When Did Yaakov Bless Ephraim and Menashe/2

When Did Yaakov Bless Ephraim and Menashe?

Exegetical Approaches

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On His Deathbed

Yaakov blessed Ephraim and Menashe close to his death, when they were already in their early twenties..

Sources:RashiBereshit 48:8About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamBereshit 48:8About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 48:8Bereshit Third Commentary 48:8About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 48:8About R. Levi b. Gershom, SefornoBereshit 48:8About R. Ovadyah Seforno, ShadalBereshit 48:8-10About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, NetzivBereshit 48:8About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

Chronology – All of these sources maintain the order of the verses and assume that Yaakov's blessing took place where told, close to the end of Yaakov's life.

"מִי אֵלֶּה" – These sources offer several different explanations as to why Yaakov did not recognize his grandsons:

• Poor eye-sight – Most of these commentators¹ assume that Yaakov's poor eyesight (and maybe simply old age)² prevented him from recognizing Menashe and Ephraim. Shadal explains that this is the reason that verse 10 shares, "וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת".‎³‎ 
• Utilitarian question – Netziv maintains that Yaakov did know his grandchildren, but simply wanted Yosef to mention them by name since loving and naming of the object of a blessing helps channel the Divine spirit towards that object.
• Egyptian garb – Malbim suggests that Yaakov did not recognize Menashe and Ephraim since they wore Egyptian garb and had princely demeanor.  One might go even further to suggest that this dress was indicative of a larger difference in lifestyle.  Having grown up in Egyptian society, Yosef's sons might have begun to assimilate, preferring Egyptian culture to Yaakov' company.  If so, it is possilbe that Yaakov did not recognize his grandchildren because he did not have much of a relationship with them.⁴

"מֵעִם בִּרְכָּיו" –  It is possible that Yosef's sons, despite being almost men, still fit between Yaakov's legs,⁵  Alternatively, it i spossible that the verse is not meant to be read literally and were literally between Yaakov's legs,⁶ but simply standing close to his thighs, as he embraced them.

"וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֹתָם"

Upon Arrival in Egypt

Both on Arrival and Before Death

¹ See Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, Seforno and Shadal.

² See Ibn Ezra's third commentary.

³ Though one might have expected this explanatory comment to precede Yaakov's question, Shadal suggests that doing so would only be necessary if there were many aspect of the plot that were dependent on the point. Since here the statement only comes to explain one small point, it follows that point.

⁴ See R. Z. Weitman,  "ויחי יעקב - בארץ מצרים" (Parashat Vayechi, 5773), that all of Yaakov's words and blessings in this chapter were meant to prevent Yosef and his children from being absorbed into Egyptian society and motivate him to return to the Land of Israel.  For a summary of his approach to the chapter, see Yaakov's Retrospective and Yosef's Double Portion.

⁵ These sources understand the verse to refer to Yaakov's thighs (and not Yosef's) since the previous verse already had Yosef push his children forward towards their grandfather.

⁶ These sources understand the verse to refer to Yaakov's thighs (and not Yosef's) since the previous verse already had Yosef push his children forward towards their grandfather.