Photo Credit: Jewish Press

We are all familiar with the episode in Vayechi of Yaakov blessing Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Menasheh. The Torah tells us that Yosef placed his older son, Menasheh, on his father’s right side so that his father would bless him with his right hand. Yaakov, however, crossed his hands, placing his left hand on Menasheh. Yosef objected, but Yaakov responded that although Menasheh was older, Ephraim would have greater descendants.

Earlier in Vayechi, Yaakov mentions that Ephraim and Menasheh will become like Reuven and Shimon (Bereishis 48:5). Yaakov mentions Ephraim before Menasheh but Yosef does not object. Why?

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Some mefarshim explain that Yosef only cared when he saw his father giving Menasheh and Ephraim just one blessing. Earlier – when Yaakov said that Ephraim and Menashe would become like Reuven and Shimon – Yosef assumed that his father mentioned Ephraim first because he attended to him.

Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky, zt”l, asks another question: Why was Yaakov not afraid that granting Yosef’s sons the status of shevatim would cause jealousy among his children? Rav Kaminetzky suggests that the shevatim understood that Yosef’s children required these berachos because they were born, not in Yaakov’s house, but in Metzrayim. Yaakov was afraid that they wouldn’t have the necessary tools to withstand galus and therefore did not hesitate to give Yosef’s sons extra ebrachos.

Rav Kaminetzky suggests further that the names of Yosef’s sons indicate that Ephraim required more of a berachah to withstand galus than Menasheh. When Yosef named Menasheh he said that Hashem rewarded him for his hard work and his father’s house. Yosef felt his father’s influence. When Ephraim was born, though, Yosef felt more like a resident of Mitzrayim and thanked Hashem for giving him a child in a foreign land. (Rav Kaminetzky adds that he believes Ephraim is an Egyptian name.) That’s why Yosef did not object when Yaakov said Ephraim and Menasheh would be like Reuven and Shimon, mentioning Ephraim first.

Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, zt”l, offers another another to why Yosef didn’t object based on something else the Brisker Rav once said. The Brisker Rav said that the shevatim did not attain the formal status of shevatim until after birchos Yaakov. Indeed, we do not find them referred to as shevatim in the Torah until right after that point (Bereishis 49:28).

In general, Yosef didn’t mind when his father mentioned Ephraim before Menasheh. But he believed that the berachah Yaakov gave them at the end of his life would formally make them shevatim. And since Menasheh was older, he believed Menashes should come first in the order of shevatim.

Based on this explanation, we can suggest that Yosef’s sons became shevatim because they were the sons of Yaakov’s bechor from Rachel. Since this was his birthright, Yosef thought he had the right to decide who should receive the berachah first. Yaakov responded that since Menasheh will have greater descendants Ephraim, he should receive the blessing from the right hand. Priority in the bechorah is not always dependent on age. Greatnes plays a factor as well.

(Perhaps this is also why Yaakov was entitled to the bechorah – even though he was not the firstborn.)

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Rabbi Fuchs learned in Yeshivas Toras Moshe, where he became a close talmid of Rav Michel Shurkin, shlit”a. While he was there he received semicha from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, shlit”a. He then learned in Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and became a close talmid of Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, zt”l. Rabbi Fuchs received semicha from the Mirrer Yeshiva as well. After Rav Shmuel’s petira Rabbi Fuchs learned in Bais Hatalmud Kollel for six years. He is currently a Shoel Umaishiv in Yeshivas Beis Meir in Lakewood, and a Torah editor and weekly columnist at The Jewish Press.