bondage, but the spiritual one, which is also a form of bondage that we all need to be aware of and we all need to be afraid of. Moving right along, the פרשה parsha tells us that יעקב Yaakov is ending, nearing the end of his life, and he has this great fear, don't bury me in מצרים Mitzrayim. I don't want this to capture my legacy. This is not where I want permanence, but rather take me, take me to the land of my forefathers, take me and bury me with those who come before. ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת v'asisah imadi chesed v'emes. Do for me both a חסד ואמת chesed v'emes. רש\"י Rashi tells us this is the source of the notion, the work of the חברה קדישא Chevra Kadisha of טהרה Tahara is חסד של אמת chesed shel emes. When you take care of and when you do a חסד chesed with those who are no longer among the living, there's no hope that they can repay. There's nothing they can give back in return, there's nothing they can do for us. And therefore that is the the ultimate חסד chesed, that is the highest level of חסד chesed that we can hope for. That is the highest חסד chesed, it's what we call a חסד ואמת chesed v'emes. ושכבתי עם אבותי v'shachavti im avosai. I want to sleep in perpetuity. I want to achieve immortality. I want to be forever with אבותי avosai, with those who come before me. אנכי אעשה כדברך Anochi e'eseh k'dvarecha. And he answered, יוסף Yosef made the promise. השבעה לי hishava li. יעקב Yaakov didn't take it for granted. He didn't trust, so to say. He said, make me a promise. I want to know. I want to know that you fulfill your word. I want to know that you really mean it. יוסף Yosef makes him the promise, and he bows down על ראש המטה al rosh hamita. And from here we know the שכינה Shechina dwells, the שכינה Shechina can be found, God's presence can be intensely felt where? It can be intensely felt at the head of the bed of a sick person. That is where Hashem is most accessible. פרק מ\"ח Perek Mem Ches. ויהי אחר הדברים האלה vayehi achar hadevarim ha'eleh, it's after these things. ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה vayomer l'Yosef hinei avicha choleh. ויקח שני בניו עמו את מנשה ואת אפרים v'yikach shnei vanav imo es Menashe v'es Efraim. It's reported to יוסף Yosef, your father is sick. Your father is terminally ill. It's time to bring your children, his grandchildren, מנשה Menashe and אפרים Efraim for a ברכה bracha, and he does that. Before he gets to the, sorry, השבעה לי hishava li, the promise, the oath, let's look at our first רב דרוק Rav Druk. We're going to see several, several insights of רב ישראל מאיר דרוק Rav Yisrael Meir Druk, the איש תמיד Ish Tamid, that's what we've been studying this year in the פרשה Parsha class. We've been invoking a lot. The son of the great דרש מרדכי Drash Mordechai, the מגיד Maggid of ירושלים Yerushalayim, but this is רב ישראל מאיר דרוק Rav Yisrael Meir Druk, ראש ישיבה Rosh Yeshiva today in ירושלים Yerushalayim. And his איש תמיד Ish Tamid he writes the following, that ויאמר השבעה לי וישבע לו vayomer hishava li vayishava lo, יעקב Yaakov tells יוסף Yosef, promise me, and יוסף Yosef promises. And רש\"י Rashi tells us ראש המטה rosh hamita, I alluded to it, על ראש המטה al rosh hamita, שהיתה מטתו שלימה שאין בו רשע shehaysa mitaso shleima she'ein bo rasha. What does it mean the head of the bed? יעקב Yaakov's bed was full. אין בו רשע Ein bo rasha. יעקב Yaakov realizes right now among his children, he had achieved something that his predecessors hadn't. אברהם Avraham had a יצחק Yitzchak, but he also had a ישמעאל Yishmael. And יצחק Yitzchak had a יעקב Yaakov, but he also had an עשיו Esav. And יעקב Yaakov had שבטי קה shivtei Kah. שיוסף מלך הוא she'Yosef melech hu ובנו שנשבל בין הגוים והיה עומד בצדקו u'vno she'nishbal bein hagoyim v'hayah omed b'tzidko. יוסף Yosef was a king and יוסף Yosef was living among the Gentiles and yet he had not compromised an iota of who he was and who he was meant to be. Says רב דרוק Rav Druk, מבואר שיעקב השתחוה והודה להקדוש ברוך הוא שזכה שמטתו שלימה. mevu'ar she'Yaakov hishtachaveh v'hodah l'Hakadosh Baruch Hu she'zacha she'mitaso shleima. יעקב Yaakov at this moment is overwhelmed. He's on his deathbed, it's the end of his life. He is reflective, he's nostalgic and he's looking at all he's been through. A rollercoaster of ups and downs, of conflict, of tension, of impermanence. And here he is now surrounded by his loved ones, surrounded by his family, thinking about the end of his life and his legacy. And the one loose end, his יוסף Yosef who had been missing for 22 years, the one loose end, his יוסף Yosef who he was concerned and suspected had not only disappeared physically, but who he was worried had strayed and disappeared spiritually. Now יוסף Yosef, who's risen to the level of viceroy of Egypt, יוסף Yosef is still with the program. יוסף Yosef is still with the plan. יוסף Yosef has raised a מנשה Menashe and an אפרים Efraim. And therefore he feels full, he feels complete, he feels whole. And ראש המטה rosh hamita. דבר תמוה Davar temei'a, wonders רב דרוק Rav Druk, how peculiar. אם כן מדוע לא הודה יעקב על דבר זה אלא אחר שנשבע לו יוסף שלא לקוברו במצרים. Kein madua lo hodah Yaakov al davar zeh elah achar she'nishba lo Yosef shelo likovro b'Mitzrayim. If this is the case, why is it only now that יעקב Yaakov says, okay, I feel complete, I feel whole, I can exhale. When did יוסף Yosef die? When did he die? He died. Not when יוסף Yosef died. When did יעקב Yaakov become complete? It was when he came down to Egypt and he met יוסף Yosef's children. And he learned with them and taught them and spent time with them. מה ראה עתה ביוסף שהבין שיוסף עומד בצדקו. Ma ra'ah asah b'Yosef she'hevin she'Yosef omed b'tzidko. הנה בהמשך הפרשה בברכת יעקב לבניו אמר יוסף hinei b'hemshech ha'parsha b'birchas Yaakov l'vanav omar Yosef. ותשב באיתן קשתו ויפוזו זרועי ידיו. vateshev b'eisan kashto vayefozu zro'ei yadav. And אונקלוס Onkelos there translates מבואר שידע יעקב שיוסף קיים את כל התורה והמצוות בסתר. mevu'ar she'yadah Yaakov she'Yosef kayem es kol haTorah v'hamitzvos b'seiser. ואם כן מדוע רק עתה השתחוה והודה על מטתו השלימה. ve'im kein madua rak ata hishtachaveh v'hodah al mitaso hashleima. The תרגום Targum tells us that יעקב Yaakov knew that while יוסף Yosef, you know, יוסף Yosef maybe didn't wear a יארמולקע Yarmulke to work. I'm sure he did. I'm not gossiping about יוסף Yosef. But we know that until recently, there were many, my father and father-in-law among them, the previous generation, righteous, religious, devoted, holy ערליכער אידן erlicher Yidden, holy Jews, who the circumstances didn't allow to wear a יארמולקע Yarmulke to work. And yet they were unflinching in washing before they eat, making a ברכה bracha and making a ברכה bracha when they came out of the bathroom. They figured out a way. And says the תרגום Targum, so יעקב Yaakov knew about יוסף Yosef, that while יוסף Yosef operated at the highest echelons of government, while יוסף Yosef lived in the palace and served as the viceroy, he was unflinching, uncompromising, unequivocal in his personal observance. So again, so why, why not until now? Why is יעקב Yaakov only satisfied? Why is יעקב Yaakov only feeling whole or complete now? What took so long? Why not earlier? והנה ביאור בזה, he'ne'a bi'ur b'zeh so says רב דרוק Rav Druk, here's his suggestion. שבודאי כבר ידע יעקב קודם לכן שיוסף קיים את כל התורה בסתר. she'b'vadai kvar yadah Yaakov kodem l'chein she'Yosef kayem es kol haTorah b'seiser. יעקב Yaakov knew earlier on that יוסף Yosef was being observant privately. אבל עדיין לא ראה יראת שמים שלו בפועל ממש. aval adayin lo ra'ah yiras shamayim shelo b'foal mamash. But if יוסף Yosef was doing it privately, if יוסף Yosef was able to mumble a ברכה bracha in the corner, he held up the phone to make it look like he was on the phone when he was דאווענען מנחה davening Mincha, how did יעקב Yaakov really witness? How did he know? How did he know the passion, the energy, the enthusiasm? How did he really know? כאשר בקש ממנו יעקב להשבע ונשבע לו, ראה יעקב כיצד נשבע יוסף. ka'asher bikesh mimenu Yaakov l'hishava v'nishba lo, ra'ah Yaakov keitzad nishba Yosef. וראה את היראה שהיתה על פניו בשעת השבועה. v'ra'ah es ha'yirah she'haysa al panav b'shaas hashvua. When you ask someone to take an oath, an oath is invoking God's name. And when a person is God-fearing invokes God's name, they do so with an enormous sense of seriousness and sobriety. It brings out a sense of יראת שמים yiras shamayim. One of the tests of a person's seriousness is how seriously they take using Hashem's name. שר בשעה שאמר הקדוש ברוך הוא בעשרת הדברות Shar b'sha'ah she'amar Hakadosh Baruch Hu b'Aseres Hadibros, when God said, in fact, in the עשרת הדברות Aseres Hadibros, don't take my name in vain. The חז\"ל Chazal tell us, גמרא Gemara in שבועות דף ל\"ט Shvuos daf lamed tes, that the whole world shook. The whole world was shaking at the thought of taking God's name in vain. God's name is our connection to him. קידוש השם Kiddush Hashem, חילול השם Chillul Hashem, נקדש את שמך ברבים nikadesh es shimcha b'rabim. When we talk about God's name, we're talking about God's essence. We're talking about how God manifests and expresses himself to us. We're talking about the way we access him and our relationship with him. And therefore to take his name in vain is to take him in vain. So when Hashem said, don't ever invoke my name in vain, don't say my name when you don't mean it, don't make a promise, a pledge, a swear, an oath with my name when it's untrue, you're desecrating, you're violating, you're corrupting everything I stand for. So it was specifically with this. This was the litmus test. יעקב Yaakov knew, if you would ask יעקב Yaakov, of course he knew, my יוסף Yosef is a ירא שמים yirei shamayim, יוסף Yosef is an ערליכער איד erlicher Yid. How did you know? I know. Have you seen it? Not for myself, but I know. Now with the שבועה shvua, when he sees the way in which he takes the seriousness of making this promise and this oath, כאשר ראה יעקב כיצד נשבע יוסף, הבין שיוסף הרי עומד בצדקו. ka'asher ra'ah Yaakov keitzad nishba Yosef, hevin she'Yosef harei omed b'tzidko. יוסף Yosef is righteous and יוסף Yosef is virtuous and יוסף Yosef is serious. עוד יש לומר Od yesh lomar, but furthermore you can explain, שהרי ביקש ממנו יעקב לשים ידו תחת ירכו she'rabbi bikesh mimenu Yaakov la'asias yado tachas yerecho, ולא נענה לו v'lo ne'ene lo, כמו שביאר תרגום יונתן k'mo she'bi'er Targum Yonasan, שבשעה שיוסף היה בנו של יעקב she'b'sha'ah she'yosef hayah b'no shel Yaakov, חז\"ל Chazal, אסור לאדם להכנס למרחץ עם אביו assur l'adam l'hikanes l'merchatz im aviv. When יעקב Yaakov said, I need you to take an oath and here's what you need to do. When a person makes a promise, and here the non-Jewish courts have or non-Jewish systems have followed us, they put the hand on the Bible and make a promise. Where did that come from? You put your hand on a Bible? Because if we want you to take it seriously, the moment you're making the promise, you put your hand, you rest your hand on a מצוה mitzvah. There was no Bible. There was no מצוה mitzvah other than the ברית מילה bris milah. And therefore in reference or association with the ברית מילה bris milah was the way a person would most seriously take their promise. But יוסף Yosef hesitated. And why did יוסף Yosef hesitate? Aside from the obvious reasons why it seems inappropriate. But יוסף Yosef hesitated because the סמ\"ג Smag writes in לא תעשה מצוה קכ\"ז lo sa'asei mitzvah kuf chaf zayin, that אסור לאדם להכנס למרחץ עם אביו assur l'adam l'hikanes l'merchatz im aviv. A person should not go into the bath house with their father. You don't go in the locker room with your father. You don't change in the changing room with your father. Because it's not proper. It's not respectful. מכל שכן מהטעם לשים ידו תחת ירך אביו ולגע במילת אביו M'kol sheken mei'ha'ta'am l'sim yado tachas yerech aviv v'ligo b'milas aviv, לא רצה יוסף lo ratzah Yosef. יוסף Yosef didn't want to. He thought that was a violation of כיבוד אב Kibud Av. יוסף Yosef thought that it wasn't appropriate. So he didn't respond immediately. He hesitated at using that symbol of a מצוה mitzvah of righteousness in order to make the promise. כיון שראה יעקב את יראת שמים של יוסף שנמנע מלשום ידו תחת ירכו. k'ein ka'asher ra'ah Yaakov es yiras shamayim shel Yosef she'nimna l'sum yado tachas yerecho. So therefore it was the duel. What יעקב Yaakov witnessed was both the seriousness with which יוסף Yosef took the promise, the שבועה shvua, and moreover, coupled with יוסף Yosef's knowledge and awareness of respect, the מצוה mitzvah of כיבוד אב Kibud Av. That he didn't want to violate that boundary. And when you combine the two, יעקב Yaakov says, now, now I feel שלם shalem. מטתו שלימה שאין בו רשע mitaso shleima she'ein bo rasha. Now I know that my יוסף Yosef is not only a צדיק tzaddik in private. My יוסף Yosef is not only a צדיק tzaddik when no one's looking, but now I've witnessed, now I can affirm his צדקות tzidkus, his righteousness. Okay, continuing right along. Now we can move. פרק מ\"ח Perek mem ches. It was after this, they bring the brothers. ויגד ליעקב הנה בנך יוסף בא אליך Vayaged l'Yaakov hinei bincha Yosef ba eilecha. יעקב Yaakov is told your son יוסף Yosef is coming. ויתחזק ישראל vayischazek Yisrael. And now we transition. ויגד ליעקב Vayaged l'Yaakov, יעקב Yaakov was told, and who sits upright in bed? Who strengthens himself? ויתחזק vayischazek, who strengthens himself? ישראל Yisrael. Note, throughout our פרשה Parsha, and really throughout ספר בראשית Sefer Bereishis and חומש Chumash, when do we refer to him as יעקב Yaakov and when do we refer to him as ישראל Yisrael? Pay attention, pay close attention, because יעקב Yaakov represents the vulnerable. יעקב Yaakov represents the transient. יעקב Yaakov represents the mere mortal. ישראל Yisrael represents the greater entity. ישראל Yisrael represents the covenantal community. ישראל Yisrael represents immortality and eternity. So יעקב Yaakov is told, יעקב Yaakov on his deathbed is told, but what does it mean ויתחזק vayischazek? What he summons within himself is his sense of ישראל Yisrael, his sense of eternity and immortality, his sense of the future of the Jewish people, his sense of transcendence, his sense of being bigger than the individual, but rather being something so much more, the Jewish people. ויאמר יעקב אל יוסף Vayomer Yaakov el Yosef. And יעקב Yaakov tells יוסף Yosef, God appeared to me and he gave me a ברכה bracha and he told me I would multiply and I'd inherit the land. And now your two sons who are נולדים בארץ מצרים noladim b'eretz Mitzrayim, your two sons who are born here in Egypt, עד בואי אליך מצרימה לי הם Ad boi eilecha Mitzrayma li heim, they're mine. אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי Efraim u'Menashe k'Reuven v'Shimon yihiyu li. אפרים Efraim and מנשה Menashe, your two sons, they're like ראובן ושמעון Reuven and Shimon. And we know halachically this matters, halachic implications, that אפרים Efraim and מנשה Menashe, though they are grandchildren, they're a level down from the שבטים shvatim. Nevertheless, יעקב Yaakov promotes them. And יעקב Yaakov says they have the status of ראובן ושמעון Reuven and Shimon. יוסף Yosef, you're not counted among the tribes, but rather אפרים Efraim and מנשה Menashe are. It's a מחלוקת ראשונים machlokes Rishonim, did they each receive different territory, or did they receive the same territory of יוסף Yosef? Are they really treated as two tribes, or are they symbolically referenced or counted as two tribes? Exactly how far that goes is not for now. But יעקב Yaakov elevates אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון Efraim u'Menashe k'Reuven v'Shimon. And he's going to give them the ברכה bracha, we'll come to in a moment, but first we have to ask a question. ואני V'ani, as for me, says יעקב Yaakov, בבואי מפדן b'voi mi'Padan, when I was coming from Padan, מתה עלי רחל בארץ כנען בדרך בעוד כברת ארץ לבא אפרתה meisa alai Rachel b'eretz Knaan baderech b'od kivras eretz lavo Efrasa. Oh, when it came to me, Rachel died on me. מתה עלי רחל Meisa alai Rachel. I point out every year, I always find this pasuk startling. This pasuk sounds to me, להבדיל lahavdil, it comes across, it sounds almost like, like she's a used car. מתה עלי רחל Meisa alai Rachel. Your mother up and died on me. Could you believe it? 100,000 miles. מתה עלי Meisa alai. She died on me, that car. She died on me, the camel. Can you believe my laptop, my cell, she died on me. מתה עלי Meisa alai. She died on me, בארץ כנען בדרך b'eretz Knaan baderech, on the way. Like as if Rachel inconvenienced יעקב Yaakov by dying on him. He was on the journey, he was on the way, he had a large family. What was she doing inconveniencing him? Why did she have to go and die on him? מתה עלי רחל Meisa alai Rachel on the way. ואקברה שם v'ekbera sham, and I buried her there בדרך אפרת היא בית לחם b'derech Efras hi Beis Lechem. And I buried her there on the side of the road to אפרת Efrat. אפרת Efras which is בית לחם Beis Lechem. וירא ישראל את בני יוסף Vayar Yisrael es bnei Yosef. Then ישראל Yisrael sees the children of יוסף Yosef and he says, מי אלה mi eileh, who are they? So all the ראשונים Rishonim jump on this. And all the ראשונים Rishonim wonder, what in the world is going on here in these פסוקים psukim? יעקב Yaakov is moved to give a ברכה bracha. יוסף Yosef summons his grandchildren and יעקב Yaakov sees them and he says, these are no ordinary grandchildren. These don't have a level of grandchildren. No. אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי Efraim v'Menashe k'Reuven v'Shimon yihiyu li. They're elevated, they're like children, they count as tribes. But by the way, before I ask who they are, even though I just spoke about them, let me reference a little history. Your mother up and died on me when we were on the way. And I had to bury her on the side of the road, I had no choice. Oh, okay, back to these boys. Who are they and what's going on? What in the world is happening here? What's going on in this, in this interaction? What's going on in this back and forth, in this conversation? Why here, why now, and what is יעקב Yaakov trying to communicate with this story about Rachel dying? And why here? And why here? So it would seem, let's look at רש\"י Rashi. Let's look at רש\"י Rashi before I tell you what would seem. רש\"י Rashi tells us, רש\"י Rashi tells us. Yeah. פסוק ז'. ואף על פי שאני מטריחך להוליכני לקבר בארץ כנען, ולא כך עשיתי לאמך שהיא מתה סמוך לבית לחם. Pasuk zain. V'af al pi she'ani matrichacha l'holichani l'kever b'eretz Knaan, v'lo kach asisi l'imecha she'he meisa samuch l'Beis Lechem. רש\"י Rashi says, you know why יעקב Yaakov's invoking this here? What's the promise that יעקב Yaakov had just asked from יוסף Yosef? Do me a favor. I know it won't be convenient. I know it won't be comfortable. I know it will be hard. The מפרשים Meforshim will explain, it was particularly hard for יוסף Yosef. Why? יוסף Yosef's the viceroy. He's living in Egypt. You're not going to bury your father in Egypt? Where's your patriotism? Where's your loyalty? Don't you believe this is your future? Why are you going to another country? יוסף Yosef had to worry that he would be accused, unfortunately this is a realized fear in our time, that he had to worry that he was going to be accused of what? Dual loyalty, dual loyalty. You're taking your father to Canaan, you're taking your father to Israel? Where's your loyalty? Not bury him here? So יעקב Yaakov says, I know I'm inconveniencing you. I know I'm asking you to do something difficult. And you're probably wondering, and you probably want to ask me, \"Hey, Dad. אבא Abba, you want me to leave my comfort zone? You want me to potentially get in trouble with פרעה Paroh? All to take you far away, a long journey, an arduous trip to bury you elsewhere? But my mother you deposited on the side of the road? My mother who died in childbirth, you just buried conveniently where you were? Why didn't you inconvenience yourself? Why didn't you make that effort? Why didn't you struggle? Why didn't you go to extraordinary lengths to take her to מערת המכפלה Maras Hamachpeila with you? Why did you simply deposit her and bury her on the side of the road?\" So רש\"י Rashi says that's what יעקב Yaakov is anticipating יוסף Yosef might ask, and that's why he's inserting it פּונקט punkt right here and in this spot. אף על פי שאני מטריחך להוליכני לקבר בארץ כנען af al pi she'ani matrichacha l'holichani l'kever b'eretz Knaan. Even though I am, I am burdening you with taking me to bury me elsewhere, and I didn't do that for your mother. You need to know, ואקברה שם ולא הולכתיה אפילו לבית לחם v'ekbera sham v'lo holachtiha afilu l'Beis Lechem. I didn't even take her into the city. I didn't even bury her in the town cemetery of בית לחם Beis Lechem. I buried her on the side of the road. Why? ידעתי שיש בלבך עלי Yadati she'yesh b'libcha alai. I know that you have a grievance against me. I know that you don't understand it, you're wondering why and how. אבל דע לך aval da l'cha, says רש\"י Rashi, you need to know, שעל פי הדיבור קברתיה שם she'al pi hadibur k'vartia sham, that I buried her because divinely I was told. It was prophecy. God wanted her there. Why? Why would God want her there? שתהא לעזרה לבניה כשיגלה אותם נבוזראדן she'tei l'ezra l'vaneha k'sheyigle osem Nevuzaradan, and they were passing, והיו עוברים דרך שם v'hayu ovrim derech sham. Because when נבוזראדן Nevuzaradan, the Babylonian evil, wicked general would exile them, and they would pass, והיו עוברים דרך שם v'hayu ovrim derech sham. And the way out of Israel to Babylonia, to exile was exactly past this road. יוצאת רחל על קברה ובוכה ומבקשת עליהם רחמים yotzas Rachel al kivra u'vocha u'mevakeshes aleihem rachamim. ממא רחל Mama Rachel will rise up and she will see the Jewish people being led into exile and she will advocate like only a mother can. She will cry like only a mother can. ומבקשת עליהם רחמים u'mevakeshes aleihem rachamim. And she will plead and beg for mercy for children like only a mother can. שנאמר קול ברמה נשמע shenemar Kol b'Ramah nishma. The pasuk in ירמיהו פרק ל\"א Yirmiyahu perek lamed alef. והקדוש ברוך הוא משיבה v'Hakadosh Baruch Hu meshiva, and הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakadosh Baruch Hu is going to answer, יש שכר לפעולתך נאום ה' yesh sachar l'fulaseich ne'um Hashem, ושבו בנים לגבולם v'shavu vanim ligvulam, ושבו בנים ושבו בנים לגבולם v'shavu vanim v'shavu vanim ligvulam. That hope and that optimism, that promise of our return to the land comes on the back of the sincere prayer of רחל אמנו Rachel Imeinu, of our ממא רחל Mama Rachel. So says יעקב אבינו Yaakov Avinu, according to רש\"י Rashi, why is he mentioning it here? Where does this come from? מתה עלי רחל Meisa alai Rachel, she died on me on the way, like a like a car that died, and I deposited her, I buried her there instead of making the effort to take her with me. And I know יעקב Yaakov, I know יוסף Yosef, rather, you're wondering. I've just asked you to inconvenience you, I've asked you to go to extraordinary lengths and when it came to me, I just deposited her there. How and why? How could I do that? I know that's what you're wondering. Here's the reason. I didn't do it randomly. I didn't do it by chance, it was by design. The Almighty, השם Hashem divinely inspired and told me to put her there. And why did she need to be there says רש\"י Rashi? Fast forward to ירמיהו הנביא Yirmiyahu HaNavi, because when the Jews would be exiled and נבוזראדן Nevuzaradan, the Babylonian general would take them out of their land, she would rise up and דאווענען daven, she would advocate as only a ממא רחל Mama Rachel, as only a mother, as only a mother could. And with that, he turns to יוסף Yosef and tries to explain. The רמב\"ן Ramban wonders where רש\"י Rashi sees this in the text. If you look at the רמב\"ן Ramban, there's a lot I want to cover, so we're not going to look at this רמב\"ן Ramban inside. But the רמב\"ן Ramban wonders, where is this in the text? And he says maybe that's what יעקב Yaakov meant when he said, מתה עלי בדרך meisa alai baderech, she died on the way. Why did the text have to tell us she died on the דרך derech, on the way? Just tell us she died and tell us where she was buried. Why does it describe where she died? So suggests the רמב\"ן Ramban, maybe that's what רש\"י Rashi saw was in the words, \"on the road,\" that there would be something about being buried adjacent to the road which is significant, which would be יעקב Yaakov's defense, which would be the explanation. And that's why, that's why it says the road, and the road indicates she needed to be buried there. But the רמב\"ן Ramban gives his own interpretation. He doesn't like רש\"י Rashi. And the רמב\"ן Ramban gives his own interpretation to what in the world is going on here. And he says יעקב Yaakov wants to explain to יוסף Yosef, don't be angry that his mother was not buried in מערת המכפלה Maras Hamachpeila, why? Because she died in the land of Canaan and was not buried outside of Israel, while יעקב Yaakov's burial was going to be in the land of Egypt. She died suddenly on the road, he couldn't bury her there. How could he leave his children and cattle on the road and go with her to מערת המכפלה Maras Hamachpeila? It would have taken him and his entourage many days, he would have abandoned his family. Who would have taken care of them? So says the רמב\"ן Ramban, maybe what יעקב Yaakov is trying to suggest to יוסף Yosef is a contrast. She died in Israel and she's buried in Israel. I am scheduled to be died to die in Egypt. So you can't compare. It's true I'm asking you to do something extraordinary, but the alternative to it is a final resting place in Egypt and I don't want to be there. Your mother died at least in Israel and that's where she was buried, albeit not in מערת המכפלה Maras Hamachpeila, but at least she is buried in the eternal resting place of of the Jewish people, of the Jewish people. It wasn't possible. The רמב\"ן Ramban understands that יעקב Yaakov's offering a defense. יוסף Yosef, don't be frustrated, don't be upset. This is unspoken. I know it's many years that we never addressed this, but I want you to know why, I want you to know why. And the reason is I couldn't. I wasn't practical. I had young children. I had a family. I had people who relied on me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. The ספורנו Sforno offers another interpretation. ספורנו Sforno has another pshat. We're again on Perek Mem Ches and Pasuk Zain. The ספורנו Sforno, Rav Ovadia Sforno, the great Italian exegete says the following. He says, he says, ואני, שמא תאמר כי שנאתי אליה לא חלילה אלא שגרם החטא. זה לא יתכן. V'ani. Shema tomar ki sinasi eyleha lo chalila elah shegaram hachet, zeh lo yitachein. Maybe you'll say that he's going to have more children, it was impossible. בבואי מפדן כאשר נגלה אלי אז הקל ישראל b'voi mi'Padan ke'she'nigla elai az ha'keil Yisrael. When I was exiled when God sent me on the path when we were on the way, מתה עלי רחל meisa alai Rochel. כאומרם אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה ke'omram ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. חז\"ל Chazal, our Rabbis tell us in Sanhedrin 22b, you know who feels the loss of a loved one most? Is it the children? Is it the nephews and nieces? Is it the rabbi, the friends? Who feels it the most? Says the גמרא Gemara, אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. When a spouse dies, nobody feels it as profoundly, nobody feels it as acutely, painfully as the spouse. The spouse lost their other half. The spouse lost a piece of themselves. The spouse lost the partner. The spouse experiences a extraordinary loneliness. אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. But דרך כברת ארץ לבוא אפרתה derech kivras eretz lavo Efrasa. תקף כי נסעתי מאותו מקום שהיה מדבר אליה כליזלה tekef ki nasati me'oso makom she'haya medaber eleha k'lizla. בהיותי בדרך קצר מיני b'yosi b'derech kotzer mini. ואקברה שם v'ekbereha sham. וכל כך גברה עלי תרדתי ואבלותי שלא הציתי כח להוליך לבית קברות בית לחם v'chol kach gavra alai tirdasi v'aveilusi shelo hitzati koach l'holich l'beis kvoros Beis Lechem. So says Forno, you know why she's buried on the side of the road? Because אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. You don't understand. It's true you kids, you lost your mother. You, Yosef and Binyamin, you lost your mother. It's true. Binyamin didn't even know her. Binyamin, Rochel died in childbirth. She never really met her son Binyamin. And Yosef you weren't there. But you know, it's true the pain of children, but nobody felt the pain like I did. And I was so, I my grief, my grief ran so deep and so painful, I just didn't have what it took. I simply couldn't get it together and muster the strength to bring her to the בית לחם Beis Lechem cemetery. I didn't have the כח להוליך לבית קברות בית לחם koach l'holich l'beis kvoros Beis Lechem. ואין ספק כי מאז היה לי חלל בקרבי v'ein safek ki me'az haya li chalal b'kirbi. And there's no question that from then there was a hole in my heart. ולא שאר בי יצר הרע לשלוח לחטא ולא נשאר בי כח להוליד בנים v'lo sha'ar bi yeitzer hara lishloach l'chet v'lo nish'ar bi koach l'holid bonim. My יצר הרע yeitzer hara was destroyed. My desires were weakened. I had no more strength to have any more children. That was it. So the Sforno explains why is Yaakov invoking this here? He's sharing with Yosef a deep secret. Yosef, I never told you, I never told anyone. But when your mother died, I was crippled with sadness. When your mother died, I was paralyzed by the sense of loss. When your mother died, I put one foot in front of the other and I did what it took because I had children and a family, but you don't you need to know that inside, I had nearly nothing left. So maybe you're upset and resentful, but I want you to know the reason I didn't take her to bury her there is I simply didn't have anything left to do it. I find these מפרשים meforshim so powerful because this is a conversation that Yaakov and Yosef needed to have. It's a deathbed conversation, but it doesn't need to be. There are all conversations that children and parents, all conversation that relationships in all directions need to have and they don't need to wait for the deathbed. There are unasked questions that should be asked. There are answers and explanations that should be offered. There are clarifications that deserve to happen. And not always will everyone be satisfied with what's offered. But in order to have a sense of completion, in order to have closure, there are conversations. And I can tell you as a rabbi that is regularly counseling at the at the deathbed, people wait until it's too late. They wait till their loved one is compromised or is terminal, or they're unable to bring up these topics because they're concerned. But you know when they lose the loved one now, it's un it's there's no closure. Now it remains forever unexplained. And here there's a beautiful example as the Torah teaches us, something from so many years ago but relevant today. The importance of these conversations at the end of life. And Yaakov is essentially turning it on its head and he's saying Yosef, you're bitter, you're resentful? You need to know what I was going through. אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה Ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. אין אשה מתה אלא לבעלה Ein isha meisa ela l'ba'alah. Sometimes you have children who are resentful of the way a parent behaves when their other parent was dying. But they don't know the profound pain and that the surviving parent was enduring because it was never communicated. It remained unspoken when it should have been. So Rashi says I want you to know this wasn't me. God told me to bury your mother there and it was a plan. She needed to be there because when the Jewish people would be exiled, Mama Rochel needed to be there to daven for them. And the Sforno says and the Ramban says no, no, no, that's not what's going on. What's going on is Yaakov says I was being a responsible parent. You don't know, but you don't realize. If I would have made the effort to go to מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila, and would have left everyone alone, you never would have made it. I had to stay back. That was the responsible thing. And the Sforno offers a third interpretation. He says Yaakov is telling Yosef, I didn't have what it took. I was broken inside. I was hollow and empty inside. You have no idea the depth of my grief. I simply didn't have what it took. Look at it through my eyes, look at it and live it through my perspective. The חזקוני Chizkuni offers two more interpretations. Listen to the חזקוני Chizkuni. Says the חזקוני Chizkuni, עדיין לא הייתי מוחזק במערה שהרי עשו מערער עליה adayin lo hayisi muchzak ba'me'arah she'harei Eisav me'arer aleha. לפיכך קברתיה בדרך l'ficha k'vartiah ba'derech. Number one, the חזקוני Chizkuni says I wasn't yet secure in the cave. For when I was on the road, Eisav was still claiming it. You want and wish for me to have buried your mother where ultimately Leah and I are buried? I couldn't. Eisav controlled the cave at the time. Eisav was wrestling me over that cave. He claimed it was his. I simply couldn't. So I buried her on the road. But, כשקברתי את לאה מכבר הלך לו עשו לארץ שעיר והניח לי הכל k'she'kavarti es Leah, michvar halach lo Eisav l'eretz Seir v'hiniach li hakol. According to תנחומא Tanchuma, חזקוני Chizkuni. By the time I buried Leah, the cave was clearly mine. Eisav had relinquished any hope of ownership, any claim over it, and therefore I was able to bury Leah. So you can't have a טענה taina, you can't have a grievance against me. I couldn't bury your mother there. I had no choice but to put her on the side of the road. It wasn't an option for me. Number one. Number two. ואקברה שם ekbereha sham, כי ידעתי כי עתיד גבול זה לעלות לחלק בניה ki yadati ki asid gvul zeh la'alos l'cheilek baneha. וכבודה הוא להיות נקברת בחלק בניה u'chvodah hu l'hiyos nikberes b'cheilek baneha. I knew this border would eventually belong to her descendants, and it'd be an honor for her to be buried in the portion that belonged to her children. But had I buried her in the cave, אם קברתיה במערה אין זו כבודה im k'vartiha ba'me'arah, ein zu k'vodah. שהרי היא בחלקו של יהודה בן לאה she'harei hi b'cheleko shel Yehuda ben Leah. Where is מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila? Within the division of the land of Israel among the tribes, where does חברון Chevron, where does מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila fall out? It falls out in the portion of Yehuda. Yehuda is the son of whom? Of Leah, Rochel's co-wife. So for Rochel to be interred in the portion of her co-wife, of Yehuda, the son of Leah, that wouldn't have been respectful. What was more respectful, Yaakov is telling Yosef is, I buried her here near בית לחם Beis Lechem, and that is in the portion of her children. And that is the greater respect. That is the greater respect. And then a final, a third interpretation of the חזקוני Chizkuni, he says, Yaakov buried her there, לפי שרציתי לקוברה בארץ כנען, חששתי ליוסף לזאת l'fi she'ratzisi likvareh b'eretz K'naan, chashashti l'Yosef l'zos. שלא ישמעו על אמו ולא יתאבלו בדבר shelo yishme'u al imo v'lo yisablu ba'davar. He says, שקבורתה של רחל בארץ ישראל she'k'vurasah shel Rochel b'Eretz Yisrael. I could have been... it would have been a disgrace to transport her to the מערת המכפלה Machpeila, why? Because her blood might have soiled, פן ידמה ילחלחו תכריכיה pen yidmeh yelachlechu tachricheha. She would have been in her burial garments and there was no ice packs. Today when we transport a person to be buried in New York, to be buried in ארץ ישראל Eretz Yisrael, we have special packaging and transportation and ice pack and cooler. Didn't exist then. He says if I would have taken her to מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila, her body would have begun to decay and that would not have been respectful at all. So we've seen many, many interpretations. Rashi, a couple in the Ramban, the Sforno, three in the Chizkuni, all different and all a kind of interpretations. Rashi, it was prophetic. She needed to be there for when the children would emerge and when the children would ultimately come out. And that is the vision of our Mama Rochel. The vision of our Mama Rochel that she stands by the side and she davens for us in a way like nobody else, like nobody else could. That is the image and the vision of our Mama Rochel who sits on the side of the road. The Lubavitcher Rebbe as that's how it explains beautifully that Hashem wanted Rochel Imeinu to be buried roadside because Rochel Imeinu continues to sacrifice for her children. Rochel Imeinu in Parshas Vayeitzei Rashi tells us was the עקרת הבית akeres habayis. She was the one willing to sacrifice. She was מוסר נפש moser nefesh. She was the one who gave the taste and the flavor and the atmosphere to the home. And he says and and the Lubavitcher Rebbe says, based on this, that women are exempt from מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא mitzvos asei she'ha'zman grama. Women should never be conflicted. There should never be a tension, a competition, where are they going to give their their love and attention. To Hashem or to their children. So Hashem says, no, no, no, don't worry about me. If there's a time bound mitzvah and you can't get it all in, then forfeit me. Don't daven Mincha. Don't sit in the, don't do the sukkah, don't do the mitzvah for me. Stay with your husband, stay with your children. The נשים צדקניות nashim tzidkaniyos, this is the image of Rochel Imeinu, who is forever in perpetuity, Mama Rochel. She is Rochel Imeinu. This woman who was barren for so many years, who wanted more than anything. She had the husband. She scored Yaakov while Leah, all she wanted to do was be Yaakov's wife. Rochel had Yaakov, and yet, all she wanted was to be a mother. And that is how she is remembered. That's how she is memorialized in perpetuity. She's Mama Rochel. She's Rochel Imeinu. And so Yaakov is telling Yosef, yeah, bury me in מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila, but your mother needed to be buried along the road because your mother is a mama. She's מוסר נפש moser nefesh, and she is willing to be sacrificed. She was willing to not be in קבור kever she was willing to not be in מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila in order to remain closer to you. That is the extension of Rashi. The Ramban says it wasn't possible. Sforno says, I was paralyzed by grief. I couldn't do it. Chizkuni says, Eisav had the מרה Me'arah, I couldn't get her there. Or number two, it's a greater honor to be buried in her portion, not another. Or lastly, כבוד המת kvod ha'meis, maybe the תכריכין tachrichin would have been soiled. I didn't have that chance, I didn't have that chance. The Ramban has a final interpretation. And listen to the final interpretation. A seventh interpretation. Says the Ramban, you know why Yaakov is telling Yosef I didn't bury her there? Listen to this, it's wild. Because Yaakov says, you know, the fact that I married two sisters is against the Torah. In the Torah, a person's not allowed to be married to two sisters. So how did I do it? How could I be married to two sisters? It was a הוראת שעה hora'as sha'ah. It was an exception for whatever reason the genetics, the spiritual DNA of a Rochel and of a Leah needed to combine with Yaakov to yield the שבטי קה shivtei kah, the 12 tribes. For whatever reason it was a temporary exception to the rule. But Yaakov says, you know what it would look like if the Jews for thousands of years would come to מערת המכפלה Me'aras HaMachpeila and I would be buried there with two sisters? What that would look like and what it would say about me? That I was in continued violation of Torah to be associated with and buried with two sisters, it couldn't be. I couldn't have it. And so instead, I lie next to Leah, but Mama Rochel, Rochel Imeinu sits on the roadside. She cries and she and she rises for her children for whom she is the most loyal advocate, a loving mother who can step up and stand up in ways that nobody else can. So we saw seven interpretations and whichever one speaks to you, they could have multiple truths. Maybe many of them are compelling to you. But what I want to draw your attention to is not which of the interpretations you find most compelling as much as the importance of having these conversations. Don't wait. Don't delay. Don't leave things unresolved, but have the conversations that need to happen, even if it's simply is offering a clarification so that it doesn't remain unresolved for survivors, for successors, for those who remain behind. פרק מ\"ח פסוק י\"ד Perek mem ches pasuk yud daled. Moving right along. Now he gives the bracha to Ephraim and to Menashe. וישלח ישראל את ימינו וישב על ראש אפרים והוא הצעיר ואת שמאלו על ראש מנשה Vayishlach Yisrael es yemino vayashess al rosh Ephraim v'hu ha'tzair v'es smolo al rosh Menashe. שכל את ידיו כי מנשה הבכור sikel es yadav ki Menashe ha'b'chor. We all know the story that Menashe is on Yaakov's right because he's older and the right side is the is the greater side. And Ephraim was younger is on the left side, but Yaakov pulls the old switcheroo and he crosses his hands and he puts his right hand on the younger one Ephraim, his left hand on Menashe the older one. ויברך את יוסף ויאמר Vayevarech es Yosef vayomar, and he gives a bracha to Yosef and he says, האלקים אשר התהלכו אבותי לפניו ha'Elokim asher his'halchu avosai l'fanav, God who walked before me, before my forefathers, Avraham v'Yitzchak Avraham v'Yitzchak, האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi, which translates as, God, what's הרועה אותי ha'ro'eh osi? ArtScroll translates it as God who shepherds me. האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi, God who shepherds me. So, it's all set up. Menashe and Ephraim, Yaakov switches his hands, instead of going right to Ephraim and Menashe, first he gives a bracha to Yosef. And the bracha to Yosef is introduced with, God who I love and loves me, God of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak, God הרועה אותי ha'ro'eh osi. What does the word הרועה אותי ha'ro'eh osi mean? So Artscroll translates הרועה ha'ro'eh as, what's a רועה ro'eh? A shepherd. האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi means God who shepherded me. He shepherds me through my life. He is the shepherd of my life. But the Rabbi Soloveitchik Chumash translates it differently. Based on the Ramban. The Ramban says the word רועה ro'eh means a shepherd, but the root of the word shepherd, of רועה ro'eh is רעה re'a. רעה re'a is a friend. And therefore the OU Rabbi Soloveitchik Chumash translates האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi is not God who shepherded me, but God who befriended me. הקדוש ברוך הוא HaKadosh Baruch Hu who is my closest friend. I'm never alone. I confide, I lean, I love, I feel his love. האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi. It's one of the most beautiful פסוקים pesukim in the Torah if you understand like the Ramban. האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi means, means Yosef, I give you a bracha that you know that God has been my best friend מעודי me'odi, from when I was born, עד היום הזה ad ha'yom ha'zeh, until today. Throughout my life, when Dinah was captured and raped, when Eisav wanted to kill me, when this happened and I was on the road and on the run, when Lavan pulled the old switcheroo, throughout my life and all that I had to endure, האלקים הרועה אותי ha'Elokim ha'ro'eh osi, God was my best friend. מעודי me'odi, from my inception עד היום הזה ad ha'yom ha'zeh until today. Yosef, that's what I want you to know. And that is the biggest bracha. The biggest bracha is to know that the ריבונו של עולם Ribbono shel Olam, the איבעשטער Eibeshter is your best friend. Talk to him, lean on him, and and and live with him. הרועה אותי ha'ro'eh osi. I love that pshat, I love that explanation. It is so powerful. But back to Rav Druck. Rav Druck number two wonders the following. צריך ביאור Tzarich biur, מדוע יעקב הוצרך לעשות פעולה מתמיה כזו madua Yaakov hutzrach la'asos pe'ulah matmia kazu? שלפיכך את ידיו shel'fichach es yadav. Why is Yaakov crossing his hands? What's with the old switcheroo? הלא יכול לעשות באופן פשוט יותר Halo yachol la'asos b'ofen pashut yoser. Why doesn't he just say switch places? Yaakov's not shy. Why can't Yaakov just tell them, fellas, boys, switch places. Why doesn't he tell Menashe on the left, Ephraim on the right? Why does he pull the old switcheroo, crosses his hands, what's going on? הרשב\"ם בפירושו על התורה Ha'Rashbam b'feirusho al ha'Torah ביאר שזה בא התורה לברר במה שאמרה bi'er she'zeh ba ha'Torah l'varer b'mah she'amrah. שכל את ידיו כי מנשה הבכור sikel es yadav ki Menashe ha'b'chor. כלומר klomar, בשביל מנשה שהיה בכור לא עשה אלא שיכול ידיים bishvil Menashe she'haya b'chor lo asah ela sikel yadayim. רוצה לומר הרכיב ידיו ואצבעותיו זו על גב זו rotzeh lomar hir'kiv yadav v'etzbe'osav zo al gav zo, ושם הימין על אפרים ושמאל על מנשה v'sam ha'yamin al Ephraim v'smol al Menashe. שאלמלא לא היה בכור היה מחליף ומעביר מצד ימין לשמאל she'ilmalei lo haya b'chor haya machlif u'ma'avir mi'tzad yamin l'smol. בזו הייתה נתינת טעם b'zo haysa nesinas ta'am. The Torah is giving us the answer in the same pasuk that raises the question. The question was, why does the Torah say he switched his hands? And the answer is, כי מנשה הבכור ki Menashe ha'b'chor. Because he wanted to preserve the dignity and the honor of Menashe. So yes he wanted to to channel through the right, through the greater hand to Ephraim the younger one, but he wanted to preserve the dignity of Menashe to leave him on the right. וכן כתב החזקוני V'chen kasav ha'Chizkuni, שכל את ידו עשה ימינו ושמאלו בהשכל ובחכמה sikel es yadav asah yemino u'smolo b'haskel uv'chochmah. The word שכל sikel which means to switch, also has the same root as the word שכל sechel. That Yaakov wasn't doing this randomly or haphazardly. Yaakov was doing this thoughtfully and by design, strategically. שאילו נדמה לו להחליף את הבנים פוגע בדתו she'ilu nidmeh lo l'hachlif es ha'banim, poge'a b'da'ato. He should have told the boys, switch places. But עשה השכל חכמה בידיו ורצה לפייס את מנשה asah ha'sechel chochmah b'yadav v'ratzah l'fayes es Menashe. Instead, he crossed his hands. Why? He did not want to embarrass Menashe. כי הוא היה הבכור ki hu haya ha'b'chor. Because Menashe was the בוכר b'chor and he didn't want him to be embarrassed. מבוע שה Mevu'ar she, החכם עשה בחכמה רק להפוך את ידיו his'chal asah b'chochmah rak l'hafoch es yadav. So instead of asking them to switch places, he took it upon himself to switch his hands in order not to embarrass Menashe. וכן ביאר בספר נועם אלימלך V'chen bi'er b'sefer Noam Elimelech, the הלל רב אלימלך מליז'ענסק Hillel Rav Elimelech mi'Lejansk, the great Rebbe writes: למדה תורה דרך ארץ limdah Torah derech eretz. שינהג אדם כבוד בחברו לפי הראוי לו sheyinhag adam kavod b'chaveiro l'fi ha'rauy lo. A person always has to show honor to the person who deserves it. So give him a seat on the מזרח mizrach. Give him a seat at the table. Point. And therefore Menashe was older, and by virtue of being the בכור b'chor, he deserved to be on the right. Yes, Yaakov had to redirect, rechannel, cross his hands, but he didn't take the easier route, which was to switch them. He took the harder route, which was to hold his hands in that position. Hard for an old man on his deathbed, deathbed, but he went the harder route because he took it upon himself, better for him to work harder but not embarrass embarrass Menashe than it would be to embarrass Menashe. What an important lesson. יש מקום לומר בדרך אחרת Yesh makom lomar b'derech acheres. but says Rav Druck, you could also explain it a little bit differently. מהי הסיבה שיעקב אבינו לא החליף לגמרי את מנשה Ma hi ha'siba she'Yaakov Avinu lo hichlif l'gamrei es Menashe? Why didn't he switch him? Because it says in the pasuk before, ויקח יוסף את שניהם את אפרים בימינו משמאל ישראל ואת מנשה בשמאלו מימין ישראל Vayikach Yosef es shneihem es Ephraim b'imino mi'smol Yisrael v'es Menashe b'ismolo mi'yamin Yisrael. צריך ביאור tzarich biur, why didn't it just say as Ephraim to the left of Israel? Why doesn't it say Ephraim was on the left of Israel and Menashe was on the right of Israel? Why does it say בימינו משמאל ישראל b'imino mi'smol Yisrael? On his right, which was the left of Israel. In other words, the Torah here is narrating from the perspective of Yosef. He says, Ephraim, who was on Yosef's right, who was on Yaakov's left. Just say he was on Yaakov's left. וכי מה אכפת לנו כלל איזה צד של יוסף U'chei mah ichpas lanu klal eizeh tzad shel Yosef? What's really relevant here is how they were positioned vis-a-vis Yaakov. Yaakov's the one giving the bracha. Yaakov's the one who has to hold his hands and cross them. So what do we care how they appear from the perspective of Yosef? Why does the Torah communicate it in such a backwards, peculiar way? נראה מבוע שם יוסף סבר שישלח את המעלות החשיבות לאפרים Nireh mevu'ar shem Yosef savar she'yishlach es ha'ma'alos ha'chashivus l'Ephraim. אלא שהחשיבו לאפרים בזה שנסעו מימינו שלו ela she'hich'shivo l'Ephraim b'zeh she'naso mi'imino shelo. ובזה העדיפו ממנשה שבשמאלו שלו u'b'zeh he'edifo mi'Menashe she'bi'smolo shelo. שאף ימינו של יוסף בשעת הברכה זה יש לו חשיבות מיוחדת she'af yemino shel Yosef b'shaas ha'bracha zeh yesh lo chashivus meyuchdes. Because the Torah wants us to know that even though Menashe, even though Ephraim was on the left of Yaakov from Yaakov's perspective, Ephraim was on Yosef's right because Yosef was standing opposite Yaakov. So from Yaakov's perspective, Ephraim was on the right. Because that also has a חשיבות chashivus. יוסף סבר שגם מנשה הבכור יהיה הוא מימין ישראל Yosef savar she'gam Menashe ha'b'chor yihyeh hu mi'yamin Yisrael. אפילו שהוא בשמאל שלו afilu she'hu bi'smol shelo. ולזה יעקב הניחו לאפרים במקום החשוב u'l'zeh Yaakov hinicho l'Ephraim b'makom ha'chashuv. שמימין של יוסף עשה פעולה נוספת she'mi'yamin shel Yosef asah pe'ulah nosefes. That's what Rav Druck suggests is each one of them is on a left and each one of them is on a right. It all depends on what perspective you're looking from Yosef or from Yaakov. We're not going to get into it right now. We've discussed it in previous years. What is this מחלוקת machlokes? What is this debate between Yaakov and Yosef about which one takes precedence? Who deserves the greater bracha? Menashe or Ephraim? Menashe's older. So why Ephraim? Why did Yaakov see Ephraim as the answer to the Jewish future while Yosef thought Menashe was the key to the Jewish future? We've quoted the Slanimer Rebbe in the past. Yesterday I learned a beautiful sicha of the Rebbe with Rav Tauger who actually published the translation of the sichas of the Rebbe which is good because it's in Yiddish, so I needed that translation. He has a beautiful perspective, a lot of beautiful perspectives. But I think it's important to include this perspective of of Rav Druck that Yaakov and Yosef each see Menashe and Ephraim as being on their own left or right depending on what view and what way they're looking at them. Rav Druck then moves on to the next piece and he asks a great question. He says, I don't understand what's going on here. Yaakov puts his hands on Menashe and Ephraim, and he gives Yosef a bracha, המלאך הגואל ha'malach ha'goel, and only after that does it say ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמר va'yivarchem ba'yom ha'hu leimor, only after that does he give the bracha to Menashe and Ephraim. So why are we saying he's giving a bracha to Menashe and Ephraim by giving a bracha to Yosef? What in the world's going on? מדוע כאשר מברך את יוסף אינו מניח את ידיו על ראש של יוסף Madua ka'asher mevarech es Yosef eino maniach es yadav al rosh shel Yosef? Why are his hands on the heads of Menashe and Ephraim while he's giving the bracha to Yosef? If you want to give a bracha to Yosef, put your hands on the head of Yosef. יסוד גדול למדנו מכאן Yesod gadol lamadnu mi'kan. Says Rav Druck, we learn a really important principle from here. שהברכה המיתיס לאב היא דרך הבנים she'ha'bracha ha'amitis la'av hi derech ha'banim. The greatest blessing to a father is through their children. כאשר מברך יעקב את יוסף הוא מניח את ידיו על הבנים ka'asher mevarech Yaakov es Yosef hu maniach es yadav al ha'banim. When Yaakov gives Yosef a bracha, he doesn't put his hand on Yaakov's, on Yosef's head. He puts his hands on Menashe and Ephraim. כאשר ישפיעו ברכה לבנים ka'asher yashpi'u bracha la'banim, זוהי ברכת האב zo'hi birkas ha'av. When children are successful, when children are thriving, when children are prosperous, when children are on the path, that is the greatest bracha to the parent. So the Zeide, the grandparent puts his hands on the אייניקלעך einiklach while he blesses his own son because he says son Yosef, you know what the bracha is? Ephraim and Menashe. To have children who are a continuity, to have children who are on fire, to have children who walk in your footsteps, הברכה האמיתית של האבא עוברת דרך הילדים שלו ha'bracha ha'amitis shel ha'abba overes derech ha'yeladim shelo. That is the greatest bracha. That is the greatest bracha. I think it's the Sfas Emes who says ויהיו שניהם יחדיו va'yihyu shneihem yachdav, that's the כה תברכו את בני ישראל koh sevorchu es bnei Yisrael is, ואני ואנו נלך עד כה v'ani v'anachnu neilech ad koh. What is the כה תברכו את בני ישראל koh sevorchu es bnei Yisrael? Parshas Nasso? The bracha of ברכת כהנים birkas kohanim that we give our children, the bracha ברכת כהנים birkas kohanim the kohanim give us. What is that bracha? יברכך השם וישמרך yevarechecha Hashem v'yishmerecha. The כה תברכו את בני ישראל koh sevorchu es bnei Yisrael the Medrash says the כה koh, כ' ה' chaf hei, the כה koh of כה תברכו את בני ישראל koh sevorchu es bnei Yisrael is connected to that ואני ואנחנו נלך עד כה v'ani v'anachnu neilech ad koh. The עקידה akeida, when Avraham says Yitzchak and I are going עד כה ad koh. What is the כה תברכו koh sevorchu? The greatest bracha is ואני ואנחנו נלך v'ani v'anachnu neilech עד כה ad koh. When children walk in the footsteps of their parent. When they embrace the דרך derech of their parent, when they give ידעש נחת Yiddishe nachas, חסידיש נחת Chassidish nachas, ליטוויש נחת Litvish nachas, every type of nachas to the parent, that is the greatest bracha for the parent. So says Rav Druck, that's how you understand what seems out of sequence in these pesukim. Who is he giving the bracha to? Is it to Yosef or is it to Yosef's sons? Why are his hands on the heads of the sons if he's giving the bracha to Yosef? Why does it seem interrupted, what's going on? Says Rav Druck it's all mixed together because the greatest bracha to a parent is to have successful children who walk in their same, who walk in their same path. Why do we choose Ephraim and Menashe as the recipients of our of our bracha? ויברכם ביום ההוא לאמר Vayivarchem ba'yom ha'hu leimor. Give them a bracha on that day saying ויברכם vayivarchem says the Sassar Rebbe, you know what the bracha is? ביום ההוא ba'yom ha'hu. Always live in the moment, live in that day. בך יברך ישראל לאמור B'cha yevarech Yisrael leimor, the Jewish people will bless through you, ישימך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה yesimcha Elokim k'Ephraim v'chi'Menashe. וישם את אפרים לפני מנשה Vayasem es Ephraim lifnei Menashe. So what in the world is going on here? First of all, why are Menashe and Ephraim chosen? This is an age-old question. We've discussed this many times but I want to add on something new this year. Why are Menashe and Ephraim chosen? Not we give our kids a bracha. I love and I'm running out of time otherwise I would elaborate and describe to you a mesorah I have from my father that my father for a long time already gives us all brachas, we're grown children, wherever we are in the world, in absentia, he gives us a bracha. Friday night closes his eyes, he extends his hands and wherever we are, he gives us a bracha. And we've too, I give a bracha to my children every Friday night. Baruch Hashem, I have several who have grown and are graduated and I give them a bracha every Friday night and it's the greatest bracha to also close your eyes and think about your your אייניקלעך einiklach, your grandchildren and give them a bracha, give them a bracha as well. So if you would have asked me to choose from Tanach, if you would have asked me to choose from Chazal, who should we bless them to be like? Maybe Hillel. Hillel was such a righteous person. Maybe Rabbi Akiva, gave his life. Maybe Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, maybe Moshe and Aharon, Yosef, David, all of them. Ephraim and Menashe, two rather minor characters of the Torah, that's what we bless them like? So we've given many answers before. Number one, we said these are the first two who are born in חוץ לארץ chutz la'aretz, they're born outside of Israel. They're born away from a Jewish education. They're born away from their Zeide, their grandfather Yaakov, and yet they are steadfast. They never compromise. They remain true and that's a bracha to our children. Be like Ephraim and Menashe. You're growing up in גלות galus, you're growing up in exile, you're growing up in a world, an environment which is foreign, which is difficult, persevere. Be like Ephraim and Menashe, number one. Number two suggestion is that Ephraim and Menashe are the first generation to get along. First ones. Yaakov and... Yitzchak and Yishmael didn't get along. Yaakov and Eisav doesn't get along. Yosef and his brothers don't get along. Ephraim and Menashe, you're the first ones. Not only do they get along, Ephraim the younger brother is considered greater than his older brother. Is Menashe jealous? Is he competitive? No, Menashe is proud. That's the bracha we give our children. That's the bracha we give our children. Be proud and realize who you're meant to be. But I want to tack on a third interpretation. This comes from Rav Druck. This is new this year and I love this and I'm going to think about this. Why do we give a bracha to be like Menashe and Ephraim more than any of these other personalities? So Rav Druck quotes his father, the Darshan Mordechai, Rav Mordechai Druck, zatzal, שאין רק אברהם יצחק ויעקב נקראים אבות ולא השבטים she'ein rak Avraham Yitzchak v'Yaakov nikra'im avos v'lo ha'shvatim. Only Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov are called our patriarchs. The 12 tribes are not. Like the Gemara says אין קורין אבות אלא שלושה ein korin avos ela shlosha. ומהם שהם ירידת הדורות u'mehem shehem yeridas ha'doros. And why is that? Because we have, we have the doctrine of the decline. We have this notion that every generation is further removed from God, from Sinai. Every generation, there is further decline. So the אבות avos, they are the אבות avos. They are the archetypes. The אבות avos, only Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are called the אבות avos. And while the שבטים shvatim are great, they're a step down because there's decline. There's a ירידת הדורות yeridas ha'doros. חז\"ל tells us the גמרא in שבת קי\"ב Gemara in Shabbos 112b: אם ראשונים כמלאכים אנו כבני אדם im rishonim k'malachim, anu k'vnei adam. If the earlier generations were like angels, we are mere mortals. There is a doctrine of decline, a ירידת הדורות yeridas ha'doros. We're on our way down. Who broke that mold? Who broke that mold and didn't decline but was on the ascent? Ephraim and Menashe. What do I mean? Says the Darshan Mordechai, says Rav Druck's father, Rav Mordechai Druck, Yaakov just said, Ephraim and Menashe כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי k'Reuven v'Shimon yihyu li. They are not the next generation. They're not grandchildren. They have the status of שבטים shvatim. They're like Reuven and Shimon. ומבואר שאפילו שלא היה להם נחת מיד יעקב אבינו מכל מקום u'mevu'ar she'afilu shelo hayah lahem nachas mi'yad Yaakov Avinu, mikol makom, במדרגות בני יעקב b'madregos bnei Yaakov. לא היה אצלם ירידת הדורות lo hayah etzlam yeridas ha'doros. Even though they were grandsons, they were given the status of sons. They didn't decline. They didn't go down. They were בני עליה bnei aliyah, they went up. So says Rav Mordechai Druck, you know the bracha we give? I can't wait to think about this this Friday night. The bracha we give to be like Ephraim and Menashe, that bracha is, may you be greater than I am. Everyone else is on their way down, ירידת הדורות yeridas ha'doros. This is a bracha to be even greater. A bracha to be even greater. ובביאור זה יש לבאר את מה שהביא את התרגום יונתן U'v'veiur zeh yesh l'vaer es mah she'heivi es ha'Targum Yonasan. The Targum Yonasan says on this pasuk, בך יברך ישראל ביום דמהלותא b'cha yevarech Yisrael b'yom d'mahlusa. When should this bracha be given? Targum Yonasan says Yaakov is telling him, you know what, Ephraim and Menashe, the greatness of Ephraim and Menashe, you will use them as the model to bless others. When? Which day? He doesn't say Friday night. Very unclear when that custom was giving a bracha to our children on Friday night began. But when, when does the Targum Yonasan say you should bless to be like Ephraim and Menashe? On the day of a bris. That's when the bracha, the bracha to be like Ephraim and Menashe is on the day of a bris. מדוע דוקא יום הברית Madua davka yom ha'bris? ולפי דרך הנ\"ל מובן U'lfi derech ha'nol muvan. שדוקא במצוה הראשונה שהאדם עושה לבנו she'davka ba'mitzvah ha'rishonah she'ha'adam oseh l'vno, הרי הוא מברך אותו בנו harei hu mevarech oso bno. שימשיך כך בכל המצוות she'yimshech kach b'chol ha'mitzvos. So says Rav Druck, you know why the Targum Yonasan is saying specifically on the day of a bris, you should give the bracha to be like like Menashe and Ephraim? Because that's the first mitzvah they're encountering. So we're telling that child, that little רך הנימול rach ha'nimol, that little baby boy is the same way that you have come into this mitzvah, your first mitzvah, so too in every mitzvah, may you surpass those who come before. So I'll just add on that my uncle, zechrono l'vracha, Rabbi Eila Zar, my uncle once said at a bris, maybe that's the pshat in what we say, זה הקטן גדול יהיה zeh ha'katan gadol yihyeh. May this child go great. What do we mean? Right now he's six inches long, may he be six feet tall. Right now he weighs a few ounces, may he weigh 170 pounds? What do you mean זה הקטן zeh ha'katan, this little פיצקלה pitzkala, גדול יהיה gadol yihyeh, may he be large? Is that what we mean? Said my uncle, no. זה הקטן גדול ממני יהיה zeh ha'katan gadol mimeni yihyeh. May this one who right now is less than me, גדול gadol, may he be greater. You know you have some parents who say, I come to shul Shabbos morning at 10 a.m. I don't want my children to come earlier than 10. I keep this level of kashrus, I don't want them to keep any more scrupulous level of kashrus. I only earn this money, I only achieve this education, I only this, I want them to succeed but exactly where I am. I want them to be where I am religiously, I want them to be where I am politically, I want them to be where I am in my education. That's not a Jewish view. Rather our attitude is זה הקטן גדול ממני יהיה zeh ha'katan gadol mimeni yihyeh. May this katan who's right now less than me, גדול gadol, may he grow greater than me. Ephraim and Menashe are the first model of that. כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי k'Reuven v'Shimon yihyu li. What a beautiful insight of the Darshan Mordechai. That's why we invoke them. That's why we choose them. That's why they are our model. בך יברך ישראל Becha yevarech Yisrael. I can't believe that we have to end with this. I got, just so you know, I got halfway through what I wanted to share. Literally halfway through. But ברוך השם Baruch Hashem, there's a פרשת ויחי Parshas Vayechi next year. But I'll close with a דברי ישראל Divrei Yisrael. רבי יחזקאל of Kuzmir Reb Yechezkel of Kuzmir, my friend Rabbi Mirzoff shared it with me. The דברי ישראל Divrei Yisrael of Kuzmir says, בך יברך ישראל becha yevarech Yisrael, לא אמר בכם lo amar bachem. When he turns to Menashe and Ephraim, he doesn't say בכם bachem. It's really plural, there's two people. Shouldn't he say בכם bachem יברך ישראל yevarech Yisrael? Why is it בך becha? בך כי איש אחד, באחדות Becha ki ish echad, b'achdus. ואז אין הבדל מי קודם למי V'az ein hevdel mi kodem l'mi. Only if you're united. You will be the model, and you will be the one through whom blessing comes if you are united, if you are as one. Because when you're united, you're not competitive. When you are unified, you don't care about who comes first. ולפיכך וישם את אפרים לפני מנשה U'lefichach vayasem es Ephraim lifnei Menashe, מנשה, כי מנשה לא יקנא באפרים, שהרי שניהם כאחד Menashe, ki Menashe lo yekane b'Ephraim, sheharei shneihem k'echad. Because Ephraim wasn't jealous of Menashe. They were united and they were unified. And therefore, the ברכה bracha is not בכם יברך ישראל bachem yevarech Yisrael, says the דברי ישראל Divrei Yisrael, it's בך becha. You as one entity, as one unit, you as one united. If we really want ברכה bracha in our lives, if we want ברכה bracha for our children, then we cannot be cutting corners, we cannot be using פרוטקציה protektzia, we cannot certainly be doing, unfortunately, like a חילול השם chillul Hashem and trying to go out of order and out of line, but a person has to rather be united. A person has to act מענטשלעך mentchlech. If you want ברכה bracha, first you need אחדות achdus. Not בכם bachem, but בך יברך becha yevarech, and that's how we are able to achieve ברכה bracha in our lives.There was and is a lot more to talk about. If you're watching on YouTube, please subscribe to our channel. Even if you're not, feel free to go to Rabbi Ephraim Goldberg on YouTube and subscribe. Otherwise, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay holy. Have a wonderful and holy day. We continue tomorrow morning, 8:15, 10 minutes of מסילת ישרים Mesilas Yesharim, 8:45 living with אמונה emunah. Tomorrow night we go Behind the Bima. Have a phenomenal day.
