Parshat Vayechi 5786 - "כאפרים וכמנשה"

This week’s Parsha is פרשת ויחי, the very last פרשה of ספר בראשית. In this יעקב ,פרשה grows ill and blesses all the שבטים before his death. When יוסף hears of his father’s health, he comes to him, bringing his two children, מנשה and אפרים. Yosef places his sons before Ya’akov, מנשה on his (יעקב’s) right, and אפרים on his left. However, instead of following the natural order, יעקב crosses his hands, putting his right hand on אפרים and his left on מנשה. Seeing this יוסף attempts to switch his father’s hands back, informing him that his right hand is on his youngest son (אפרים), rather than מנשה. In response, יעקב simply replies “ידעתי בני ידעתי גם־הוא יהיה־לעם וגם־הוא יגדל ואולם אחיו הקטן יגדל ממנו וזרעו יהיה מלא־הגוים - I know my son, I know, he (Menashe) will also become a nation, and he will also be great, but the younger brother shall be greater than him, and his children will fill nations.” יעקב then gives the children a ברכה, stating: “בך יברך ישראל לאמר ישמך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה - By you, Israel shall bless, saying: (May) G-d make you like Ephraim and Manashe.” This passage raises many questions: By what virtue is אפרים greater than מנשה? What does it mean that אפרים’s children will be מלא גוים? Why do we (עם ישראל) bless ourselves through them? And why does יעקב choose to cross his hands? Recorded in Yeshivat Sha'alvim