GENESIS XLVII:28-L:26
INHERITANCE AS DESTINY
Yosef (Jospeh) inherited the double portion usually reserved for the firstborn of the family. The elderly Yaakov (Jacob) was ill and resting on a bed when he received a visit from his son Yosefwith his two grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe. The blessing Yaakov offered to his grandchildren, whom he did not recognizeat first, ensured that each of them would have the status of a son.
Since the tribe of Levi would not participate in the future division of the Promised Land, it was divided into twelve parts and Yosef was given two portions, one for each of his sons. Yaakov regarded Yosef as if he were the (firstborn) because he was the first born of his beloved wife Rachel, although he was not the Bechor, the first son the patriarch fathered.
At the time of the blessing, Yaakov placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the youngest grandson. Yosef wanted to correct what he thought was a mistake and tried to divert the old patriarch’s hand towards Menashe’s head, but Yaakov, aware of his action, insisted on giving the distinction to Ephraim. The theme of not preferring the firstborn is ubiquitous in the patriarchs’ account.
Professor Yonah Bar-Maoz suggests that the patriarch Yitschak(Isaac) was not really deceived by his son Esav (Esau), who had feigned sensitivity and spirituality when he was in the presence of the father. When Yitschak calls Esav and asks him to go to the field to hunt an animal, he asks him to prepare food to offer him his blessing. With this gesture he wishes to bring closer the son who does not act in accordance with the teachings of Grandfather Avraham (Abraham). Yitschak does not want to repeat what happened in his father’s home, when Avrahambanished Yishmael (Ismael) at the insistence of his mother Sarah.
Sarah perceived that Yishmael had a negative influence on Yitschak and decided that it was necessary to separate the young people so that Yitschak could become the future spokesman of the monotheism that Avraham had introduced into the world. For Yitzchak, the approach to the bosom of the family is the response to Esav’s departure from the path of the patriarchal values. According to the biblical account, neither attitude produced the desired effect. Both Yishmael and Esav estranged themselves from the family and spawned nations antagonistic to the Jewish people.
On his deathbed, Yaakov recounts his relationship with each of his children. He shows that he knows the weaknesses of each of them and applauds their successes and achievements. Yaakovidentifies each of his children and evaluates them on their individual merits. Perhaps this is why the Jewish people are known as Benei Yisrael, sons of the third patriarch, Yaakov, who also assumed the name Israel.
Even Yaakov does not comply with the principle of not differentiating between children and does not hide his preference for Yosef. He recognizes the talent of the young dreamer, the handsome and intelligent young man, who at the same time demonstrates excessive arrogance. To the brothers, their father’s preference for the haughty Yosef was clear, but they rejected his leadership. The brothers probably repented for the harm they did to Yosef by selling him into slavery. However, it is doubtful that his repentance would have turned into love.
They couldn’t deny the talents of Yosef that made it easy for him to reach a position of command in Egypt, but his quality as a dreamer meant that he was sometimes out of touch with reality. He never achieved emotional intimacy with his siblings. He was perfect, and perfection didn’t bring him closer, it tends to frighten those who feel inferior.
The brothers recognized Yehudah’s (Judah’s) leadership becausehe demonstrated loyalty and firmness, which, coupled with his past mistakes, presented him as someone more human, a perfectible being. A person who could understand the weaknesses of others and show the way to self-improvement. Whereas in the cases of Yishmael and Yitzchak, and Yaakov and Esav, the brothers drifted apart and created different and antagonistic nations, Menashe and Ephraim remained united. Yaacov surely did not want to see a repeat of the previous fraternal competition and gave a section of the Promised Land to each.
