Weekly Reading Insights:
Vayechi 5772

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Jewish tradition sees the forefathers and even the sons of Jacob as something akin to supermen. Even though they are capable of making mistakes, they are still on a much higher level than the norm. Their actions are able to be interpreted on multiple levels, with multiple intentions. Every action is with purpose, no action coincidental. Because of this we are able to learn more and more from the Torah year after year, as we mature, become more sophisticated, and grow from our personal challenges and experiences.

One of the places we see this is in the episode of Yaakov blessing Yosef's children, Menashe and Ephraim (Bereishit 48:13-20). Yaakov wants to bless Ephraim, the younger, before Menashe, the first born. Clearly Ephraim's greatness surpassing that of Menashe was not lost to Yosef. This being the case, what was the true content of the disagreement between Yosef and Yaakov about who should be blessed first? Furthermore, if Ephraim was greater, why was Menashe born first and not Ephraim?

When we look at the naming of the two boys who were born in the beginning of Yosef's rule, we see that their names expressed the relationship of Yosef to his sojourn in Egypt, far from family and birthplace. Menashe ("You (G-d) made me forget (nashni) my toil and the home of my father" (Bereishit 41: 51)), is the eternal reminder, the longing of Yosef for his father's home, and his uphill struggle to overcome the difficulties of Egypt. In contrast, the name Ephraim expresses Yosef's gratitude to the Holy One Blessed Be He for his success in Egypt ("You made me (hifrani) fruitful" (Bereishit 41:52)), and for all of the spiritual and physical benefits he received from his life there.

These are the two perspectives that each of us must maintain towards life and G-d in our own efforts in exile. On the one hand, each of us has to be a 'Menashe', to stand firm. We must always remember that our true place is 'our father's house', i.e. that we are the children of Yaakov, a unique family, with a special G-d given mission on earth, and our perceived reality of the tumble jumble misleading world view of exile, is not us. We have to be vigilant and wary that the perceived reality does not cause us to forget our true place and mission. Together with this, we have to also be on the level of Ephraim, to produce, to change the world. We must use our own abilities to light up that darkness that is the exile of our day to day life, through adding additional light and holiness.

This was the crux of the disagreement between Yaakov and Yosef: which of these two paths should be primary?

Yosef, who himself was sent into exile, and had to establish himself there, perceived Menashe as coming before Ephraim, since this was actually how things transpired in his life. Firstly, you have to be careful that the exile should not bring about your downfall. Only afterwards, can you reveal the potential within the challenges. Not only was this how Yosef perceived his task, it is for this reason that Menashe was also conceived before Ephraim, since this is how we move against the negative forces of the exile.

Yaakov, on the other hand, wanted to first bless Ephraim, because a blessing functions to give that extra portion of strength from above that is needed to challenge and transform the darkness. From this perspective, Ephraim must come before Menashe, since the whole purpose of our descent into the darkness of exile is to elevate it and bring out its potential.

The Torah is telling us that Yaakov's view is the primary one. We are being instructed that even though the work of Menashe is first, ultimately true success will only come when our long term mission, to transform the darkness to light, the legacy of Ephraim, will always be dominant.

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

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For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.

from the Chabad Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for

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FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org

Specifically, for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,
click to Vayechi

one sample:

Chasidic Masters
Twelve Tribes – Twelve Paths

By Simon Jacobson

When Jacob blesses his children, the twelve tribes, in his last days, he blessed "every one according to his blessing". Every one of the tribes has his particular journey, his specific energy which he must manifest in this world. Indeed, our Sages teach that the Re[e]d sea split into twelve paths, providing a separate path for each of the twelve tribes. Each tribes' blessing reflects its unique path in life.

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For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
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Here is a smaple from this week's:

KOL Magazine, Vol. 8, No.14

This Thursday is the Fast of the Tenth of Tevet. It commemorates the onset of the siege outside the walls of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the Holy Temple on the Ninth of Av, 3 years and seven months later.
In addition, in our times it has become the date to say Kaddish for those martyrs of the Holocaust (and all the others through the centuries) whose date of death is unknown.
The first two and last articles touch on these two themes. Articles 4 -- 6 are for this week's Torah Reading, the last in the Book of Genesis: Chazak, chazak, v'hit'chazeik!

Sample article:

Weekly Torah
Jewish Royalty
By Rena S. Goldzweig

The earthly Jewish king is the embodiment and the epitome of serving G-d.

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