For the Ilui Neshama of Avraham ben Ester ZT’L.
When a Jewish father gives a Beracha to his son on Lel
Shabbat (Friday Night Shabbat after Kiddush), he begins the blessing with
“Yesimcha Elokim Ke’Ephraim U’Menasheh,” May
Hashem put you on the standing of Ephraim and Menasheh. In our Parasha,
Parashat VaYechi; Yaakov Avinu blesses Yosef’s two boys, Ephraim and Menasheh.
What is the zchut that in every father’s blessing to his son
it is stated for all generations to begin the blessing with Ephraim and
Menasheh? What was so powerful between the connection of Ephraim and Menasheh
that intentionally there names are stated as the names to be used as examples?
Rav Chizkiyahu Neventzhal shlit’a brought down two
explanations that are extremely relevant to our everyday lives in regards to
these two brothers. The first is the idea of Ahavat Chinam, unfortunately due to the horrible acts in Eretz
HaKodesh recently there has been no sign of brotherly love between the secular
and religious groups. Besides for the fact of the delay in the Mashiach, Hashem
Yerachem, we need to look at Ephraim and Menasheh as examples in understanding
how to overcome such acts and continue the love between Jew and Jew. What was so
special about Yosef’s children?
Ephraim and Menasheh were the first set of brothers in
Jewish History that had absolutely no argument between the two! If we look at
the Torah from Kayin Ve’Hevel up until Ephraim and Menasheh there is no group
of brothers that had 100% success in the love for one another. Kayin killed
Hevel. Cham had troubles with his brothers Yefet and Shem. Yitzchak and
Yishmael. Yaakov and Esav. Yosef and his brothers. Only when we get up to
Yosef’s children we see a successful brotherly relationship. This is not simple
to reach! We know how difficult it is to get along with our siblings in a
complete manner. We need to learn from this pair immediately to bring into our
hearts love for our fellow Jew, no matter what outfit he/she wears and what
he/she believes in.
Let’s take it another step further. Rav Chizkiyahu says in
the name of his father, Rav Neventzhal shlit’a (the Rabbi of the Old City)
what’s so special about this set of brothers? They were the first generation
that did not stump to a lower level of spirituality. There is a fact in Am
Yisrael: every generation experiences Yeridat
HaDorot (declining of the generation). This spiritual decline can be
explained like this: Each of us is brought into the world with a Full Neshama.
After we have attempted to achieve 613 Mitzvot of the Torah, if we haven’t
succeeded, Hashem takes the part of the Neshama that is left (not completed).
Hashem brings that Neshama back into the world as a Guf (physical body) and
gives man the opportunity to complete that Neshama’s part’s job of fulfilling
the specific Mitzvot that are needed. Therefore with a smaller part of the
Neshama being brought into the world in the second/third body (Gilgul), this causes a spiritual
decline.
This concept of Yeridat HaDorot did not exist with Ephraim and
Menashe! They managed to be on such high levels of Kedusha that they were able
to push to the same level as there Father and the rest of Shivtei Yisrael (the
tribes of Israel).
B’H we should all
push to be like Ephraim and Menasheh, because we can.
Judaism=Think.
Shavua Tov!
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