It’s a beautiful custom, wishing them the qualities we admire in these two brothers. But there's something even more interesting hidden within that blessing, something that goes back to their grandfather, Jacob.
The verse in Genesis 48:20 says, "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." Now, that last part – "he placed Ephraim before Manasseh" – seems simple enough. But according to Bereshit Rabbah, a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, it’s so much more than just a casual ordering. It represents a deliberate and consistent pattern of precedence.
The Midrash, in its insightful way, suggests that just as Jacob placed Ephraim first in that blessing, he effectively placed him first everywhere. It’s like a ripple effect that echoes throughout the generations.
How so? Well, the Midrash goes on to give us example after example. Consider the generations. We see "These are the generations of the sons of Ephraim" mentioned before "These are the generations of the sons of Manasseh." It might seem like a minor detail, but the rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah saw it as significant. (Commentaries, like Etz Yosef and Maharzu, debate the sentence, but the main point remains.)
Think about lineage. When the tribes are listed, it’s "For the children of Ephraim, their descendants, by their families" that comes first, as we see in Numbers 1:32, before the tribe of Manasseh gets its turn.
What about inheritance? There's “This is the inheritance of the sons of Ephraim.” And then, later, the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh is discussed, referencing Joshua 17:1–12.
Even when it came to the banners under which the tribes marched, the banner of the camp of Ephraim was mentioned before the tribe of Manasseh, based on Numbers 2:18-20.
And it doesn't stop there. The Midrash points out that the prince representing the sons of Ephraim offered his dedication on the seventh day (Numbers 7:48), while the prince for the sons of Manasseh came on the eighth (Numbers 2:54).
The pattern extends to leadership, too. Joshua, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land, was from Ephraim. Gideon, another mighty judge, hailed from Manasseh. Even with kings, we see Yerovam from Ephraim and Yehu from Manasseh.
And, of course, we come back to the blessing itself. "May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh." Jacob, in placing Ephraim first, set a precedent that resonated throughout Jewish history.
So, what does it all mean? Was Jacob simply showing favoritism? Or is there something deeper at play here? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in families, where love should be unconditional, there are often subtle dynamics of order and influence. Maybe it's about recognizing that leadership can come from unexpected places. Or, perhaps, it's a testament to the enduring power of a single blessing to shape the destiny of generations. Whatever the reason, the story of Ephraim and Manasseh, as told in Bereshit Rabbah, invites us to consider the weight of our words and the lasting impact of our actions. What kind of blessing will we leave behind?