Blessing the lads – Vayyechi
Jacob blessing Ephraim & Manasseh, by Charles Foster, 1897
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who was my shepherd all my life until today, the angel who saved me from all evil – may he bless the lads; may they be called by my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a great people on earth” (Gen. 48:15-16).
Here are some interesting features of the blessing:
• It commences, “He blessed Joseph, and said…” because when children receive a blessing it gives a parent joy: parents’ great pleasure is in their children.
• The reference to Abraham and Isaac walking before God indicates that they lived in God’s presence. The righteous follow Psalm 16:8, “I set the Lord always before me”. Living is walking – hence the word halachah, from halach, to walk.
• God is a shepherd since shepherds care for each of their flock and save them from harm. This verse is the origin of Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my shepherd”.
• The blessing first talks about God and then an angel because angels are God’s agents. Malach, an angel, literally means “a messenger”.
• When Jacob said that his grandchildren would be called by the names of Jacob, Abraham and Isaac, he prayed that Menasheh and Ephraim would honour their ancestors’ tradition.
• What does “grow into a great people” mean? Here “great” denotes numerous. Jacob’s family would have been much larger if not for centuries of persecution.
