“He blessed them that day, saying: By you shall Israel bless, saying: May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh; and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh” (Genesis 48:20). “He blessed them that day” – just as he placed him first here,20Just as Jacob mentioned Ephraim before Manasseh in this verse. so he placed him first everywhere. He placed him first regarding generations: These are the generations of the sons of Ephraim and then these are the generations of the sons of Manasseh.21Commentaries debate what this sentence refers to, and some suggest that it be emended or removed from the text of the midrash (see Etz Yosef; Maharzu).
Regarding lineage: “For the children of Ephraim, their descendants, by their families” (Numbers 1:32).22Only after the tribe of Ephraim is mentioned is the tribe of Manasseh mentioned (see Numbers 1:32–35). He placed him first regarding inheritance: “This is the inheritance of the sons of Ephraim” (see Joshua 16:8) and then, this is the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh.23This is not a direct citation of a verse, but a reference to the discussion of the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh, in Joshua 17:1–12.
He placed him first in the banners: “The banner of the camp of Ephraim” (Numbers 2:18) and then, “with it is the tribe of Manasseh” (Numbers 2:20). He placed him first regarding the princes: “On the seventh day, the prince for the sons of Ephraim” (Numbers 7:48) and then, “on the eighth day, the prince for the sons of Manasseh” (Numbers 2:54). He placed him first regarding judges: Joshua from Ephraim and Gideon from Manasseh.
He placed him first regarding kings: Yerovam from Ephraim and Yehu from Manasseh. He placed him first regarding blessing: “May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.” He placed him first regarding blessing: “He placed Ephraim before Manasseh.”