SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN GOLUS
Why Yaakov switched his hands - Vayechi
“May Hashem make you like Efraim and Menashe.” Many Jews bless their boys each week with these words; the promise of Yaakov, that this is how Jewish fathers would bless their sons for all time.
The reason we bless our children to be like Efraim and Menashe, rather than the Avos or the twelve Shevatim, is because they were the first children born in Golus.
We want our children to strong enough to overcome the challenges of Golus. Like Efraim and Menashe, we want them to remain committed Jews, dedicated to the ways of their forebears, no matter in which environment they find themselves.
Efraim and Menashe represent two different approaches we can adopt when facing the reality and challenges of Golus. The paths that they represent are alluded to in their names.
The Torah tells us that when his firstborn son was born, Yosef named him Menashe, because “Hashem has caused me to forget… my father’s house.” The word Menashe is related to the word Nashani (He has caused me to forget).
The younger brother was called Efraim “because Hashem has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”.
Menashe represents Yosef’s fear that he would forget who he was and where he came from. In naming his firstborn, Yosef gave voice to his yearning for the old world. To be back in the spiritual safe-haven of his father’s house.
The attitude of Menashe is to build up defensive walls to separate us from the society around us. Menashe is the Jew fighting against the tides to preserve their identity. Menashe seeks to run away from the challenges of the world around them.
In contrast, Efraim, meaning to be fruitful, represents the ambition to flourish in Golus and positively Impact one’s surroundings, even if they are “the land of my affliction”.
Wherever a Jew is sent, it is with the mission of brining awareness of Hashem to that place. This can only be achieved by engaging with the surrounding environment.
Yaakov’s life mission was to bring the greatest revelations of G-dliness all the way down to the lowest of places. This is alluded in his name, which can be divided up into י‘, the first and loftiest letter of the Divine name and עקב, meaning a heel, the lowest extremity.
When Yaakov blessed Menashe and Efraim, he placed his right hand on the head of Efraim. Yaakov wished to confer the greater Bracha on him, because he saw the approach embodied in Efraim as the ultimate path.
Yosef disagreed. He tried to remove his father’s right hand from the head of Efraim and place it on the head of Menashe. Feeling a sense of loss and homesickness, Yosef felt that it was the feelings of longing represented by Menashe, that was primary for the survival of the Jewish people in a foreign and spiritually-hostile land.
Coming from the outside, with an objective perspective, Yaakov responded “I know my son, I know. He too… will be great”. I understand and agree with you that the Menashe attitude is important. It is a great path… “However, his younger brother will be greater than him.” The approach of Efraim is the greater. Not only will it see us survive Golus, it will see us grow and flourish through the experience.
Menashe was born first. The starting realisation is to seek to preserve our identity. This will stop us from assimilating into the environment and people around us. But afterwards, our right hand, our strength and effort, must be invested into the approach of Efraim.
After the war that ravaged the Torah centres of Europe, the Jewish people moved to the free lands of the Western World; a land of spiritual affliction.
The Frierdike Rebbe, followed by the Rebbe, did not adopt the Menashe approach of the communities who walled themselves into ghettoes to save the remnant of the Old World.
In the way of Yaakov and Efraim, the Rebbe sent out Shluchim to the four corners of the world, to build and develop, to inspire and to impact. With this approach, our children will triumph over Golus and lead us to the Geulah Shleimah
~ Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 15
The reason we bless our children to be like Efraim and Menashe, rather than the Avos or the twelve Shevatim, is because they were the first children born in Golus.
We want our children to strong enough to overcome the challenges of Golus. Like Efraim and Menashe, we want them to remain committed Jews, dedicated to the ways of their forebears, no matter in which environment they find themselves.
Efraim and Menashe represent two different approaches we can adopt when facing the reality and challenges of Golus. The paths that they represent are alluded to in their names.
The Torah tells us that when his firstborn son was born, Yosef named him Menashe, because “Hashem has caused me to forget… my father’s house.” The word Menashe is related to the word Nashani (He has caused me to forget).
The younger brother was called Efraim “because Hashem has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”.
Menashe represents Yosef’s fear that he would forget who he was and where he came from. In naming his firstborn, Yosef gave voice to his yearning for the old world. To be back in the spiritual safe-haven of his father’s house.
The attitude of Menashe is to build up defensive walls to separate us from the society around us. Menashe is the Jew fighting against the tides to preserve their identity. Menashe seeks to run away from the challenges of the world around them.
In contrast, Efraim, meaning to be fruitful, represents the ambition to flourish in Golus and positively Impact one’s surroundings, even if they are “the land of my affliction”.
Wherever a Jew is sent, it is with the mission of brining awareness of Hashem to that place. This can only be achieved by engaging with the surrounding environment.
Yaakov’s life mission was to bring the greatest revelations of G-dliness all the way down to the lowest of places. This is alluded in his name, which can be divided up into י‘, the first and loftiest letter of the Divine name and עקב, meaning a heel, the lowest extremity.
When Yaakov blessed Menashe and Efraim, he placed his right hand on the head of Efraim. Yaakov wished to confer the greater Bracha on him, because he saw the approach embodied in Efraim as the ultimate path.
Yosef disagreed. He tried to remove his father’s right hand from the head of Efraim and place it on the head of Menashe. Feeling a sense of loss and homesickness, Yosef felt that it was the feelings of longing represented by Menashe, that was primary for the survival of the Jewish people in a foreign and spiritually-hostile land.
Coming from the outside, with an objective perspective, Yaakov responded “I know my son, I know. He too… will be great”. I understand and agree with you that the Menashe attitude is important. It is a great path… “However, his younger brother will be greater than him.” The approach of Efraim is the greater. Not only will it see us survive Golus, it will see us grow and flourish through the experience.
Menashe was born first. The starting realisation is to seek to preserve our identity. This will stop us from assimilating into the environment and people around us. But afterwards, our right hand, our strength and effort, must be invested into the approach of Efraim.
After the war that ravaged the Torah centres of Europe, the Jewish people moved to the free lands of the Western World; a land of spiritual affliction.
The Frierdike Rebbe, followed by the Rebbe, did not adopt the Menashe approach of the communities who walled themselves into ghettoes to save the remnant of the Old World.
In the way of Yaakov and Efraim, the Rebbe sent out Shluchim to the four corners of the world, to build and develop, to inspire and to impact. With this approach, our children will triumph over Golus and lead us to the Geulah Shleimah
~ Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 15